I ‘m also quite envious,……my only trip to the cape was during the “down time” between Apollo/Soyuz joint mission and the Space Shuttle development.
I know people that have witnessed a shuttle launch, and it is in their words - indescribable.
Videos don’t do it justice, but sometimes you can get a good one that almost captures the being there quality….
The rare combination of vantage point, atmospheric conditions and lighting can make for a really unique experience…some even mange to get a hint of the awesome power unleashed…
So, for the benefit of those that haven’t seen these links before:
- My new favorite video…mainly because of the nice light bounce back that illuminates the exhaust column at 1:16 into the video, plus the incredible sound from
time marker 1:46 to 1:51, make it worth watching (just need to get past the family babble and national anthem in the beginning)……
Columbia dawn launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdjID2osZ0A
- This one is my second favorite, just for the sheer intensity of the roar and the ripping, crackling of the SRB engines at time marker 0:36 to 0:58.
The car alarms being set off by the vibration all around the launch spectator are amusing.
Discovery night launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l55vjzyj0EY
· This one’s not bad….pumps some serious air on my speakers….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvbK93FB5kU&feature=related
-----Original Message-----
From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of lsf5275@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday,
December 22, 2010 4:10 PM
To:
newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup]
other Apollo 11
You were very lucky, Tony. I, for one, would have given anything to have had that experience.
Frank
In a message dated 12/22/2010 11:07:53 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, atm655@verizon.net writes:
Thanks for reading it.
Hard to compress that kind of experience, but it was a once in a lifetime event, once in the history of mankind!
Sadly I am the only one of the four of us that's still alive.
That's part of life.
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Doncourt
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] other Apollo 11
Thanks for the great retelling, Tony. Like you , I hope to live long enough to see us return to space exploration, humankind pushing the envelope of it's technological potential.
On Dec 22, 2010, at 10:20 AM, Tony wrote:
I had just turned 14 in June and was already flying sailplanes, so dad decided as a slightly belated gift, to fly my late cousin, mom, and I down for the launch in his plane.
Titusville's airport was te busiest in the U.S. on that day (no surprise), and the rows of corporate jets was a sight in itself.
We sat in the terminal with a lot of other folks on that hot July morning, watching the TV coverage, as the countdown timer hit around T-4 mins we went outside approx 7 miles from the launch vehicle. The com between controllers and spacecraft was on the PA system, and as the launch teams ran down the go/no go list you felt like the tension could be cut with a knife.
365 feet of pure white and black on a beautifull, bright sun lit launch pad, packing 7 million pounds of fuel, the count reached T-10 seconds and the sequence began. All engines running after about 3 seconds and in 7 more seconds full power and liftoff!
We initially felt the earth shake pretty quickly, before we could hear it. But a buffeting in the chest was impressive and then the sound arrived.
So many emotions, national pride, awe, envy, respect.
Among my dad many interests he always had the best optics around, so we all had great binoculars, and saw the first stage detach, IBM inter ring detach, 2nd stage ignition, and launch escape system and cover jettison (at 220,000 feet)!
John your explanation is better "indescribable"!
Now after 35 years of living in Fla I've seen with the naked eye many Space Shuttles launched from my yard on the west coast.
They remind me of that day everytime, and I'm sad that we have just one more flight left.
I just hope I live long enough to see us return to exploring space, not just near earth orbit.
But that involves politics, and I usually know better than to go there, but they ALL do!
Tony
. ----- Original Message -----
From: John Wright
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 8:22 AM
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] other Apollo 11
Hi Tony,
That is amazing. I know a few people that have seen the Shuttle launch from many miles away and they described the sound as incredible. How close were you and what did the Saturn V sound like? Kind of a dumb question because probably indescribable, but I imagine even several miles away it was felt as well as heard.
John
From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tony
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 11:35 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Speaking of the moon.....total lunar eclipse Dec 20 / 21
I am fortunate enough to have seen Apollo 11 launched in person, July 16, 1969.
Guess they managed to pull off quite a trick indeed!
Tony
&n
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