Go, Atlantis, go!

Technology

Go, Atlantis, go!

Waking up at 5 am in order to go to another hotel where a bus will pick you up at 6am to go to Kennedy Space Center where that same bus will pick you up at 11 am to go to the NASA Causeway (10 kilometers from the launch pad, the closest you can get) where you will wait three hours to see the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis at 2:43 pm... It's definitely worth the trouble!

Shot with a Sony HDR-CX6 with a 10x optical zoom and without a tripod. Notice how in the first 30 seconds, you only hear the clicking of cameras and the cheers of the crowd. The sound of the launch needs more than half a minute to bridge the 6 miles.

My impressions: the flames were brighter than I had expected, even in plain sunlight. The sound was less thundering than I had expected: roaring, but not deafening. Oh, in case you didn't know: Atlantis carried the European research module Columbus to the International Space Station, as well as a French astronaut.

published on Friday 08 February 2008 @ 23:29 CET

Comments

VI

Saturday 09 February 2008 @ 17:07 CET - #59528

NASA geniuses will save the world!

Cogito

Saturday 09 February 2008 @ 18:48 CET - #59530

Without a tripod? You must have used a monopod at the least, didn't you Luc?

luc

Saturday 09 February 2008 @ 21:48 CET - #59532

@Cogito: No monopod either. Here's how I did it: I was sitting down on the grass and the camera was resting on my thigh. Moving the camera to follow the shuttle in its path was not that easy because the bright sunlight made the LCD display hardly visible.

Tweaker(niet ingelogd) - tweaker (dot) be (at) gmail (dot) com

Sunday 10 February 2008 @ 18:26 CET - #59541

"a bus will take you up at 6am"

can you tell me how that's possible? ;)

joe

Sunday 10 February 2008 @ 23:21 CET - #59546

"I was sitting down on the grass and the camera was resting on my thigh. "

What Luc doesn't day : ...while each my hands was resting on a Florida beach babe thigh?

afterwards this photographer with his big white fallus-Canon-lens took a picture of Luc & his company:
http://members.lycos.nl/joe...

johan vandepopuliere - jvdp (at) hotmail (dot) com

Monday 11 February 2008 @ 11:47 CET - #59549

Watching this footage I was in complete awe before the accomplishments of mankind. It is truly different knowing what we're capable of and watching it happening. Many things at a time bewilder me:

- the fact that we're capable at all of leaving the atmospere; this is some developed animal!
- how we can control such power, making sure it does what it is supposed to do and propel a shuttle into orbit, not making it explode
- the fact that we could do it 40 years ago and repeat it: it was not some kind of extraordinary team singularly capable of the feat, no they passed on their knowledge and skill for the endeavour to be repeated many times more, by other people, some of which weren't even born when it was done first

Notice the "we", which I use much like a football team supporter. "We" did it, that's truly how it feels.

Thanks for sharing the video, it was extremely well shot.

traveller

Wednesday 13 February 2008 @ 12:58 CET - #59616

The space exploration by NASA was about the only good thing which came out of the government of the "charismatic stud" Kennedy. It shows the best of the US way of thinking and creativity. The participation of European immigrants in the effort was just a continuation of the US history: the best of Europe made it in the US!!!
Today the situation is quite different: the next president will be a charismatic afro-american islamic convert with total different ideals and goals. The left has won in the US and it will take a disastrous economic breakdown for the American public to wake up to reality. Since that public is now definitely not Christian Caucasian in essence anymore we will see the cultural differences tear the fabric of that marvellous country apart.
I hope with all my heart that I am wrong.

Tomc

Wednesday 13 February 2008 @ 17:25 CET - #59628

I'm getting emotional everytime I see a Space Shuttle launch. More than any other spacecraft it represents what Johan described so aptly above. Thx for sharing this taped experience Luc.

traveller

Wednesday 13 February 2008 @ 17:41 CET - #59630

@ luc,

Anyway, I forgot to congratulate you for the video, a huge thank you.

joe

Thursday 14 February 2008 @ 16:50 CET - #59680

Traveller: what do you want to do with afro-americans and islamics and the combination of the 2? Poison them?

And do you know what Obama's ideals and goals are? I think you are trying to sell a box without knowing (or admitting?) it's content.

The desastrous economical breakdown is already going on for a long while, and started under Bush. We can only hope that the curve goes back up again, like during the Clinton years.

traveller

Thursday 14 February 2008 @ 17:04 CET - #59681

@ joe

It may surprise you but the muslim problem is the major topic in my head and the fact that there are 1 billion of them is exactly what I tell the US conservatives.
No, you cannot eradicate them, they are human beings with total different ideals and priorities from ours, mine anyway.
I am dealing with them every day and they drive me nuts but I understand that they don't understand us and our Cartesian thought process.
I honestly can see them working and succeeding in their countries and in their culture, but once they come over here it doesn't work together anymore.
Do I know the solution? Frankly no, but the solution from the left in laisser-faire is also doomed and it dooms us not them in their countries...

luc

Thursday 14 February 2008 @ 17:17 CET - #59682

Frankly, I have thought about deleting comment 59616 from traveller, since it is not only off-topic, but it is on the brink of racism. It's OK if traveller thinks that christian values are essential for the social fabric of the US. But bringing "caucasian" into the equation goes one step too far. Does mister traveller think that black conservatives like Thomas Sowell or justice Clarence Thomas are undermining the fabric of the US?

traveller

Thursday 14 February 2008 @ 17:25 CET - #59683

@ luc,

I agree, the caucasian was a bridge too far.

traveller

Thursday 14 February 2008 @ 17:34 CET - #59684

@ luc,

What's more I like Clarence Thomas and more so Thurgood Marshall( "I am falling apart, I am too damn old" in one of his laast interviews.)

joe

Friday 15 February 2008 @ 08:36 CET - #59688

Do you have more excuse-niggas that don't drive you nuts?
(in Flemish : "excuus-Truus")
OK Traveller, I let you now being busy with your admirable "Cartesian thinking processes".

traveller

Friday 15 February 2008 @ 10:26 CET - #59689

Joe, I was going to answer you in the manner you deserve but since I respect luc too much and since this is his blog I will refrain from answering.
Anyway, holier than thou, check back on what you wrote here in the past about Palestinians and Saudis.

joe

Friday 15 February 2008 @ 10:45 CET - #59691

Traveller, there's a difference between telling specific anekdotes of experiences with ethnic groups and to make the process of a whole race.

I think that every well thinking person with common sense (and not just having an encyclopedic or factual knowledge) has a turning stomach when reading what you wrote. (I say: I think ;-) )

Anyhow, I appreciate that you respect Luc. But if you really want to answer me "in the manner that i deserve" feel free to ask my e-mail address.

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