STS-121 Discovery launch photos

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brianc

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Rather than bury these in one of the other STS-121 threads, I figured
I'd start a new one. If anyone else was present and has pix, feel free
to add'em here!

My son and I drove to our favorite location, just north of where SR50 and
Hwy 1 intersect. Today, we sat on Paul's Smokehouse and Seafood Restaurant
property, under a palm tree, right on the Indian River.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl...459,-80.700073&spn=0.131106,0.237579&t=h&om=0

Here's our view.
 
These shots are from my Cannon PowerShot S1 IS. 10x optical zoom, no
special lens.

On the right, Pad 39A. On the left is Discovery and 39B.
 
We had a great spot to witness the launch, but there were a few lucky folks
that had closer seats...
 
And the Coast Guard kept a close eye on the area...
 
Here's a closer look at the lift-off.

This was edited (cropped & zoomed only) with The GIMP, not the Cannon.
 
Note, despite my file naming convention, the photos may or may not
reflect actual mission events at the time of the shot. ;) These are
however represenative of the sequence...
 
Climbing out.

And yes, this is the correct orientation. The curvature of the earth and the
distance from the pad makes it appear as if the stack is going horizontal.
 
SRB sep.

I was really hoping to catch the SRBs under chute. Occasionally, if the lighting
is right, I can see the boosters from my house. Today, I couldn't see even
a twinkle of sunlight reflecting from them. :(
 
And this is all that remained to indicate a launch occurred.
 
Originally posted by brianc
And this is all that remained to indicate a launch occurred.
This is always such a beautiful sight, I just had to take anonther shot.
 
Originally posted by brianc
This is always such a beautiful sight

I agree. I think it's one of my favourite parts. An amazing column of smoke that goes for miles, from the ground into the sky. Thanks for the pictures. I was dissappointed not to get distant shots on the Fox News coverage.
 
Originally posted by sunward
How was the sound from your location?
The wind was blowing in our faces from the pad, so it was pretty incredible!

About 30-35 seconds after the launch a low, slow, rolling rumble could be
felt more than heard. Then it grew in intensity until it nearly drowned out
the cheering crowd. Lasted untill well after SRB sep.
 
Awesome photo sequence Brian. Now I will sign off, crawl into a ball on the floor, and weep. I miss Florida. :(

:cool:
 
Great photos man!!!! Good thing you had that 10x lens!!!

Anyone know where I can find a full length vid of the launch???

BTW....what size launch rod did they use??? ROFLMFAO!!!!!!
 
Brian

Thanks for the excellent pics - I hope to do my own, someday...

Damage...
 
Originally posted by bigone5500
Great photos man!!!! Good thing you had that 10x lens!!!

Anyone know where I can find a full length vid of the launch???

BTW....what size launch rod did they use??? ROFLMFAO!!!!!!

Yeah and in-cabin video of the flight would cool too! Anybody know where we can get 'em?

Cliff
 
Originally posted by eugenefl
I miss Florida. :(

:cool:

Yeah, 'cause I haven't been sweating nearly enough lately...:rolleyes: lol

Great pics, and thanks for sharing!
 
Thanks brian for the great pictures. Fifteen more chances to see one and thats it I guess. Like Angelo I was curious about the sound as well.
Cheers
Fred
 
brianc,

You are a lucky man to be able to just drive out there and see a launch.

Nice pictures. You need to get a website (or photo hosting site) to post you entire collection to.
 
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