Posts Tagged concept art

I live in a very rural area, far from any major “space” centers. Indeed, the arrival of Space Shuttle Endeavour in Los Angeles (once it retires) will mean the first major piece of space hardware I can visit in my time zone. To run into someone from the space “industry” is, well, rare.

Last week, I met with a client whom I’ve only met a couple of times. The conversation turned to space shuttle launches (as many conversations have turned, of late.) To my surprise, this client had worked for Lockheed in the 1980s, and upon learning of my interest, had “something special” to show me: three binders full of Lockheed’s Hubble Space Telescope proposal and press materials, which she helped produce. Each member of her team received a commemorative frame with the above concept art (dedication flap is scanned below.)

We flipped through the proposal, commenting on how “crude” it seemed, compared to grant proposals (and basic desktop publishing) used today. It may have been “unpolished” by today’s standards, but what a special thing to have been a part of, and what a wonderful telescope it launched!