From its ribbon cutting in 2004, the viaduct was destined for Guinness: When finished, it had the highest road deck in Europe, the tallest piers and highest bridge tower in the world, and the longest launch of a bridge deck.

WSJ: A Concrete Ribbon Through the Clouds | Millau Viaduct | Masterpiece by Joseph Giovannini

At Tower Hill, the coffin was piped aboard the launch Havengore for the voyage up the Thames.

BBC: Prime ministers' funerals from Pitt to Heath

The new facility near Tongchang is far more advanced, with a 100-foot-tall launch tower and a below-ground tunnel to direct rocket exhaust.

WSJ: U.S. Warns North Korea Over Rocket Launch

He also got a peek at the NASA engine shop, shuttle landing facility and control tower, vehicle assembly building, and mobile launch platforms, as well as several other difficult-to-remember locales.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS