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bringit
12/7/2006, 09:30 PM
Anxious to feel this thing! Hopefully tonight.
Gandalf_The_Grey
12/7/2006, 09:34 PM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Columbia.sts-1.01.jpg/750px-Columbia.sts-1.01.jpg
bringit
12/7/2006, 09:37 PM
dammit :(
mrowl
12/7/2006, 09:39 PM
scrubbed.
OUinFLA
12/7/2006, 09:55 PM
This is why I dont drive across the state to witness one of these up close and personal.
Bringit, you're pretty close right?
Must be awesome to feel the power of a lift off.
I can see it, but I dont get to hear it or feel it.
SoonerTitan
12/8/2006, 12:57 AM
Just once I want to see that.
Frozen Sooner
12/8/2006, 01:02 AM
Supposed to have been the first Alaskan in space. :mad:
OUinFLA
12/8/2006, 07:44 AM
Supposed to have been the first Alaskan in space. :mad:

jump up in the air real high and have that honor yourself.
Spray
12/8/2006, 09:01 AM
Question:

I was wondering how far away you could see any evidence of the launch. I was figuring that being a night launch, once the shuttle got high enough in the atmosphere, I might be able to see it from B'Ham- even if it was a small speck or "shooting star" type dealio.

Then I thought the curvature of the Earth would just prevent me from seeing anything.

Which one of you know-it-alls can answer this conundrum?
mrowl
12/8/2006, 09:34 AM
Question:

I was wondering how far away you could see any evidence of the launch. I was figuring that being a night launch, once the shuttle got high enough in the atmosphere, I might be able to see it from B'Ham- even if it was a small speck or "shooting star" type dealio.

Then I thought the curvature of the Earth would just prevent me from seeing anything.

Which one of you know-it-alls can answer this conundrum?

YWIA

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1732046/2/istockphoto_1732046_cherry_picker.jpg
OUinFLA
12/8/2006, 10:22 AM
cloud cover will be the determing factor for seeing it from B'ham.
Last night on th news they were saying people in NC could possibly see it, but Atlanta probably would not see it.
The curvature of the earth becomes a non-factor as the shuttle goes up.
I would doubt that you can see anything other than the rocket flames though from that distance.
I am 80 miles away and I can just barely make out the shuttle during the first 40 secs of the flight. But the rocket flames I can see for quite some time.
bringit
12/9/2006, 08:42 PM
all right, it's on!

Hey OUinFLA, I'm on Merritt Island which is right down the road from KSC. Haven't been this close to the launch ever. I've watched from Palm Bay, Melbourne and Rockledge. Wish I had a camcorder but I'll see what my phone can produce.
olevetonahill
12/9/2006, 08:50 PM
Did It go ?
hell Im gonna go get on my roof ,
StoopTroup
12/9/2006, 09:26 PM
Heck...

They are over Africa already!
OUinFLA
12/9/2006, 09:28 PM
I watched it from my bedroom window. Even though Im 80 miles away it is an awesome sight. We keep the tv on that shows the launch.
When the rockets first ignite, we can see a brightening of the horizon in that area. Then about 20 seconds later the rocket comes into our view over the trees. We can see it easily until the boosters drop off, then it becomes faint, but by then the rocket is about 20 miles up and heading away from us.

It really lights up the entire sky to the east of us. An amazing sight.
I wish I could see it up close, but with all the delays of launching, its difficult to keep making trips that direction. Plus, if you wait until the last couple of hours, traffic on I-4 gets really backed up with people trying to get over that direction. One time I made it as far as Orlando and just pulled off the road to watch, the entire side of the Interstate was lined with cars doing the same thing. Traffic that time was a bear to deal with.

Bringit, perhaps you could ask me over for a week the next time?
:D
olevetonahill
12/9/2006, 09:30 PM
Heck...

They are over Africa already!
You mean Im gonna have to Smoke something to get a little higher than my roof ?
StoopTroup
12/9/2006, 09:31 PM
I'm watching NASA TV...

it looks like they have a futon onboard this time....
soonerloyal
12/9/2006, 10:00 PM
I almost missed it. They had postponed 'em so many times, I figured this one would get postponed again, too. I knew it was starting only because there was a PiP from the newstation during the program I was watching. We're in Davenport, and we saw it from our backyard. It turned the sky orange, and when it cleared the sky above our neighbors house in a flash of orange, I had to clap and cheer.

Awesome. I hadn't seen a launch this close up since the seventies, when I got to see the Apollo launch of Apollo-Soyuz, the first joint space outing of USA/Russia.

I think we are a bit jaded these days, but seeing this launch reminded me just how amazing our race's accomplishments have become. It may sound simplistic...but think about it - a man-made object, breaking the bonds of atmosphere and gravity, hurtles into space. Not just the object itself, either. It holds our fellow man inside its belly, cushioned, protected, safer than we ever thought possible under the circumstances.

Cool.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a14/KevAndLori/Posting%20Photos/IMGP0894.jpg
olevetonahill
12/9/2006, 10:08 PM
To me what is the Most amazing is that in less than 60 yrs from Mans 1st flight , we Put a man on the moon.
Not to mention the Aircraft carriers ( awesome) of WW2
SoonerTitan
12/10/2006, 12:21 AM
http://images.usatoday.com/tech/_photos/2006/12/09/tree.jpghttp://images.usatoday.com/tech/_photos/2006/12/09/liftoff.jpg

Is that just beautiful or what? Cool stuff man!
Mjcpr
12/10/2006, 12:28 AM
So I guess you can catch a glimpse of the shuttle if you know where to look? That would be COOL!

For OKC (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma&city=Oklahoma_City)

For Tulsa (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma&city=Tulsa)

Other Places in OK (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/region.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma)
bringit
12/10/2006, 08:19 AM
Awesome launch. I took about a 30 second video (cell phone) from my 2nd story balcony but of course don't know how to view it on my computer! As close as I am, I still could not "feel" the launch like I thought I would (low grumblings).

The night was completely lit up and you could hear people cheering all around, especially over at the Port and Jetty Park.

Next night launch, OUinFLA you are welcome to come over, but you'd probably want to stay over with the traffic snarls on the Beachline.
slickdawg
12/10/2006, 08:26 AM
http://images.usatoday.com/tech/_photos/2006/12/09/tree.jpghttp://images.usatoday.com/tech/_photos/2006/12/09/liftoff.jpg

Is that just beautiful or what? Cool stuff man!

Ultra beautiful.
slickdawg
12/10/2006, 08:28 AM
So I guess you can catch a glimpse of the shuttle if you know where to look? That would be COOL!

For OKC (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma&city=Oklahoma_City)

For Tulsa (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/view.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma&city=Tulsa)

Other Places in OK (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/region.cgi?country=United_States&region=Oklahoma)

My first shot is Tuesday.