Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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.

22 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Ahh, shuttle by QuantumG · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You'll miss the old girl when she's gone.

    The two months between STS-128 and STS-129 felt so long after the mere 28 days between STS-127 and STS-128.

    --
    How we know is more important than what we know.
    1. Re:Ahh, shuttle by sznupi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Even if I'm a bit skeptical towards the overall concept (especially given the limits of tech) and how it stands in comparison to what we could do with alternatives, I will almost certainly be always able to agree with that; I don't expect we'll see any launcher that impresses more in our lifetime.

      Especially in such superb selection of shots, editing. Real life footage much more dynamic and/or breathtaking than BSG or BBC Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets (BTW, if you haven't seen it DO IT NOW), who would've known? ;)

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
    2. Re:Ahh, shuttle by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Indeed. Pretty impressive telemetry shots. I especially like the SRB landing in the water.

      Totally cool and worth every taxpayer cent we pour into NASA. We even learn stuff as a bonus!

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    3. Re:Ahh, shuttle by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Informative

      I had some trouble locating the video you recommended, but in the states, the video is called "Voyage to the Planets and Beyond". I hope that helps someone.

    4. Re:Ahh, shuttle by sznupi · · Score: 3, Informative

      To remove any ambiguity - it has its wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Odyssey:_Voyage_To_The_Planets

      (and since you might want to avoid "Story" section/spoilers ;) - the US version, "Voyage to the Planets and Beyond", is a bit different / shorter)

      PS. Yes, recently canceled, awful TV-show "Defying Gravity" was based on this, supposedly. Yes, the original is unimaginably better (even when it comes to effects, despite being 5 years older)

      --
      One that hath name thou can not otter
  2. Wow by MBCook · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Some of that was rather amazing. The shot near the start from the external fuel tank of the shuttle separating was great. I've never seen a shot of that before.

    The two shots from the solid rocket boosters as they separate from the external fuel tank were the most incredible. They were so clean (probably since they were out of the atmosphere, and the scale) that they looked like effect shots. If you showed that to me without the rest of the context, I'd think it was a CGI simulation of what it would look like. On the other hand, the shot from the shuttle when the external fuel tank drops off looks like high-quality film from the 60s or 70s, with lots of film grain.

    Very very cool.

    --
    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    1. Re:Wow by quacking+duck · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Agree, absolutely incredible. Over the years there were lots of angles I'd wanted to see during a launch, this covered almost all of them (the remaining video would be of the tank actually burning up in the atmosphere).

      I found it odd though that the now-regular footage from the camera mounted on the fuel tank was of much lower resolution than that from other cameras. I realize the tank-cam is live stream while other footage (e.g. on the SRBs) is retrieved later, but the tank-cam looks great on TV...

  3. 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!
  4. Huge photo of "shuttle flying over rugged terrain" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) "flying over rugged terrain" in 4288 x 2846 pixels via the excellent photo gallery at http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-200911.htm

  5. Reminds me of the old "Pad Rat" posts on Usenet by rah1420 · · Score: 3, Informative

    There was a guy who once had a web site where he posted shots that nobody else would see of things like the mating in the VAB, the hardware itself (I remember seeing things like the charges that lit the explosive bolts that held the SRBs to the pad), etc., etc.)

    Unfortunately USA (United Space Alliance) got wind of this and fired him because the photos weren't cleared through NASA PAO (the Public Affairs Office) and the site came down. A shame. I've never seen images of what the pad looks like after the shuttle launches except from here.

    Now THAT was shuttle pr0n - but this was a respectable 2nd attempt.

    --
    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens.
    1. Re:Reminds me of the old "Pad Rat" posts on Usenet by Scutter · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There was a guy who once had a web site where he posted shots that nobody else would see of things like the mating in the VAB, the hardware itself (I remember seeing things like the charges that lit the explosive bolts that held the SRBs to the pad), etc., etc.)

      Unfortunately USA (United Space Alliance) got wind of this and fired him because the photos weren't cleared through NASA PAO (the Public Affairs Office) and the site came down. A shame. I've never seen images of what the pad looks like after the shuttle launches except from here.

      Now THAT was shuttle pr0n - but this was a respectable 2nd attempt.

      I'm with you. I'm sick of seeing press-release photos of stuff like that. For months, we kept seeing the artsy photos of the LHC (like the one of the CMS detector) and I kept thinking "Boy, I wish they'd take a picture of that at a slight angle instead of straight on so I can get a sense of detail or scale or something." The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal is a great example of what we *should* be seeing. I want to see everything, not just what you want to show me. I want to see the nuts and bolts. Pull back the curtain, so to speak.

      --

      "Tell me doctor, with all of your defenses, are there any provisions for an attack by killer bees?"
    2. Re:Reminds me of the old "Pad Rat" posts on Usenet by TopSpin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I once caught a HD shuttle launch video at NASA's site right after the launch took place, apparently before it had been so carefully edited. The sounds were incredible; you could hear the turbo pumps wind up several seconds before the liquid rockets were lit. Those are large and very high speed pumps that operate at the limit of what materials science can provide; the sound they make is simply chilling. I watched it over and over because I could not f**king believe it.

      Later versions of the same launch video had that audio removed. Can't let anyone witness any of that. Must appear as though the launch is a peaceful, happy moment that doesn't involve any sort of drama. Oh ponies!

      NASA hurts itself by letting the cowardly nature of its bureaucracy dominate the editing process. If you handed the same raw material to a Hollywood film maker with a mandate to sell tickets you would get a balls out, violent, bare knuckle collection of aerospace machinery burning, shaking and raging its way into orbit and every god damn taxpaying mope that watched it would know exactly what sort of miracle those 100+ successful missions represent.

      --
      Lurking at the bottom of the gravity well, getting old
    3. 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.

    4. Re:Reminds me of the old "Pad Rat" posts on Usenet by florescent_beige · · Score: 3, Informative

      Those are large and very high speed pumps that operate at the limit of what materials science can provide

      The fuel pump puts out 69,000 horsepower at 37,000 rpm while being roughly the size of a car engine.

      --
      Equine Mammals Are Considerably Smaller
  6. Re:12-/12 by mdenham · · Score: 2, Funny

    kdawson's excellent journalistic track record remains spotless!

  7. C'mon, fix it please by ThreeGigs · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "The people at the Johnson Space Center put together this video of the assent of STS-129"

    So what exactly did STS129 agree to?
    I won't grammar nazi the comments, but seeing a front page mistake like that is annoying. Especially when it's spelled right in the title.

    s/assent/ascent

    1. Re:C'mon, fix it please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      So what exactly did STS129 agree to?

      Apparently,

      12-/12 minutes of Space Shuttle pr0n

    2. Re:C'mon, fix it please by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

      So what exactly did STS129 agree to?

      They gave their assent to ascent in order to affect effects for our affection. Okay, now I'm confused again.
           

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  8. Re:Oblig SW quote. by Dachannien · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's too big to be a space station.... so it's definitely pr0n.

  9. Help me out here... by labradore · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Am I the only one who had to choke back tears watching this? Porn doesn't usually do that for me. Though I was thinking "Oh my god! I want to do that!" Which also happens when I... nevermind. This is awesome stuff!

  10. Re:What happens to the external tank? by teridon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The external tank reentry is about 80 minutes after launch. It takes 8.5 minutes to empty the tank; so reentry is ~71 minutes after separation.

    You can find some images of the reentry with Google
    http://www.google.com/search?q=shuttle+external+tank+reentry

    e.g.
    http://www.eclipsetours.com/sat/shuttle.html
    (scroll to bottom for image)

    --
    I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson