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July 7, 2009 12:00 AM Subscribe
NASA has the best special effects.
posted by philip-random at 12:12 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by philip-random at 12:12 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I feel kind of bad for the rocket boosters (in the illogical way one feels bad for inanimate objects.) They get so close to space.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 12:12 AM on July 7, 2009 [7 favorites]
posted by Solon and Thanks at 12:12 AM on July 7, 2009 [7 favorites]
"Oh no, not again."
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:38 AM on July 7, 2009 [6 favorites]
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 12:38 AM on July 7, 2009 [6 favorites]
That was absolutely amazing. Especially the bit when the booster gets attacked by a giant jellyfish at the end.
posted by tawny at 1:20 AM on July 7, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by tawny at 1:20 AM on July 7, 2009 [4 favorites]
Double?
That was from STS-124, this one is from STS-125, so technically, not a double.
Cool post at any rate. Stuff like this reminds me that no matter what, space travel is never routine and always interesting.
posted by armage at 1:54 AM on July 7, 2009
That was from STS-124, this one is from STS-125, so technically, not a double.
Cool post at any rate. Stuff like this reminds me that no matter what, space travel is never routine and always interesting.
posted by armage at 1:54 AM on July 7, 2009
It was even better when I put 'Drifting' by Jimi Hendrix on in the background.
posted by Senator at 2:49 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by Senator at 2:49 AM on July 7, 2009
That was from STS-124, this one is from STS-125, so technically, not a double.
So nyeeeer
I kid, I kid because I don't really care
posted by mattoxic at 3:00 AM on July 7, 2009
So nyeeeer
I kid, I kid because I don't really care
posted by mattoxic at 3:00 AM on July 7, 2009
Eh. Kind of lame. I did the same thing yesterday.
Actually, wait. My bad. Just put my glasses on. Turns out it was a video of a rocket made out of fire and human ingenuity blasting through the Earth's invisible carapace, instead of a video of some dick watching a horror movie about flying piranhas and drinking cheap vodka.
In my defense, that's pretty close to NASA's accomplishments.
Right?
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 3:52 AM on July 7, 2009
Actually, wait. My bad. Just put my glasses on. Turns out it was a video of a rocket made out of fire and human ingenuity blasting through the Earth's invisible carapace, instead of a video of some dick watching a horror movie about flying piranhas and drinking cheap vodka.
In my defense, that's pretty close to NASA's accomplishments.
Right?
posted by Uppity Pigeon #2 at 3:52 AM on July 7, 2009
Delightful. Good work America, thank you for making the world such nice things as this.
posted by The Monkey at 4:11 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by The Monkey at 4:11 AM on July 7, 2009
I getting old...
I used to think "Space Rockets! COOL!"
Now I just make irrelevant comparisons to the particulate limits they've put on my car emissions...
posted by twine42 at 4:14 AM on July 7, 2009
I used to think "Space Rockets! COOL!"
Now I just make irrelevant comparisons to the particulate limits they've put on my car emissions...
posted by twine42 at 4:14 AM on July 7, 2009
I feel ripped off. After reading the description I was half expecting a bunch of NASA nerds to be running away with their hands and arms over their heads in a field somewhere. With one of them quoted saying " SHIT! Run it's coming right for us!"
posted by Mastercheddaar at 6:14 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by Mastercheddaar at 6:14 AM on July 7, 2009
This is a neat story: they accidentally got a knob wedged against the cockpit window on STS-125, which threatened to scrap the whole orbiter. They finally got it unstuck, but they're still evaluating the damage, if any. Apparently, you can't just call the auto-glass place to drive out and pop in a new windshield for these things.
posted by steef at 6:15 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by steef at 6:15 AM on July 7, 2009
I just never get tired of watching things like this. It's just so utterly fucking beautiful. Especially at the breakaway at 2:51. I get shivers.
posted by marginaliana at 6:20 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by marginaliana at 6:20 AM on July 7, 2009
from the perspective of space bat!
posted by hillabeans at 6:22 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by hillabeans at 6:22 AM on July 7, 2009
So incredibly gorgeous.
I have always wondered: Why does the shuttle rotate and accelerate "upside down"?
posted by lazaruslong at 6:55 AM on July 7, 2009
I have always wondered: Why does the shuttle rotate and accelerate "upside down"?
posted by lazaruslong at 6:55 AM on July 7, 2009
Why does the shuttle rotate and accelerate "upside down"?
See here.
And if all this gives you is a 'Meh', then I pity you.
posted by bitmage at 7:07 AM on July 7, 2009
See here.
