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Subscribe to RSSSeeing a space shuttle launch from the ground is impressive enough, but the view from above is just as thrilling. Take a look at some out-of-this-world pictures of the shuttle Discovery's final launch.
First, there's this YouTube video of Thursday's liftoff, which software developer Neil Monday shot with his iPhone through the window of a commercial airplane flying out of Florida's Orlando International Airport. A member of the flight crew can be heard on the intercom, telling passengers to look out "the right side of the aircraft" ... and later on, someone jokes, "we don't want to have anybody complain because we were late."
No one's complaining here.
Still more stunning views were captured from an even higher altitude, using an unmanned helium balloon that was festooned with smart phone cameras and other gizmos. The first images were released today, and they're stunning.
"We are tickled pink. We don't think anyone has ever taken a picture of the shuttle this high," said Keith Cowing, a spokesman for Challenger Center for Space Science Education, which led the Robonaut-1 project with Quest for Stars.
Quest for Stars / Challenger Center
This is a frame grab from a video shot by a GoPro Hero Motorsport on a helium balloon launched to image the shuttle Discovery as it transited the stratosphere. The fogging is due to the fact that the balloon is coming through the troposphere when this picture was taken at 5:05 ET.
The Robonaut-1 balloon was launched from Florida so that it was in position for Discovery's supersonic transit of the stratosphere. The team hoped that the high-tech smart phones would send back real-time views of the launch, but that didn't pan out.
"We were relying on cell phone coverage, and you don't get a lot of that over swamps," Cowing explained. He said that similar experiments carried out in California, where coverage is better, have had better real-time results.
Payload payday
Expecting that the real-time imagery might not work, the experiment was set up with redundancy. The balloon was equipped with six Android smart phones as well as other high-tech cameras — an array of equipment that's worth several thousand dollars.
The payload was recovered in a field just west of Daytona Beach, Fla., near Cody's Corner on Route 11. The built-in redundancy paid off. "These guys are a real combination of storm chasers, barnstormers, and techno-geeks," Cowing said of the team behind Robonaut-1, an effort that was geared toward advancing science education.
Quest for Stars / Challenger Center
The trail of exhaust left behind by the shuttle Discovery begins to dissipate in the atmosphere, as seen in this view from the Robonaut-1 high-altitude balloon. The image was captured using a Motorola Droid X smart phone.
The team released the first of the photos retrieved from the equipment today, but Cowing said this was just the tip of the iceberg. The balloon was at an altitude somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 feet "for the better part of an hour, which means we actually have captured the entire launch sequence and can actually see it heading into space," Cowing noted.
More images will be released in the coming days, and the cream of the crop will be released March 2 at the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Orlando.
More launch views
Robonaut-1 proved that regular folks can join the space community with just a few cutting-edge smart phones — devices that are lightweight, have a high-quality camera, and the computing power of desktops — plus some clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration and a little ingenuity. Meanwhile, other enthusiasts were busy capturing images of Discovery's launch from the ground.
Peter Lardizabal
Peter Lardizabal of St. Johns, Fla., took this picture of Discovery's final ascent to space on Thursday from Apollo Beach, 18 miles north of the Kennedy Space Center launch pad.
Photographer Peter Lardizabal, for example, snapped pictures of Discovery's ascent and solid rocket booster separation from Apollo Beach in Canaveral National Seashore Park, about 18 miles north of the launch pad. More of his images are available from Spaceweather.com.
Lardizabal recommended Apollo Beach as a good venue for taking pictures. "It really gives you the best view of the separation. ... The only real problem is, it really, really fills up quick," he said. After Thursday's launch, he said, it took two hours to drive just three miles out of the park.
Shuttle-watchers started showing up a day in advance of Thurday's launch, and the park is likely to become even busier for the final two space shuttle launches, scheduled for April and June.
Lardizabal said another hot spot for shuttle-watching is Lighthouse Point Park, a Florida state park that's also north of the pad. "Viewing the launch from the north end is a special treat," due to the area's perspective on the shuttle's ascent route, he said. "You get to see the ascent of the vehicle from the side."
Are you thinking of taking in one of the last space shuttle launches in history? It's not too early to make your travel plans. The best guide to shuttle launch viewing is by photographer Ben Cooper. For additional advice, consult this NASA viewing guide, and keep an eye on this Web page for tickets from the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex.
