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STS-129 Ascent Video Highlights

Posted by kdawson on from the only-five-launches-left dept.

An anonymous reader sends in this link to a video of 12-1/2 minutes of Space Shuttle pr0n. The people at the Johnson Space Center put together this video of the ascent of STS-129 using multiple imagery assets — ground, air, booster, and the shuttle itself. The booster's-eye view of splashdown and immersion is something you don't see every day. As a bonus, another anonymous reader shared a beautiful photo of the shuttle flying over rugged terrain after it separated from the ISS last week.

3 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Camera info by Lord+Byron+II · · Score: 5, Informative

    If anyone is interested, the camera they used for that shot was a Nikon D2Xs, a two-year old, 12.4MP, $5900 MSRP camera when new.

    For some reason, I'm surprised NASA is using regular off-the-shelf cameras. I almost expected it to be a custom "space-camera".

    1. Re:Camera info by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Informative

      Except for changes in lubrication oil to meet NASA specifications and the adoption of a specialized firmware, the D2XS cameras used aboard the Space Shuttle and in the ISS were basically the same as commercial models. The D2XS, released in June 2006, is a high-end Nikon digital SLR camera.

      (Source)

      Almost completely stock.... They are brutes of a camera (I have one). You could use it to pound nails in a pinch.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  2. Re:Reminds me of the old "Pad Rat" posts on Usenet by quacking+duck · · Score: 4, Informative

    Check out the launch video for STS-112, it has the rawest sounds from a live launch video I've ever heard, before or since. Usually the audio from the pad seems muffled or dampened, but not this one.

    At T -15s you hear the clear whine of what I presume is the sound suppression system activating, and see water flood out of the fire trench (this was the first time a tank-mounted shuttle camera streamed launch video live). There's a sucking sound right as the shuttle's main engines ignite, but a second later the sound of pure, raw power cuts right through you as the SMEs reach full power. I get chills every time I see and hear this part of the clip.