Last Discovery Launch

The last launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, February 2013.

Fantastic, Tim. Would have loved to have seen even one shuttle launch....

But now the Discovery lives just outside of DC:

Thanks Harm. I hope to get over to Washington DC next year to visit friends and see Discovery up close.

thats an awesome picture of the launch. How far away would you say you were from the site?

EchoShotz wrote in post #17302982
thats an awesome picture of the launch. How far away would you say you were from the site?

Three miles from the launch pad. We were next to the building with the Saturn rocket is display.

Great picture.

JHenke wrote in post #17303534
Great picture.

Thanks!

Awesome shot! I wish I had witnessed a launch like that (or even better: I wish I had been inside that shuttle !). It must have been pretty special to be there, especially for the last one. What about the sound? Is it really loud or is it okay?

The sound is extremely loud. It's like a physical hit when it washes over you. It was quite an experience. My wife is not into this kind of thing, but even she was going OMG once the boosters lit and the STS began to rise from the pad.

The first time we were there, the launch was delayed several times over the course of a week, and then finally scrubbed. We had to travel back to Florida a 2nd time several months later to see the launch, but it was worth it.

I felt really bad for a fellow from Austria who came for the first launch time and wasn't able to make it back later. I sent him a video of the launch, but it's obviously not the same. Of course, once it begins it is over very quickly. This shot was taken 3 minutes later.

Beautiful!!!!

That is awesome. That is one thing I regret not doing, going to see a launch. One of those things you just take for granted and before you know it, its gone. I was fortunate enough to be stationed at Ft. Bliss when Endeavor passed through on her way to California though. That I'll never forget...

arctic98z wrote in post #17310297
That is awesome. That is one thing I regret not doing, going to see a launch. One of those things you just take for granted and before you know it, its gone. I was fortunate enough to be stationed at Ft. Bliss when Endeavor passed through on her way to California though. That I'll never forget...

Well...you could start tomorrow morning (Thursday 4 December 2014) at 7:05am EST and watch the first launch of the new Orion capsule. It'll be landing a little less than 3 hours later off the California coast.

Great images! Thanks for sharing.

Wonder memory Thanks for sharing

Timphoto wrote in post #17302954
The last launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery, February 2013.

Stunning.