The forgotten space race: Haunting images of Nasa's abandoned launch sites reveal ambition that once captivated the world
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The brave astronauts who risked their lives to venture into the unknown have been hailed as the heroes of the space race.
But the incredible infrastructure that sent these men and women into orbit has largely been forgotten, leaving haunting reminders of one of humanity's greatest achievements.
For the best part of half a century, one photographer has been on an adventure across the US to capture abandoned Nasa sites before they are lost to their environment.
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An inside look: Pictured is a Saturn V F1 engine at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 'I was asked, in 1997, to photograph the newly opened Saturn V Center, including access to a high-lift for vantage points like this view of the center Saturn V F1 engine,' said Mr Miller
Roland Miller, 56, from Grayslake, Illinois, has dedicated 25 years to the personal project and has now compiled his life's work in a book, 'Abandoned In Place'.
'I think that many children of my era wanted to be astronauts,' said Mr Miller, a photography instructor at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.
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'Unfortunately, because of my need for glasses in the third grade I knew becoming an astronaut was not an option. Well, glasses and about 40 IQ points.
'My parents would wake me and my sisters up early to watch the launches from Cape Canaveral.
The nuts and bolts: Pictured is a cable tunnel at the Gemini Titan Complex 19 in Florida, pictured in 1993. Often overlooked in early space history, the Gemini program provided the basic research for many critical steps in proving that men could survive long duration flights in space and testing the orbital rendezvous procedures which would eventually be used in the Apollo program
Space history: Mr Miller has visited 16 space launch sites, research facilities, and museums, in Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Utah, New Mexico, and California. Pictured is a wind tunnel test chamber at the Langley Research Center in Virginia
'As an adult it has been an amazing experience to explore and photograph these historic launch complexes.'
Mr Miller has visited 16 space launch sites, research facilities, and museums, in Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kansas, Utah, New Mexico, and California.
'Cape Canaveral has the most facilities remaining, though many of them have been demolished or repurposed since I began the project,' he said
'Launch Complex 34 is my favourite. LC34 is the site of a number of unmanned test launches of the Saturn I and IB rocket.
'The first manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7, lifted off from Complex 34. It is also the site of the Apollo One capsule fire that killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.
Snapped: A fuel tank for a lunar module pictured at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in 2002. 'As an adult it has been an amazing experience to explore and photograph these historic launch complexes,' said Miller
Space race: On the left are bolts pictured at Atlas Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The right image shows a plug board at Complex 26, also located in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Flooded: This is an image of a large square girder in a flooded compartment beneath Launch Pad 19, the Gemini-Titan facility at Cape Canaveral. 'I was intrigued by the colour and the light,' said Mr Miller. 'What I couldn't have predicted were the swirling reflections of light in the water coming from openings in the roof. They look like little galaxies'
'There is a spiritual quality to Launch Complex 34. The launch pedestal with its large round opening to the sky gives it the look of some ancient astronomical archaeological ruin-something like Stonehenge.'
In 1984, Mr Miller moved to Florida's Space Coast to teach photography and was contacted by an environmental engineer at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The engineer needed help disposing of old photographic chemicals, which required a visit to Launch Complex 19, the Gemini Program launch facility.
'I knew immediately I wanted to photograph the decaying launch structure, and I soon realised there were other deactivated launch facilities on Cape Canaveral that I would also want to photograph,' he said.
It was down to this chance encounter that led Mr Miller to spend a large part of his life travelling across country to document the forgotten history of the space program.
'You have to understand that all of these launch complexes and test sites are on secure military bases or Nasa and contractor operated facilities with numerous security considerations and hazardous operations,' he said.
Decommissioned: 'I made this photograph of Atlas Launch Complex 36B while it was being decomissioned,' said Mr Miller. 'The mobile service towers of Pads A and B were imploded in 2007. Launch Complex 36 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sent Surveyor, Mariner, and Pioneer missions on their way to explore the ,oon and the planets of our solar system'
Haunting: Pictured on the left is Navaho Complex 9 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station pictured in 1990. On the right is a Nasa logo at Mercury Mission Control in Florida
Revived: A launch ring restored at the Apollo Saturn Complete 34. 'In 1998, the launch ring at Complex 34 was sandblasted and painted to protect it from weathering,' said Mr Miller. ;I had been trying for years to capture the spiritual quality of this site. I made this photograph near sunset with the blue sky reflecting on the launch pedestal and the last pink rays of sunlight illuminating the ring and clouds behind'
'You can't just say to Nasa, 'I would like to run around on your secure facility and make a bunch of pictures.'
'It wasn't hard to get out and photograph for a short period of time, but I knew I need extended time and numerous visits to accomplish the project I had in mind.
Mr Miller said it took about two years of attempting different avenues to get the access he required.
'Once I was able to make a couple of excursions and then show the work to Nasa and the Air Force, they were supportive of my visits,' he said.
Mr Miller, who successfully raised over his $25,000 (£16,000) target through Kickstarter to part-fund his work, said he plans to continue photographing abandoned space centres when they become available.
Looking for shelter: A dome at the Rubber Room Launch Pad 39B in the Kennedy Space Center is pictured. The floor is set on springs to isloate the occupants from whatever explosions which may be occuring above them as they seek shelter
Launch site: The Gemini Titan Complex 19, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. 'This was the first abandoned launch pad I visited,' said Mr Miller. 'It was 1988, and I was amazed that the light bulbs on the erector were mostly intact more than 22 years after the last Gemini mission. Unlike all the other service towers at the pads on Cape Canaveral, the erector at Pad 19 was hinged at the base. It was lowered before every launch'
Abandoned: Mr Miller managed to capture these liquid fuel tanks used for the Apollo program which landed the first twelve humans on the Moon from 1969 to 1972. 'Their were two of these fuel pressure spheres near the entrance to Launch Complex 37,' he said. 'One has been repurposed and is now used to support Delta IV rocket launches. The other sphere was removed'
Inspiration: Pictured is a blockhouse - a isolated fort - at the Apollo Saturn Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. 'These abandoned space launch and test facilities bring to mind other archeological sites. This blockhouse reminded me of a pyramid or ziggurat,' said Mr Miller
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