This new space shuttle is very tiny......

[dhinojosa]

So is that tiny little helicopter in front of it. Either that those bushes are super big.

[liberal N proud]

1. Compared to that building, everything is tiny!

The assembly building is one of the largest buildings in volume in the world.

[Mugweed]

2. Not bushes

Those are the tops of trees you see. This was taken from a distance, as the VAB is 525 feet tall (and we're not even getting the whole building in the picture).

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/vab.html

[dhinojosa]

3. WOW! Those are trees?

hahaha. That building must be distorting everything around it.

[whistle]

4. That picture is giving the illusion of what is called forced perspective

...At Kennedy Space Center, there are no large shrubs or bushes within a mile of the assembly building and launch platforms. What you are seeing is the photographers position behind those bushes which are relatively close and that vehicle assembly building at least a mile if not further away and the helicopter somewhere in between. The photo lens is probably a deep-focus lens which makes everything in its path stay in focus as well.

That assembly building was erected to assemble the moon rockets back in the 1960s and 1970s and those babies were something like 40 stories high. So the assembly building is at least 500 or 550 feet high. As for the shuttle, it is a big craft, but definitely smaller than the moon rockets.

Nice shot there! Be sure Homeland Security doesn't catch you taking pictures like that. It may be a violation of the Patriot Act.

[dhinojosa]

6. Thanks for the info...something else.

Those brown things that look like shingles on the right gave that illusion as well. It makes that opening look like a mouse hole.

[whistle]

7. The shingle looking brown things are like huge garage doors....

...which are opened when the shuttle is ready to be transported. Also, if bad weather threatens, the doors are quickly closed. The shuttle itself is mounted on a large self propelled tractor affair that moves along at about 3 miles per hour. It's really a marvel to watch!

[sui generis]

5. nope it's all itsy bitsy

that picture is the actual size. Those aren't bushes, that's dryer lint. Due to cost cutbacks at Nasa some compromises were made in the size of the actual shuttle.

And they had enough money left over to make a litty bitty chopper to fly around in front of it. I swear! I would never tell a lie O8)