And if all this gives you is a 'Meh', then I pity you.
posted by bitmage at 7:07 AM on July 7, 2009
Or, if you prefer it straight from NASA:
"During the vertical rise phase, the launch pad attitude is
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
posted by bitmage at 7:09 AM on July 7, 2009
"During the vertical rise phase, the launch pad attitude is
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
posted by bitmage at 7:09 AM on July 7, 2009
"During the vertical rise phase, the launch pad attitude is
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
This is also how I described my first date ever.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:13 AM on July 7, 2009 [6 favorites]
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
This is also how I described my first date ever.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 7:13 AM on July 7, 2009 [6 favorites]
"During the vertical rise phase, the launch pad attitude is
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
Hey thanks! Mind if I pick your brain a little about this?
I get the decreased abort maneuver complexity and the crew view of the horizon. Do you know what negative q-alpha and improved S-band angles are?
posted by lazaruslong at 7:20 AM on July 7, 2009
commanded until an I-loaded V(rel) sufficient to assure launch tower
clearance is achieved. Then, the tilt maneuver (roll program)
orients the vehicle to a heads down attitude required to generate a
negative q-alpha, which in turn alleviates structural loading. Other
advantages with this attitude are performance gain, decreased abort
maneuver complexity, improved S-band look angles, and crew view of
the horizon. The tilt maneuver is also required to start gaining
downrange velocity to achieve the main engine cutoff (MECO) target
in second stage."
Hey thanks! Mind if I pick your brain a little about this?
I get the decreased abort maneuver complexity and the crew view of the horizon. Do you know what negative q-alpha and improved S-band angles are?
posted by lazaruslong at 7:20 AM on July 7, 2009
Hey thanks! Mind if I pick your brain a little about this?
Alas, you won't find much - but if you click on the NASA link in my post, you'll find translation from someone much better qualified.
(Although I do know that S-band is a frequency range...)
posted by bitmage at 7:29 AM on July 7, 2009
Alas, you won't find much - but if you click on the NASA link in my post, you'll find translation from someone much better qualified.
(Although I do know that S-band is a frequency range...)
posted by bitmage at 7:29 AM on July 7, 2009
So cool! I have been wanting to see video of this since they started launching the Shuttle.
posted by Xoebe at 7:35 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by Xoebe at 7:35 AM on July 7, 2009
I have always wondered: Why does the shuttle rotate and accelerate "upside down"?
The initial climb to orbit is upside-down because the external tank would interfere with radio communication otherwise. The astronauts are pressed into their seats with 3gs of acceleration, so it doesn't make any difference to them.
posted by vibrotronica at 7:41 AM on July 7, 2009
The initial climb to orbit is upside-down because the external tank would interfere with radio communication otherwise. The astronauts are pressed into their seats with 3gs of acceleration, so it doesn't make any difference to them.
posted by vibrotronica at 7:41 AM on July 7, 2009
And also the other stuff.
posted by vibrotronica at 7:42 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by vibrotronica at 7:42 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I thought this was going to be a repackaging of the STS-124 video (which MrMoonPie was kind enough to find for me), but having watched it, I feel it pales in comparison to the earlier video. It's all about the sound.
The onset and retreat of the wind as they tumble... just as their angle of attack correctly aligns with their velocity, the rarefied atmosphere plays them like organ pipes. The slow increase in intensity with each turn lets you feel the stress and strain pile up as the air thickens. What builds to a deafening, constant roar, finally subsides to a relative breeze as we decelerate to terminal velocity. No music or sound design can accompany that visual the same way.
(Not to mention the beautiful moment at 4:38 when the camera captures a view not only of the twin SRB contrails, but also of the pillar of smoke leading back to KSC.)
posted by rlk at 7:54 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
The onset and retreat of the wind as they tumble... just as their angle of attack correctly aligns with their velocity, the rarefied atmosphere plays them like organ pipes. The slow increase in intensity with each turn lets you feel the stress and strain pile up as the air thickens. What builds to a deafening, constant roar, finally subsides to a relative breeze as we decelerate to terminal velocity. No music or sound design can accompany that visual the same way.
(Not to mention the beautiful moment at 4:38 when the camera captures a view not only of the twin SRB contrails, but also of the pillar of smoke leading back to KSC.)
posted by rlk at 7:54 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
Delta II Rocket explosion. Mind where you park.
posted by mwhybark at 7:55 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by mwhybark at 7:55 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I also came in the thread to post the "Dayvan Cowboy" video, featuring footage from a 100,000 skydive, which is what I watch when I want to be reminded that life is pretty neato. But this video is a close second. Thanks for the post.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:00 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by Bookhouse at 8:00 AM on July 7, 2009
My favorite part is that the Youtube commenters seem to think there was a real live cameraman just hanging out on the side of the booster for that whole sequence.
posted by echo target at 8:13 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by echo target at 8:13 AM on July 7, 2009
It's all about the sound.
