Vincent (with us tailing him) was graciously afforded an almost all-access behind the scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center -- mission control was a no-go, unsurprisingly -- which included a pilgrimage to launchpad 39A, site of the impending STS-135 mission, NASA's last in the Space Transportation System (STS, or Space Shuttle) era.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Safety is essential to any transportation system whether on land, sea or air, and space shuttles are a vivid example of that axiom.

FORBES: He Brought Safety To The Skies

The US space agency is due to retire its shuttles next year and is working on a new crew transportation system, to be introduced in about 2014-15.

BBC: Obama reviews post-shuttle plans