Submitted by Todd Swanson / UGC
Discovery in 2010 in pre-dawn launch. Photo by Todd Swanson/HisImageStudio
So ... are you nostalgic for Discovery yet? After this trip, the shuttle will be heading for a spot at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and you'll be able to get a close-up look at the world's most traveled spaceship. In the meantime, flip through our album of "Blasts from the Past," and take a look at this shot of Discovery's launch in April 2010, as captured by Todd Swanson of His Image Studio in Charlotte, N.C. Thanks for sharing, Todd!
Update for 10:30 p.m. ET: Neil Monday, the airline passenger who shot the shuttle video on YouTube, told me the story behind the images in an e-mail:
"I am a 25-year-old working as a software developer for the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. On Thursday, I was on my way back to my hometown of Richmond, Va., for my older brother's wedding. The flight was scheduled to take off at 2:25, and if it had been on time, I would have completely missed the launch. I think we took off at around 4:30 headed south, and slowly banked toward the north. Once we leveled out, the shuttle took off.
"I was actually seated on the opposite side of the plane, but luckily the window seat on the right side was open (which was the side the shuttle would be on). I asked the gentleman if I could sit there for a few minutes to film the launch, and he said sure. Once I was done filming, he gave me his contact info so I could show him the video. I had a digital camera with me which would have done a great job recording, but the batteries were dead, so I shot the video on my iPhone. I don't think I knew about the launch until 20 minutes before it happened. It was neat, because we could see the countdown on the TVs in the headrests and then just peek outside the window and see the real thing.
"I remember seeing another video on YouTube of a shuttle launch filmed from an airplane, and I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. Then to actually have the opportunity to see it in real life was absolutely fascinating. I have a feeling that I will be telling the story to my grandkids one day."
Science editor Alan Boyle and msnbc.com contributor John Roach joined forces on this posting. Tip o' the Log to Keith Cowing, who also presides over NASA Watch, SpaceRef, OnOrbit and other space websites.
Join the Cosmic Log community by clicking the "like" button on our Facebook page or by following msnbc.com science editor Alan Boyle as b0yle on Twitter. To learn more about Alan Boyle's book on Pluto and the search for planets, check out the website for "The Case for Pluto."
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Awe inspiring. From higher altitudes the lift-off is just as magnificent. Beautiful camera work.
Awesome view of the lift off. What I wouldn't give for a view like that.
agreed, it's a pity that our government is no longer smart enough to get a replacement vehicle before retiring the shuttle.
I agree danwill.
danwill
I also agree, and that would be a great topic for a seed. I hate to see the Space program getting beat up by the economy, but at least the torch is being carried forward by the private sector to some degree.
Shortsightedness and misguided priorities could come back to haunt us in the future if the Scientists are correct. But I guess if the money isn't there it just isn't there. Sad
Thanks. Awsome pictures.
SCIENCE!
The fact that we can put such a large object as the shuttle into Earth orbit so quickly is a testimony to the incredible thrust that is unleashed by the solid rocket boosters and the engines. What an amazing sight... and what a rush it must be to blast off in this machine.
Nice video. I want a ticket on one of those flights :) The Space shuttle flight, that is :)
I was there for the first one and seeing the last one brings more than tears to my eyes. If it were the end of an era and begining of another, it would be easier to digest. But this is just ............the end....
Beautiful pictures and film. How lucky someone took that video....we are truly a great nation and blessed by the hand of God, Allah, Buddah or whatever you want to call them....
Its not over yet, Paul L. I hope.
Two more flights. Then it'll be up to the Russians and the Chinese to carry the torch.
I have been able to witness something like 8 landings at Edwards Air Force Base, starting with the first test of the Enterprise back in the mid-1970's. I honestly wish I could be there to see the last launch, as I've never seen a launch up close and personal. This guy was SO LUCKY to get that video!
It will be a sad day for me not seeing the shuttles lifting off. The govermnet can hire people from other countries and steal money from Nasa so they can live well off. No wonder the shuttle program has been in trouble.
Enjoy watching an example of America's former greatness while you still can. We should have been to Mars and back by now had the rich paid their fair share of taxes and CEOs kept Americans working instead of hording cash. Wake up America!
It is a sad day for such a beautiful spacecraft. I grew up with you and you always inspired my imagination. I hope our country can one day replace the shuttle with something just as beautiful and impressive as we progress and technology becomes cheaper.
Here's to you Discovery - what an appropriate name. And here's to hoping the US can do it again one day even better than before. And of course here's to all the astronauts and those involved in the space program for filling our lives with fascination. And finally to those whose lives were lost, not in vain, but in the pursuit of human progression and enlightenment. The best is yet to come. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him."