Agreed. When I first saw one of these videos (for STS-114, I think?), the thing that struck me most was the overwhelming sound of the launch that slowly faded to an almost eerie silence after the boosters fell away. Then the noise slowly builds up again as they hit atmosphere and you get the awesome resonances. Very, very cool.
posted by elfgirl at 8:19 AM on July 7, 2009
Agreed. When I first saw one of these videos (for STS-114, I think?), the thing that struck me most was the overwhelming sound of the launch that slowly faded to an almost eerie silence after the boosters fell away. Then the noise slowly builds up again as they hit atmosphere and you get the awesome resonances. Very, very cool.
posted by elfgirl at 8:19 AM on July 7, 2009
i'm glad that cameraman is okay! he's really brave!
posted by orme at 8:19 AM on July 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
Delta II Rocket explosion. Mind where you park.
When I lived in Santa Barbara I was witness to a rocket that was destroyed on purpose (something had gone wrong with the guidance systems or something) not very long after its launch.
I've never seen anything like it before or since. It started as a tiny white 4-pointed star that just got bigger and brighter and bigger and brighter until it hurt to look at it, expanding outward and assuming a cloudy circular shape that took up a very large portion of my view of the sky. It really freaked me out at first, but then the pot kicked back in and I thought cool, that looks just like one of those space-time anomalies the Enterprise always goes into/comes out of on Star Trek!
posted by WolfDaddy at 8:24 AM on July 7, 2009
When I lived in Santa Barbara I was witness to a rocket that was destroyed on purpose (something had gone wrong with the guidance systems or something) not very long after its launch.
I've never seen anything like it before or since. It started as a tiny white 4-pointed star that just got bigger and brighter and bigger and brighter until it hurt to look at it, expanding outward and assuming a cloudy circular shape that took up a very large portion of my view of the sky. It really freaked me out at first, but then the pot kicked back in and I thought cool, that looks just like one of those space-time anomalies the Enterprise always goes into/comes out of on Star Trek!
posted by WolfDaddy at 8:24 AM on July 7, 2009
One of the best parts of living in Florida, being able to walk out your front door and watch the shuttle take off from your lawn.
Night launches are even more spectacular.
posted by misha at 8:43 AM on July 7, 2009
Night launches are even more spectacular.
posted by misha at 8:43 AM on July 7, 2009
I find it truly spectacular and, honestly, a bit scary that we all live less than a 3 minute flight away from the vast emptyness of space. It makes the world seem like a much smaller place and humanity a bigger mover and shaker than I normally give us credit for.
posted by slimepuppy at 8:48 AM on July 7, 2009
posted by slimepuppy at 8:48 AM on July 7, 2009
Hmm. I see it more that we are a very fragile organism, able to live only in a narrow band atop a fortunately wet ball of rock that is orbiting its star at just the right distance.
And we still can surpass all those limitations and exist in the void of space, when we put our minds to it. Unfortunately we're usually putting our minds to squabbling over pieces of dirt or pieces of paper, instead of the voyaging and exploration that is our birthright.
posted by bitmage at 9:30 AM on July 7, 2009
And we still can surpass all those limitations and exist in the void of space, when we put our minds to it. Unfortunately we're usually putting our minds to squabbling over pieces of dirt or pieces of paper, instead of the voyaging and exploration that is our birthright.
posted by bitmage at 9:30 AM on July 7, 2009
I feel kind of bad for the rocket boosters. They get so close
Maybe that's as close as they want to get.
They miss the earth so much, they miss theirwife fuel tank?
It's lonely out in space.
posted by CynicalKnight at 9:59 AM on July 7, 2009
Maybe that's as close as they want to get.
They miss the earth so much, they miss their
It's lonely out in space.
posted by CynicalKnight at 9:59 AM on July 7, 2009
What are those smaller splashes before touchdown at 3:57 and 4:04?
posted by gottabefunky at 12:34 PM on July 7, 2009
posted by gottabefunky at 12:34 PM on July 7, 2009
I was half expecting a bunch of NASA nerds to be running away with their hands and arms over their heads in a field somewhere. With one of them quoted saying " SHIT! Run it's coming right for us!"
Not NASA, but here's what you came in for.^
posted by dhartung at 1:00 PM on July 7, 2009
Not NASA, but here's what you came in for.^
posted by dhartung at 1:00 PM on July 7, 2009
"i'm glad that cameraman is okay! he's really brave!"
hee!
posted by Eideteker at 5:11 AM on July 11, 2009
hee!
posted by Eideteker at 5:11 AM on July 11, 2009
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posted by America at 12:02 AM on July 7, 2009