Space Shuttle Discovery rolls out

BPCooper · November 10, 2006

This is my first photo post, figured I would start it with what I do. Space shuttle Discovery made the eight hour trip to the launch pad early Wednesday morning, arriving right around sunrise. Launch is set for December 7th and will be the first night launch in four years. The lighting was perfect yesterday morning, about the most pleasing time of day for it.

I waited until this person was standing in the center, looking up. You can see just how big it is, which a lot of people don't realize :-)

The 18-million pounds of vehicle pulverize the river gravel laiden 'crawlerway' as it rolls over them at 0.9 mph (or less):

Richard · November 10, 2006

Those are fabulous shots. So are you a rocket scientist or a NASA photographer?

Regards,

mr peas · November 10, 2006

What a cool gig. Thanks for sharing!

photocat · November 10, 2006

He must have security clearance to get that close... grin
Magnificent shots. I stood next to the old shuttle and yes, it is huge!
Well done... I hope you will still have a job after posting these

cwphotos · November 10, 2006

Awesome. A view few would get.....I like them.

ivar · November 10, 2006

cwphotos wrote:

Awesome. A view few would get.....I like them.

Those are some great shots. I'm jeaulous. I want to be in that thing going up to the moon

I flew over the launchpad a few years ago when it was still allowed, it was nice to see. I did see the launch a few weeks ago, that was pretty cool to actually.

ChrisJ · November 10, 2006

Beautiful shots! That first one is definitely a wall hanger. My imagination, or does it have a slight tilt to the left?

BPCooper · November 10, 2006

Hmm,neither NASA rocket scientist or photographer. But I am a photographer who has had the great privelege of shooting these as my job and for fun, and I am majoring in aerospace engineering. So ask that again one of these days maybe

(I can only hope).

You do have to have clearance to photograph on-site at the Cape or Kennedy Space Center. Members of the media are allowed as close as you can get.

Ivar, was this the night launch of a Delta 2 on October 25 that you saw? Where did you view from. Would love to see photos.

Chris, yea it leans a little. I can correct it. Thanks for the comments. I hope I did not post too much for a first post, but I do hope to stick around!

Art Scott · November 11, 2006

Great photos....is that the same crawler they were using during gemini and apollo days....that thing is huge...if memory is correct, I was told it was the same size a baseball infield......been years sine I was at the Cape....

Again GREAT PICS!!!

ian408 · November 11, 2006

About the closest I've been is Merritt Island with Harry. When I turned toward
the VAB, I realized how big things are. Look to the right and you see the
launch tower and that's pretty big too.

Fantastic shots and welcome to dgrin!

Skippy · November 11, 2006

BPCooper wrote:

This is my first photo post, figured I would start it with what I do. Space shuttle Discovery made the eight hour trip to the launch pad early Wednesday morning, arriving right around sunrise. Launch is set for December 7th and will be the first night launch in four years. The lighting was perfect yesterday morning, about the most pleasing time of day for it.
I waited until this person was standing in the center, looking up. You can see just how big it is, which a lot of people don't realize :-)
The 18-million pounds of vehicle pulverize the river gravel laiden 'crawlerway' as it rolls over them at 0.9 mph (or less):

I soooooooo wanna go there...........man it's on my list of things to do!
How lucky where you

gawwwwwwd!
I've only ever seen it on TV, kinda doesn't do it justice at all.

You got some great shots there Mr Copper

thanks for posting, don't be a stranger to the forum, we'd love to see more of your work.

......... Skippy (Australia)

BPCooper · November 11, 2006

Art Scott wrote:

Great photos....is that the same crawler they were using during gemini and apollo days....that thing is huge...if memory is correct, I was told it was the same size a baseball infield......been years sine I was at the Cape....

Again GREAT PICS!!!

Yep, there are two of them and they were built to carry the Saturn V to the pad in the late 1960s. Pre-Apollo (Mercury ang Gemini) they erected the rocket on the pad itself, which they do with just about all unmanned rockets today.

Everything is on a giant scale at the Cape, but because there is nothing else around to compare sizes, you don't realize it until you are right near it. The launch pad as you see it, stretching to the top of the lightning mast, is about as tall as a 35 story building; the stack, from the ground to the top of the tank there, about 24 stories; and the shuttle alone from the boosters to the top of the tank, 18.5 stories. It's amazing to think about

Thanks for the comments. Looking forward to posting more and commenting on others.

ivar · November 11, 2006

BPCooper wrote:

Ivar, was this the night launch of a Delta 2 on October 25 that you saw? Where did you view from. Would love to see photos.

Yes, it was. I saw it from the air, as I was flying in. No time to take photos, sorry. So you attend Embrey? Nice school. I actually went past there as well, to visit one of my friends who attends there when I was in FL.

SpeshulEd · November 16, 2006

I think I read an interview with you in a photo mag not too long ago???

I remember seeing this picture in the article as well...(I think)

BPCooper · November 16, 2006

SpeshulEd wrote:

I think I read an interview with you in a photo mag not too long ago???

I remember seeing this picture in the article as well...(I think)

Yep that was me! I guess some people read it. :-) Thanks.

Still online too:
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/2688/my-project-out-to-launch.html

StevenV · November 16, 2006

now that I'm "back into" photography, I'm really regretting not having had a camera with me the night I got a turnbasin pass for a shuttle launch. the envy meter really jumps seeing the great access and photos you're getting - good job.

SpeshulEd · November 16, 2006

Wow, my memory is way better than I thought, I even got the photo right. I couldn't remember if it was in PopPhoto or not and wasn't able to look it up.

Nice photos, and welcome to Dgrin.

BPCooper wrote:

Yep that was me! I guess some people read it. :-) Thanks.

Still online too:
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/2688/my-project-out-to-launch.html

Awais Yaqub · November 16, 2006

huh

Wow wonderful photos
i think you know much about Astronomy and moon :Di have question
i read somewhere that moon has sign like it was split in 2 parts in past.
Belt of rocks which extends from surface to depth of moon

i also saw photos
is there something like that

BPCooper · November 16, 2006

Hmm, I'm not quite sure what you may be thinking of. Do you know where the photos are?

Bodwick · November 16, 2006

Awais Yaqub wrote:

huhhuh
Wow wonderful photos
i think you know much about Astronomy and moon :Di have question
i read somewhere that moon has sign like it was split in 2 parts in past.
Belt of rocks which extends from surface to depth of moon
i also saw photos
is there something like that

Is this not a story from the Koran?
I think you will find there is no truth to this I'm sorry to say.

Space Shuttle Discovery rolls out

Comments