Space Shuttle Discover's Last Flight
Arriving at Dulles for the Smithsonian
Contributed by Capt. Adam Miklovis
Odds 'n Ends
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Postings on This Page Relate to Space Topics
Updated April 2, 2013
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If you try to FAIL, and SUCCEED, which have you done?
See the Shuttle Booster's Ascent and Descent
Make sure your speakers are on.
Contributed by Capt. Adam Miklovis
Michael Interbartolo - who worked for ten years on the Space Shuttle Program in Mission Control in Houston - posted about this amazing video from cameras mounted on the Shuttle solid rockets as they rode into space. We've seen videos from rocketcams before, but this is very clear, and has enhanced sound that'll rock your speakers:
Makes sure you have it set to HD and crank up the volume!
There's a lot to see here! The ascent is very cool, of course, and at two minutes the solid rocket boosters (or SRBs) separate from the external tank and Orbiter. As they tumble away we see the Earth spinning around, and several times you can see the plume from the launch in the view poking up from the surface into the sky. You can also see the bright "star" of the Orbiter as it continues on into space - the SRBs only burn for about two minutes, and are used as an assist to boost the Orbiter above the atmosphere. Once the SRBs drop away, the Orbiter burns liquid fuel from the orange external tank until it has enough speed to attain orbit.
The drop back to Earth is fascinating to watch as well. The sounds are odd and hypnotic; roaring, moaning, rushing air… and then the parachutes open. Finally, the boosters splash down in the Atlantic, and it was a jolt to see once again how hard they smack into the water.
I was also interested in watching the numbers flashing past: on the upper left is elapsed time, and on the upper right is the air speed as calculated using on board instruments. Watch as the speed increases… and then the increase increases! In other words, the acceleration of the whole system increases quite a bit with time. That's because the thrust from the rockets - the force they apply to the stack - is roughly constant, but as they burn fuel, the mass decreases. Since force = mass × acceleration (F = ma, with a hat tip to Isaac Newton!), as the mass drops, the acceleration must increase.
The astronauts inside at first feel only a moderate force (about 1.7 g), but it increases up to 2.7 g right before the SRBs stop burning and then detach. The ride gets much smoother then, since burning liquid fuel is a more gentle process. Because the main engines don't generate as much thrust as the SRBs, the acceleration drops right after the SRBs fall away. But it begins to increase again as liquid fuel continues to burn and the mass decreases, topping off at 3 g until the main tank runs out of gas and detaches, leaving just the Orbiter with its onboard fuel to head into orbit.
This video is part of an extra bit of footage that'll be on a DVD/BluRay called "Ascent: Commemorating the Space Shuttle" put together by NASA.
There's a lot to say about this now-retired rocket system, of course, both good and bad. But video like this reminds me of how amazing it is that we have the ability to go into space. All we have to do is choose to do it… and do it wisely.
(5/6/12):EXTERNAL VIDEO: Experience,Riding the Shuttle Booster Rockets EXCEPTIONAL!!!
How is it possible to have a CIVIL WAR?
(4/2/13) Photographs from Space Contributed by: David Duke
- (11/15/12) EXTERNALSuperior photos inside the shuttle cockpit. Beyond a doubt the best collection of Shuttle Interior pictures plus videos of several years of space launches plus much more. Contributed by Jim Brussell
- (11/11/12) EXTERNAL time-lapse video: Moving the Shuttle through Los Angeles Shuttle Endeavour's move to its final location. Contributed by David Duke
- (11/11/12) EXTERNAL LINK: Virtual tour of the Space Shuttle cockpit Just watch and let monitor take you on a slow ride OR left click mouse and hold down while moving mouse to take your self on a ride OR use the controls (arrows right left up down) at the bottom of the screen. DON'T FORGET TO LOOK AT THE CEILING. Contributed by: Robert King
- [EXTERNAL LINK - HIGH SPEED INTERNET RECOMMENDED]4/24/12: Front row seat at Kennedy Space Center. . .
Sped-up video preparing the Shuttle for launch -See the Space Shuttle move to the launch site with all of the action sped up. Some stuff you may not have seen before. Turn up your speaker for the last few minutes (It is silent until the last few seconds. - Contributed by Jim Trenoskie
- A Veteran pilot tells what it's like to: Fly the Shuttle on the Back of a 747
EXTERNAL VIDEO--(4/24/12)Tour of a Place that you will Likely Never be able to visit: Tour of the International Space Station Larger than you think. Check it out. -Contributed by Ernie Haley
One nice thing about egotists: they don't talk about other people.
Fini
Life's Inspirations---and, Desperations
- (3/12/13) YouTube Golf Course for Disabled Vets Helping disabled vets get on with their lives via a beautiful, specially designed course. Contributed by George Montgomery.
- (2/28/13)video link TURN YOUR SPEAKERS UP AND GO FULL SCREEN: Norwegian Royal Guard Regiment Those are US made Garand M-1 rifles (WWII), and they are heavy weapons (9 POUNDS EACH) also, known for their balance!! When that one fellow goes on his own - YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A RIFLE SPIN THAT FAST! Contributed by David Duke
- (2/8/13)YouTube Video-- Tired of all those "recording stars" singing the national anthem?---Here's what our military can do. NATIONAL ANTHEM AT EAGLES/PATRIOTS GAME Perhaps the best-ever rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner"--Turn your speakers up!!! Contributed by Gert Camp
- (2/8/13)video: If you don't know how fragile life is - Watch this!!! Japan's tsunami Use your full screen to watch this, and it may not look like much at first, but it becomes more and more graphic....one does not need to understand Japanese to feel the horror of this.---Contributed by David Duke
- (2/8/13) Here is an amazing bit of technology that you would never see in person, as you would NEVER be alone in the room. It is ALWAYS VERY CROWDED and of course you can't see Michelangelo's artwork close up as you can here. This is especially spectacular if you have a large high-definition screen! : Sistine Chapel TO VIEW EVERY PART OF THE MICHELANGELO'S MASTERPIECE, JUST CLICK AND DRAG YOUR ARROW IN THE DIRECTION YOU WISH TO SEE.
In the lower left, click on the plus (+) to move closer, on the minus (-) to move away. Choir is thrown in free. MOVE THE ARROW AND YOU WILL SEE EVERY PART OF THE CHAPEL.
This virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel is incredible. Apparently done by Villanova at the request of the Vatican.---Contributed by David Duke
- (2/9/13) Here is an absolutely beautiful VIDEO tribute to all who have laid down their lives for the rest of us. Mansions of the Lord (West Point Glee Club) TURN YOUR SPEAKERS ON. This hymn was featured in the movie, 'We Were Soldiers', starring Mel Gibson.
From Ernie Halley: "I wrote an arrangement of Mansions of the Lord for the bagpipes. I play it at gravesite services, right after Taps is played on the bugle, at military funerals."
Why are HEMORRHOIDS called "HEMORRHOIDS" instead of "ASSTEROIDS"?
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Created on ... April 24, 2012
