STS:123: A very close view of a night launch from water on to clearing the pad.

[Eksath]

STS-123 was a night launch that took of very early in the morning (2:20am). It was also unique because it disappeared into a cloud very shortly after liftoff so most observers saw a glow in the sky. From my vantage point,I was able to peer at her all the way thru her various milestones. I have collected some important ones compressed into the last few seconds of her on the pad and as she clear the structure.

I left the pictures a bit big for viewing pleasure so I recommend a high resolution (i have reduced the quality on the pics so it does not increase bandwidth and loading time).

This is a work in progress and I plan to steadily add to the site but here is a start!

http://www.atapattu.net/atapattu11.html


Enjoy.

[gkarris]

GREAT CATCH!

Thanks for sharing it!

[Mike Deep]

Excellent set! Press site I take it?

[Eksath]

Originally Posted by Mike Deep

Excellent set! Press site I take it?

No. The press site does not offer such a vantage point since it is in the southwest quadrant of pad 39a and the pad structure shields "the stack" until she rises above the RSS.

[Mike Deep]

Hm, I'm stumped then. Where was this?

EDIT: Has to be Causeway, I knew I was thinking too hard too late at night.

[PhotosGuy]

Nice one.

[Eksath]

Originally Posted by Mike Deep

Hm, I'm stumped then. Where was this?

EDIT: Has to be Causeway, I knew I was thinking too hard too late at night.

Nope. not the causeway. The causeway is a lot further away (about 6 miles from 39a if my memory serves me right). The angle is similar.

[Ford Mustang]

Looks just about where OTV-070 is, except a less dramatic angle. How'd you get that close, or are you barely inside the pad gate and have a nice telephoto lens?

[Mike Deep]

Originally Posted by Eksath

Nope. not the causeway. The causeway is a lot further away (about 6 miles from 39a if my memory serves me right). The angle is similar.

Argh, I give up. What was it?

[Eaton Photos]

Here is from where I believe Suresh, captured the Shuttle Launch.

[Eksath]

Originally Posted by Eaton Photos

Here is from where I believe Suresh, captured the Shuttle Launch.

let me clarify.

Operational reasons (and safety) puts everyone outside the 3 mile limit. The only people inside is the rescue crew who get to be about 1.5 miles (approx). Since the pad gate is in the "kill zone", it is certainly a no-go area.

The causeway,press site and Banana Creek (Saturn V center) are the well known public accessable areas (i.e. that is approved public). There are other locations that are used for operational reasons such as tacking cameras etc that give great vantage points while off the beaten path. I used one such location which is a tower that in the middle of "no-where" to get those night shots. Of course, this was pre approved and is not open to the outside. It needed to be a tower so that one can end up level with the mound on top of which the orbiter sits hence I am level with the MLP.

I hope that clears it up.

Oh..it is about 3.75 to 4 miles due south of the pad. It may seem a lot but in the time space of the orbiter launch, it is not much.

[yagimax]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

[Eksath]

Originally Posted by yagimax

Wow, thanks for sharing!

Anytime. I will be adding a few more galleries shortly.