Mind bending Space Shuttle footage

[motion]

If you have 45 minutes to spare, hit the full screen button and enjoy. Amazing stuff.

YouTube - Ascent - Commemorating Shuttle

[flatbutt]

cool but keeps buffering

[red911sc]

Thanks Motion - the wife will like!

[1990C4S]

Worth taking time away from mundane pursuits like sports....or at least setting the PVR up.

[sailchef]

Just amazing.

[masraum]

I wish I could get a copy of the DVD that it came from.

[Jagshund]

Those wide shots were really impressive; loved the piece around 31 mins in. Never knew those boosters kept traveling up so far on their own before descending . . .

[silverc4s]

Fantastic, Motion. Thanks for sharing the link...

[Embraer]

amazing. 45 minutes well-spent

[VINMAN]

Awesome! thanks!!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Cool footage - would have been nice to supplement it with some inside-the-cabin shots (I've seen some before elsewhere). Maybe on the final CD if anyone knows where/when it's coming out - I'll definitely pick it up.

I did notice he confused the OMS system and the RCS system in one place of the commentary though...

Overall really neat though...

[motion]

Amazing thing about the SS is the relative crudity of the platform: A reusable vehicle strapped to a fuel tank and 2 rockets. Almost seems like 60s tech to me. We can do better!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I agree we can, but it ain't gonna' happen anytime soon with the gubmint broke and all...

The Constellation program (which is now dead) was even more regressive in nature - not even reusable craft...

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by motion

Amazing thing about the SS is the relative crudity of the platform: A reusable vehicle strapped to a fuel tank and 2 rockets. Almost seems like 60s tech to me. We can do better!

it IS 60's tech
I just don't think it should be retired until we have a replacement

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by looneybin

I just don't think it should be retired until we have a replacement

Totally agree. Why are we grounding something that works when there is no replacement in sight!?

[450knotOffice]

I agree, but I'm guessing it's a cost/benefit issue.

I was a HUGE space flight fan when I was a kid, inspired by the Apollo lunar missions and that monster rocket, the Saturn 5.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by 450knotOffice

I agree, but I'm guessing it's a cost/benefit issue.

I was a HUGE space flight fan when I was a kid, inspired by the Apollo lunar missions and that monster rocket, the Atlas 5.

I think that would be the Saturn V.

"The Saturn V (pronounced "Saturn Five") was an American expendable man-rated rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973"

The commentators in the video were 'geeking out' about the high-speed cameras adjusting for light levels, weren't they.

Cool footage, though.

Thanks
Les

[450knotOffice]

Woops, Jesse. I know that. Not sure what I was thinking.

Here's a view from inside looking out - what the pilot sees - as a Space Shuttle glides in for landing:

[island911]

Thanks for the vid, motion.

Originally Posted by motion

Amazing thing about the SS is the relative crudity of the platform: A reusable vehicle strapped to a fuel tank and 2 rockets. Almost seems like 60s tech to me. We can do better!

It may be crude in principle (obviously not, in execution) but it is very effective at getting large payloads into space.

It certainly doesn't look as sleek and aero as a 1960's Saturn rocket, at first glance. But consider that the aero concerns are secondary, behind concerns for big structure needed if all that (needed/ payload) power had to be stacked vertically. (supported for how many G's?)

Clearly SCRAM jet tech is the more efficient way to space, as a whole lot of oxidizer need not be carried.

. ..and what makes anyone believe that we don't already have, or will soon have, that solution?

[masraum]

Wow, that landing from the nose of the thing was amazing.