Spectacular views of Discovery leaving earth for the last time: (NASA never-seen before stuff)

NASA has released previously unseen footage of a shuttle's flight, from its blast off and ascent, to its rocket boosters breaking off and falling back to earth.

When Discovery wraps up this tour, the oldest surviving shuttle will have flown more missions than any of its cohorts and toted 180 people into space, including the first female shuttle commander and the first African-American spacewalker. When it returns to Earth on Wednesday, 13 days after blasting off, it will be the first of the three-member fleet to enter retirement.

The other two shuttles are scheduled for their final flights later this year: Endeavour on April 19 and Atlantis on June 28, though funding for Atlantis remains in question. Discovery has broken new ground multiple times since it first launched in 1984. It transported the Hubble Space telescope, was the first to rendezvous with the Russian Mir Space Station, and delivered part of the Japanese Kibo lab to the ISS.

Discovery has circled the Earth more than 5,600 times and logged 142 million miles (230 million kilometres) over its 352 days in space.

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk...#

Check it out and let me know what you think. I love this stuff. makes me sad to see it come to an end-as I have stated many times before. You'll have to go to the main article to view the video.

If you want additonal inside and close up stuff from the beginning... check out this thread by Kinda Kurious...
STS -1 A Witness to History
www.abovetopsecret.com...

can't wait to see what the replacements are going to be... If we get to see them errrr.

Do they retrieve the rocket boosters?

Wow! how cool was that?, good stuff

reply to post by uncuuncu


Yes, they do.

Originally posted by uncuuncu
Do they retrieve the rocket boosters?

Yes, they do. That's the reason they were on parachutes before they enetred the water. Great shots!

Ok, thanks.

It was just something I hadn't really thought about before...I guess I used to just think they became space junk.

Wow that was kind of beautiful...and I don't normally say that unless it is a women. Dude you always post good stuff.

Originally posted by uncuuncu
Do they retrieve the rocket boosters?

Yep, here is a picture (not mine) STS 114 Booster Recovery towed through Port Canaveral on way back to Cape for refurb. I've seen several. They pass VERY close to shore as shown. Pretty "Horse and Buggy" but gets the job done.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/529f6712c851.jpg[/atsimg]

Nice thread Anon72. S & F fer sure. That footage IS breath-taking. I think the slightly non-standard frame rate yields a surreal feel to it. Odd to source from UK, wonder where it was first released and to whom.

Nice find.

reply to post by kinda kurious


Thank you and yes a nice find but you blow me away with these pics you are coming up with. Thank you.

You are putting a whole new perspective to NASA and the whole program. Seriously.

Have a good weekend KK and all.

If anyone would like to see real-time non-spliced together footage from each booster without the cheesy piano music you can do so here:



I highly recommend it- it's a much more visceral experience than the Telegraph video.....

reply to post by Skippy1138


Sure, I'd love to if you can figure out how to do a proper link. (ETA: Fixed thanks.)

Personally, I like OP's video. Why don't you start your own thread if you don't feel the same?

Just sayin.'

reply to post by kinda kurious


What are you talking about? There's nothing wrong with my link....
And what's with the insults?
Where did i say I didn't like the OP's post?
I was going to start my own thread about this footage but saw there was already one about the same subject matter so I added it to the existing thread-what's your problem?

Originally posted by Skippy1138
Where did i say I didn't like the OP's post?

Sorry, my bad. I must have misinterpreted this:

Originally posted by Skippy1138
If anyone would like to see real-time non-spliced together footage from each booster without the cheesy piano music you can do so here:

And thanks for repairing your original link which was initially not working. I corrected my prior assertion after you fixed it.

But I apologize. I like your video too. Thanks for sharing it!. Relax.

reply to post by Skippy1138


Thanks, great video. I'm gonna speed this up x8 and put it on my channel.

reply to post by wildespace


Please do.

Is there anyway you can make me a Still shot (and maybe a short burst video) of when the Shuttle is pulling away from the discarded tanks.

To me, that was one the most awesome things I have ever seen related to the Shuttle. I don't know why but somehow that struck me as amazing.

Thanks and good luck.

I just listened to it with the volume up. Love the piano. Love it. I could watch that stuff all day.

reply to post by anon72


Enjoy www.youtube.com...

reply to post by wildespace


That was awesome.

Good work!!!

Here are my still photographs of SRB separation followed by Discovery heading away from the tumbling boosters:

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I was 12 miles away from the launch at a parking spot across the Indian River.

reply to post by ngchunter


Wow. Nice!

Big Honking Telephoto Lens on a Tripod I presume?

reply to post by kinda kurious


Thanks! It was a telescope, actually. This one, to be specific:
i319.photobucket.com...