Endeavour into the Night
apod.nasa.gov — Blasting into a dark night sky, the Space Shuttle Endeavour began its latest journey to orbit in the early morning hours of March 11.
danharlow- 819 diggs
- digg it
- Jako, on 03/14/2008, -5/+23***** amazing
- cardyology, on 03/14/2008, -1/+3"***** amazing"....ly hot....
- mundus, on 05/15/2008, -0/+1I stood outside my apartment trying to see it from Orlando as I always do, all I saw was the clouds in the sky get red as it ignited. Bummer there were too many to see the flames. I'm glad I didn't drive to KSC to see it 'cause they said it disappeared into the clouds 7 seconds after launch illuminating the area was if it was daytime... Next time!
- bashar129, on 03/14/2008, -0/+3http://youtube.com/watch?v=uGL_zcS8iwo
Seeing a space shuttle launch in person is definitely on my list of 100 things to do before I die.
- bashar129, on 03/14/2008, -0/+3http://youtube.com/watch?v=uGL_zcS8iwo
- bosssmiley, on 03/14/2008, -0/+22,000 tons doing 17,000mph. That's one hell of a delivery truck.
- debuggercll, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Good time for road head.
- huntermaclean, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1One hell of a ride too! I'd love to be in the front seat of that thing.
- sgupt, on 03/14/2008, -0/+21This is an amazing picture! Launches at night are sweeet
- Tableboy, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2Yea, I live in Central Florida... too bad the rocket went into a super thick cloud and was only visible for about 10 seconds... Still, I recommended everyone go to Cape Canaveral and watch a launch at least once in your life. It is incredible and cannot be described.
- tocsy, on 03/14/2008, -2/+0If anyone wants to see a different vantage point, there was a story on the front page yesterday with another (different) picture:
http://digg.com/space/Night_Launch_Gorgeous_Photo - GibitStylin, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1huh heh huh uh huh ..... FIRE!
- maybeishould, on 03/14/2008, -1/+11Wow...this is amazing. Love seeing space shuttle photos.
- jpt62089, on 03/14/2008, -15/+12It's fake! There aren't any stars!
/sarcasm- dagnome1984, on 03/14/2008, -0/+4Sadly I could see some people saying that.
- telmonm, on 03/14/2008, -7/+0Great shot.
- thenextman, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Great scott!
- GibitStylin, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1more appropriate would have been "Money Shot"
- SpickSlayer, on 03/14/2008, -19/+3lolchallenger
- catachip, on 03/14/2008, -1/+4Yeah. Making fun of the death of 7 astronauts? Not too funny. Buried.
- hybridcreation, on 03/14/2008, -1/+2Not funny, asshole.
- foxhaze, on 03/14/2008, -12/+2Digg users get hot and bothered for the most random pictures.
It's like none of us have ever seen a better picture of a space shuttle taking off. - dayetonl, on 03/14/2008, -7/+2Awsome! Shows what one can accomplish when one has a purpose - humankind - that is. I've always told my children when they were growing up - reach for the moon - you may just reach it!
- deviouskoopa, on 03/14/2008, -0/+7Do you write fortune cookie messages?
- devonkeale, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2Wait,.... MOM?!
- displaced1, on 03/14/2008, -4/+0I love that website.
- commenter01, on 03/14/2008, -4/+0kinda looks like the ship is on a black lake. sweet picture.
- clinttbf, on 03/14/2008, -5/+0Haven't seen a shot at this kind of an angle before. Looks like a real space ship blasting off. Sweet!
- deviouskoopa, on 03/14/2008, -0/+7As opposed to... all those fake space ships in previous years?
- clinttbf, on 03/14/2008, -3/+0As opposed to all the vertical/semi vertical takeoffs. Saw a shuttle launch years ago - the vibrations & sound were almost overwhelming.
- deviouskoopa, on 03/14/2008, -1/+1I'm fairly certain the bottom of the picture frame is not parallel to the horizon, like I'm assuming you're thinking.
- clinttbf, on 03/14/2008, -3/+0As opposed to all the vertical/semi vertical takeoffs. Saw a shuttle launch years ago - the vibrations & sound were almost overwhelming.
- deaconyermouf, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1"Looks like a real space ship blasting off."
Yeah, it's funny you say that, because I think this actually IS a real space ship taking off!
- deviouskoopa, on 03/14/2008, -0/+7As opposed to... all those fake space ships in previous years?
- pianomahnn, on 03/14/2008, -3/+6I really hate how little humanity spends on space exploration. I watch all these shows about space travel and the expenses involved; a pittance compared the trillion dollars spent to blow up a bunch of innocent civilians.
The things we chose to waste our resources on. Depressing.- jhuebel, on 03/14/2008, -4/+1How little humanity spends? Do you know how much it costs to get a shuttle into space? First, the Endeavor cost $1.7 billion to build. The PER LAUNCH cost averages around $1.3 billion.
And that doesn't take into consideration any other exploration projects...- catachip, on 03/14/2008, -1/+4Considering the Iraq war consumes the entire budget of NASA every 6 weeks, I think they can afford to put a bit more into it. Don't you?
- RogerStrong, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1>> The PER LAUNCH cost averages around $1.3 billion.
