We’re about forty miles away from the Kennedy Space Center, so we went out to the golf course behind us to watch the shuttle launch.
Wow.
I have some video which I’ll YouTube (and SarahK took pictures), but I don’t know how to film a bright object at night so it’s going to be nothing compared to what I actually saw. I was expecting a bright dot to move through the sky like when I watched a launch from here during the day, but an entire section of sky completely lit up even before the shuttle (which looked like a giant fireball) came into view.
Anyway, I wish I wore my glasses I use for night driving and spent less time looking at the camera. I mean, this is the last ever night time shuttle launch. Well, I tivoed FOXNews so I can watch the film from those with a better view (hope you and your family enjoyed it, JFH).
UPDATE: Here’s the video. I did my best to fix the color in post, but it’s nothing like seeing it in person. Still, I think it’s pretty amazing. It’s like a night time sunrise.
That’s the local talk radio station playing in the background and some neighbors cheering as the shuttle clears the tree line.
Is it just me or do I sound like Butthead from Beavis and Butthead when I make the comment about not expect the sky to light up like that? Should have fixed that in post…
it was absolutely incredible, and i was just watching on TV! like the sun rising at night, and then, when it was high, and the flames fluttering, like a phoenix flying through the darkness. can’t imagine what it must have been like in person!
I wish I was back home in Melbourne to see it. I’ve seen night launches before and Frank isn’t hyperbolizing (much, if it’s a word at all), it really is that amazing.
The jews are guilty for all our misfortunes. Are you sick/tired of
being forced to co-habitate with the negro? I sure am. Let us fight
this scourge of western civilization.It is time for the negro to be
held accountable for the devastation they have brought to white people.
We demand the immediate removal of the negro from our schools. We
cannot learn if a born half-ape is pestering us. We will see to it that
negroes and other enemies of or culture will never again, so much as
think about stepping foot on a white nation
Frank is absolutely correct – my family and I watched the launch from the St. Johns River in St. Augustine, and the sky was just a beautiful glow. There is no real way to describe the beauty of what we witnessed, we were just in awe. The great thing is it seemed to take a different path than usual, (my imagination?) and we watched it for some 12-15 minutes before it finally disappeared.
Just beautiful.
Hey Hitler, I’m going to kick your ass, comrade!
You aren’t going to get all the glory you commie bastard! Sic’ ’em Patton!
don’t make me come down there and kick all your candyasses.
Awesome!
That Hitler guy isn’t so bad he just gets carried away sometimes. I told him we needed to finish Africa before he invaded Russia, but Noooo– he had to attack right away.
Nice rocket, by the way.
Are you still arguing with fat Winston and that cripple Roosevelt. You’ve been drinking too much coffee again Adolph. It’s late. Come to bed.
Isn’t my coffee machine great though.
Could we all please get back to the original topic?
Now repeat after me: “WOW! THAT LIFT-OFF WAS AWESOME!”
WOW! THAT LIFT-OFF WAS AWESOME! Seriously, saw it launch from the Jacksonville area(up the coast), and it was very spectacular. Pretty much lit up the entire southern sky, even from up here.
I was vacationing at Disneyland during the last night launch.
Even from as far away as Orlando, you could see it clearly. I didn’t time it, but it seemed like 5 minutes it was visible.
it gave me chills.
Thanks for the video. I’ve often wondered what a shuttle launch looks like from outside of Cape Canaveral. I’m used to seeing the NASA/pool video, and this gives an interesting perspective of the spectacle.
moflicky, here in Orlando we can actually see the day launches pretty clearly. During the day, the shuttle looks like a giant ball of fire.
Last night was the first time I’ve seen a night launch (from Orlando) and I would say that it initially looks more like a nuke going off in the distance… then, of course, the fireball shows up.
Also, the booster seperation was incredible. You could actually see the individual boosters fall away with the naked eye.
Great job Frank! That was very cool footage. Thanks for taking the time to record it for the rest of us who couldn’t be down there to watch in person. (well, there is news coverage, but this is more fun.grin)
Rising into the Sky…..
On a Pillar of Fire…..
To touch the face of God.
When we see this, remember those that have fallen in this program.
Thanks for the great video — it really was AWESOME! We never see cool stuff like that in Minnesota.
Way cool. How far north would the launch have been visible last night?
I heard that it would be visible all the way up the coast, so take that for what its worth, but the local news here did report that a former colleague called from Virginia to say that he saw it.
It’s pretty cool… the shuttle pilot is from here in Anchorage, AK.
Excellent video, Frank. One of the only perks I can see to living in Florida. Now, what I would really like to see is a reverse of that video happening over Mecca, followed by an earth-shattering kaaba-boom. Alalalalalalalaaaaa!
Yah, It look like V2 on its way to London!
Your velcome
I checked from my deck in the DC area a minute or so after launch and saw something that MIGHT have been it. We can see planes in both the Dulles and National holding patterns, but this had an unusual color and appearance for a plane and it was in more or less the right place.
A “secret” mission a few years back was launched South to North up the coast on a clear night. That was pretty amazing even this far north.
“In both German and English I can count down,
And I’m learning Chinese, says Werner von Braun”
-Tom Lehrer
That launch was totally Hitler!
We were at EPCOT last night waiting for the firework show. Suddenly, I heard several people shout (yes, they were shouting. I believe they were very excited by what they were seeing) “It’s the Space Shuttle! It’s the Space Shuttle!” After people got their bearings and realized what they were seeing, everyone started to clap. It was all very cool. I got some pictures, but I haven’t downloaded them yet. If they are any good, maybe I’ll send them along.
If ya’ll ever get the chance to see a night launch again, short of getting to one of the NASA sites, try the Indian River in Titusville. The most spectacular night launch I’ve ever seen was from there. The whole place lights up, bright as day, and then as the shuttle rises, the reflection comes across the water towards you. As long as there aren’t any clouds, it just dims out. Otherwise you get some neat effects.
I got to this launch from Tampa and it had quite a streak behind it. A lot more than I expected. My wife (this was her first launch “live”) was very excited.
I was fortunate to live in Titusville in the late 60s and saw many of the Saturn launches. Our space program, with all its troubles is an amazing achievement. I suggest for the next launch we strap Hitler at the very bottom of the pad so he gets an idea what hell will be like when he dies and goes there. Go Jooooos! Go Negroessss! And I thought it was a white christmas, not a white nation?