Discovery home for the holidays!

BPCooperBPCooper Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
edited December 25, 2006 in Holy Macro
STS-116_landing.JPG

Touchdown! Beating all weather odds and a potential New Mexico landing, somehow the shuttle Discovery comes back to the place it started from 12 days earlier. Landing was local sunset, 5:32pm Friday, though under nearly overcast skies.

Comments

  • davidryandavidryan Registered Users Posts: 306 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2006
    I often wonder if people, when they look at such shots as yours, can fathom what has really taken place. A magnificent machine, and act, caught in this very nice photo. Thanks for sharing.
  • SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2006
    BPCooper wrote:

    Touchdown! Beating all weather odds and a potential New Mexico landing, somehow the shuttle Discovery comes back to the place it started from 12 days earlier. Landing was local sunset, 5:32pm Friday, though under nearly overcast skies.

    And what a touchdown ..... nice and safe, what a sight that would be to see that big bird cruising in from out of space :D ... Skippy
    .
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  • BPCooperBPCooper Registered Users Posts: 134 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2006
    davidryan wrote:
    I often wonder if people, when they look at such shots as yours, can fathom what has really taken place. A magnificent machine, and act, caught in this very nice photo. Thanks for sharing.

    Whenever I describe to or have new people come to see it in person, I do my best to convey that very sense to them (whatever the event). While not as spectacular as a launch, it is the thought that this vehicle just free-fell, with no power, half-way around the world and onto a slab of concrete in Florida that is, well, mind blowing.

    I never get tired of that 'do you realize that was just in space' or 'do you know where that thing you saw this morning is now' feeling.

    Thanks for the comments.
  • Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2006
    Thanks for sharing wonderful photo
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

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  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,934 moderator
    edited December 24, 2006
    BPCooper wrote:
    While not as spectacular as a launch, it is the thought that this vehicle just free-fell, with no power, half-way around the world and onto a slab of concrete in Florida that is, well, mind blowing.

    I had a chance to 'fly' the shuttle in a simulator once. I'm neither a pilot or
    an astronaut--it was hard and I was not successful rolleyes1.gif

    Needless to say, I was impressed by the difficulty of flying a brick.

    Nice shot!
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  • jsedlakjsedlak Registered Users Posts: 487 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2006
    great shot!
    ian408 wrote:
    I had a chance to 'fly' the shuttle in a simulator once. I'm neither a pilot or
    an astronaut--it was hard and I was not successful rolleyes1.gif

    Needless to say, I was impressed by the difficulty of flying a brick.

    Nice shot!

    Yeah, I have heard it isn't so much as flying as much as it is gliding, or falling smoothly.
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