Space Shuttle Discovery Night Launch STS-131

[TheMichel1990]

Que hermoso.... una lastima que ya hayan acabado....

[motocrossman93]

i saw this on the highway on my way home and had to stop along with several other cars because of how cool it was

[labacu90]

I so much hate the gayish comments at launch, they're so full of annoying and boring cliches, like "aaaaaaand LIFTOFF" -> I can fucking see it myself, then "bla-bla of the space-shuttle X to bring science to a new level bla-bla -> CRAP", or "x milion pounds of humans and hardaware". JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP PEOPLE, ypu're ruining the launch. I really like listening to comlink between Houston and the bird, that's exciting. And best videos have NASA delivered telemetry on the lower left angle.

[beatchildproductions]

did she say 4500 miles per hour?!?!?!?! I cant even comprehend that..

[Trex1094]

@beatchildproductions The shuttle At MECO or Main Engine Cut Off its moving 17,500mph

[dattajack]

Is it more dangerous to exit or to enter the sound barrier? Or is there not a noticable difference?

[dattajack]

Ah ha. A guess is they are for "sparking" the gas exiting the rocket cones.

[dattajack]

What are the streams of sparks used for, or a result of? 0:30 Is it an inerting process of some kind? They look carbon like.

[mach25man]

@dattajack Spark igniters are to burn excess pockets of hydrogen which is the result of an hydrogen rich engine starting process.

[penfat1]

yes

[dattajack]

@TIRolog sonic boom at 1:40 ?

--this definetly looks like a sonic boom, but how can the ripples be explained 4 seconds before the one you describe, making a small boom at 1:46 and a larger boom at 1:40? wouldn't this mean the shuttle lost enough air speed after the first boom to reset the conditions for the second?

[Trex1094]

@dattajack Discovery most definitely dosent slow down until it begins its return to Earth.

[dattajack]

@Trex1094 the return velocity is greater than the ascent velocity through the rough part, the atmosphere. the second stage and so on get it up to escape velocity. it seems the only danger the sound barrier would offer is while returning through the atmosphere. it goes through the sound barrier while being deccelerated in a hot firey ball. what could go the most wrong at that point?

[express49]

Awesome , thanks !

[andrew288]

saw this out my window when i was trying to sleep. "oh that's pretty..." time to go back to bed.

[TIRolog]

sonic boom at 1:40 ?

[vincentbadminton]

@TIRolog probably

[1jimmycrusher]

i could watch that all day.. the last few minutes with the sun shining on the shuttle like that were just awesome! The hole it punches through the atmosphere.. that rocks!

[horizonflyer9]

i really really want to see a video aboard the solid rocket boosters/ main fuel tank for the entire time from launch to landing. it would be so cool to see what happens to them as they fall back to earth!

[mach25man]

@horizonflyer9 There are SRB videos from start to finish. Main fuel tank goes out of alignment to transmit and burns up.

[DudrickStudios]

Also, the ISS passed over 2 min before launch. Did that have anything to do with the abnormal angle of launch nasa gave it? Because that's where it's heading, so I'm assuming that has something to due with it. Thanks!

[mach25man]

@DudrickStudios The shuttle always launches at a 51.6 degree inclination to catch the ISS. This is the orbit its in so both the US and Russia could build it and reach. Most other launches(not all) are launched at 28.5 degrees inclination to catch the maximum rotation of the earth from Florida. You basically get better fuel mileage. Payload size is limited going to ISS.

[DudrickStudios]

saw this.

awesome blue effect for anyone that saw it, knows what i'm talking about.

The humidity was low... so from 50 miles away, we heard the rumble 3-4 minutes into flight.

If anyone understands this, can you please clarify what the blue haze was around the shuttle around 5-6 minutes into flight?

What was nice about this launch was that for some reason (trajectory? timing?) I lost sight of the shuttle over the horizon, not disappearing. Also, the ISS passed over 2 min before launch. Did that

[mach25man]

@DudrickStudios You saw the thermal signature of the engines which under the right atmospheric conditions shows up. Like you said, the humidiity, the time of day (the sun coming up) etc.

[captnmac14]

I woke up early to watch dis launch today,

nice..

[DianaBoston]

This is beautiful. Love it Airboy. Wonderful night launch. So clear!

[1BrknHrtdRomeo]

this is so awesome

[drummerboy5192]

awesome!!!

[TheLiLD95]

So this is not really your video. . . its copyright of NASA.. can't you get arrested for that?

[KDALove]

@TheLiLD95 It's not copyright. NASA is funded by the government which in turn is funded by taxpayers, so all of their images they produce are public domain. ;-)

[foxtrot789]

@KDALove That's like saying it's ok to take a police officers cruiser out for a joy ride cause you pay city taxes...

[KDALove]

@foxtrot789 Regardless of what may seem, most of the content release by NASA including the millions of images they have is released under the public domain.

[zendium91]

@TheLiLD95 Even if it was copyrighted (which isn't), no one would ever be arrested, don't be ridicilous.

[zeesham13]

@TheLiLD95 , If it is copyright infringement, then NASA would claim this video's copyright, youtube will then remove it the user can't get arrested for that; have you seen other copyright claims on youtube? those user who have copyright videos get removed and the youtube user suspended.