Simply spectacular! Discovery will long be remembered and honored for its service. Can't wait to get up close at the Smithsonian. Hope the constellation program sees life again someday.
The problem isn't that the rich -- or anyone else, for that matter -- aren't paying their fair share of taxes. The problem facing our space program is that Americans have lost their sense of vision and perspective, and have been misled by politicians who won't tell the truth about federal spending. The federal govt. is spending FAR too much money, the vast bulk of it on a combination of unconstitutional entitlement programs and military efforts to stabilize an unstable world. NASA receives LESS THAN 1 PERCENT of the national budget, yet politicians and political activists -- especially on the left -- keep attacking its funding. Meanwhile, the real massive sources of out-of-control spending are driving the nation towards bankruptcy. Both Republicans and Democrats have got to slash our national budget if our nation is to survive for more than another decade or so, but reducing NASA funding is nothing more than "straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel." It is also remarkably shortsighted, as our long-term ability to protect the human race and advance human knowledge lies in space.
The space program began with the wealthiest Americans contributing 91 percent of their wages in Federal Income tax. The middle-class was thriving back then, too, contributing even more money to Federal coffers. And everyone was living pretty damn well!
The tax cuts thereafter, followed by corporate greed, fueled the reduction in NASA's budget. And no President since Kennedy and Johnson has rallied people in support of the space program. I mean really rallied! President Reagan was a great orator, but was hardly a space visionary. The two Presidents Bush made half-hearted attempts at returning to the Moon, but the damage to our country through trickle-down economic policies (and unnecessary wars) had already been done.
We must eliminate costly tax breaks for the wealthy and restore the middle class. Otherwise, there is no hope for our country. The wealthy need to become patriots again.
It is really neat that you can see the arc left by the rocket plume. Lofting helium balloons into space with all sorts of small payloads is being done all over the world by all kinds of individuals and groups. Amature radio operators have been keenly involved in such projects for a very very long time...going back to the 1950's in fact. Minature cameras and very clever do it your self'ers have enabled a new generation of space explores with a drive to discover the world beyond their normal reach, inspite of what many would say is impossible. Although planned to be in position for the photo, it did take a bit of luck...we all know the go for launch was a coin toss at the last second...KUDOS to the ballon launch crew. After all still there are countries with space programs that have yet to snap any photo from anywhere near that altitude. Don't ask me to name them, instead let them rationalize their own goals. In the meantime, be it notable that cubesats have been lofted by ballon, that companies like space tethers have developed a tether that helps nanosats (cubesats) launched from normal rockets achieve a higher orbit via electromagnetic propulsion provided by the electrostatic charge of the dangling tether, and that, along with near space ballon launches, amateur rocket enthusiast have also launced their very own rockets into the wild blue. My point is to point out the goal of launching a high altitude balloon with a rocket that fires at the burst altitude, lofting a nano satellite even higher and releasing it at the rockets apogee, then, via any number of forms of electromagnetics, the nano satellite is then raised beyond that altitude and afterwards some clever manipulation of the orbital vectors (perhaps even with further electro-magnetic steering, or maybe with stored or enroute collected gas) until the rounded orbit becomes a molynia orbit. A clever bit of steering could then use the eaths gravity to slingshot the nanosat free of earths surely bounds, much the same as many of our space probes have done around jupiter and other planets (not to mentio the sun). Oh well. The idea is out there now. Before you say it is impossible, I suggest you just say it is not apparent as possible, rather lets encourage the edisons and teslas among us to reach for what is beyond their reach. I would of liked to of used the idea to meet the google x prize challange. Imagine a single individual doing what superpowers no longer can or simply won't. Lastly, I note that many secondary schools have near space balloon programs, and while many may flock here to specifically deride my idea, one of those groups of fifth graders may very well be the first to launch a manmade object beyond earth for less than a couple hundred dollars. A near space ballon launch by itself may very well be successfully launched for less than a hundred dollars. Thnaks for letting me post here Alan. Keep on bringing us the stories that inspire us. WE DO like them better than the everyday reports of bad news so prevalent in the regular media. Again, A great big hurrah to the DISCOVERY, it's crew, support personnel, and public fan base, and to all the people out there reaching beyond their grasp to discover what it is that is so darn worth reaching for. Yes, it is knowledge. Of the best kind. The unknown.
Absolutely amazing, very cool. Still mind boggling what the Human species can achieve with space flight.!!!!!