Not really. That's taking the total costs of the manned space program and dividing by the number of launches - with a much smaller than planned number of launches. But most of the costs are fixed, like the wages for the standing army of shuttle technicians. Reduce the number of flights, and instead of saving money, your cost per flight rises
In any case, to put the costs into perspective, America's human space flight programs cost around $7 billion a year. In 2006, according to the USDA, Americans spent more than $154 billion on alcohol.- jhuebel, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Comparing the amount spent on alcohol (which is a personal expense) versus human space flight (which is paid for by our taxes) isn't really a fair comparison. However, I have to concede that you're right about the cost being smaller.
- jhuebel, on 03/14/2008, -4/+1How little humanity spends? Do you know how much it costs to get a shuttle into space? First, the Endeavor cost $1.7 billion to build. The PER LAUNCH cost averages around $1.3 billion.
- djgump35, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I can only wonder, how loud it would be to watch a shuttle take off. Planes take off from the Air Force Base, about 10 miles away, and it sounds like a train going through the front yard.
- senorcool, on 03/14/2008, -0/+4This was my first launch and I highly suggest if you haven't watched one, go make the trip to watch one. Pictures dont do enough justice
- hybridcreation, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I have lived hours away (just outside Jacksonville) for years. I kick myself for never having gone to see one, but I will one of these days.
- peterb1980c, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1awesome
- evilregis, on 03/14/2008, -0/+3Launches always make me want to buy this for my office.
http://www.demotivators.com/potential.html - CaptPwnage, on 03/14/2008, -0/+3My new desktop wallpaper at the office! =)
- Fragalishus, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I made one 1680x1050 if anyone wants it. To make your own, just make a new blank document in Photoshop, drag the image in and scale it to fit, or scale it to where it looks the best anyway. This way you maintain the aspect as opposed to the "stretch" or "center" in the desktop settings with odd-sized pics. It's a good match for the Nasa Night Launch Firefox skin.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/170/nightlaunch ...
- Fragalishus, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I made one 1680x1050 if anyone wants it. To make your own, just make a new blank document in Photoshop, drag the image in and scale it to fit, or scale it to where it looks the best anyway. This way you maintain the aspect as opposed to the "stretch" or "center" in the desktop settings with odd-sized pics. It's a good match for the Nasa Night Launch Firefox skin.
- revansii, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Amazing picture and with that said I guess anything from NASA is guaranteed to make it to the front page.
- MrOrange49, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Here is some video
http://digg.com/space/Space_Shuttle_Endeavor_STS_1 ... - uptown, on 03/14/2008, -1/+2Space shutllllll endvrrrr
linger longer.... - CapCzar, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Think of the thousands of dollars in gas that is being burnt in the split second this photo was taken.
- catachip, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1The shuttle doesn't use gas, or jet fuel. The solid rocket boosters use Aluminum as the fuel source, with an ammonia-derivative as the oxidizer. Once those fall off, the ascent to orbit is provided by the main engines which run off Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen located in the External Fuel Tank.
Still expensive, anyway.- rcarroll215, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1But at least liquid oxygen and hydrogen are renewable.
- catachip, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1The shuttle doesn't use gas, or jet fuel. The solid rocket boosters use Aluminum as the fuel source, with an ammonia-derivative as the oxidizer. Once those fall off, the ascent to orbit is provided by the main engines which run off Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Hydrogen located in the External Fuel Tank.
- amightywind, on 03/14/2008, -1/+2If you download the larger image you can see the number 2 main engine (lower left) is slewed to the right as the shuttle begins it role manuver. It is amazing something that big and awkward looks flys as fast and precisely as it does.
- glosta, on 03/14/2008, -0/+3Wish we spent more money going into space than blowing the crap out of each other!!
- hybridcreation, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1As do I...maybe one day we will.
- Balk2K, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1A shame about the JPEG compression banding but still stunning
- IceJelly, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1The ISS should really be further along now.
It is way behind its original schedule.- amightywind, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1The problem is the collaboration with other nations who do not pull their weight. The US could have had a smaller station 10 years ago and the shuttle could be long retired by now.
- catachip, on 03/14/2008, -2/+1That's got to be the 20th NASA "Picture of the Day" that has made it to the front page in the last two months. Who started this fad?
- MajorLeague, on 03/14/2008, -1/+1Where's the random sexually confused guy to say it's a flaccid image.
...or did I just... nooooooooooooooooooo - deadparts, on 03/14/2008, -0/+6I actually finally got to see this launch in person. I've been out there about 4 times and each time it would get scrubbed. The launch was amazing, there was a low level cloud cover that you could barely see until the shuttle lit up the sky. Then after about 15 seconds of a great looking launch it disappeared in to the clouds followed a minute after by a huge crackling and rumbling. Here is my favorite picture from the launch...
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/216584main_08pd ... - vroom101, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1Space Shuttle Atlantis, STS-106 mission, September 8, 2000
http://chamorrobible.org/images/photos/gpw-2004081 ...
via http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20040817.htm --> pic 11 - AwwHellYeah, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1i watched this from my front yard. the whole sky lit up bright orange.it was ***** awesome. i wish they did more night launches. just not a 2am.
- hybridcreation, on 03/14/2008, -0/+2I could see a million of these and never get tired of them.
- db0255, on 03/14/2008, -0/+1I'm sorry, but if one more person posts another APOD on Digg...
- Jecla, on 03/14/2008, -0/+0way to go!
- 1337Caboose, on 03/15/2008, -0/+0This was a amazing launch it looks like the sun rises in 1.5seconds at 2am its amazing :)
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