STS-117 Launch - the astronaut's perspective

[joshpierce1981]

Very good video of the prelaunch. I spoke with "Bru" after they returned. the man is all astronaut, proud to say I have worked with him. Congrats on a flawlwss flight earlier this year as CDR Bru. Good job on the NASA TV record too.

[loscantos]

how do you felt dressing a orange suit knowing that colour is chosen in orden to quickly recognize your corpse from the rests of the catastrophe??

[UdallIn72]

Actually, it's orange so that rescue aircraft can find the astronauts more easily if they have to ditch the orbiter.

I don't think, after all, that it's really that hard to distinguish between a human corpse and what is essentially a very complicated airplane.

[MrTiti]

Those Astronauts ... arent even able to put clothes on themselves. and you gave them the keys for that motor!!?? ;)

[MusicalFan1701]

From Wikipedia, under "SSME": Each engine main combustion chamber receives fuel-rich hot gas from a hot-gas manifold cooling circuit. The gaseous hydrogen and liquid oxygen enter the chamber at the injector, which mixes the propellants. A small augmented spark igniter chamber is located in the center of the injector. The dual-redundant igniter is used during the engine start sequence to initiate combustion. The igniters are turned off after approximately three seconds...

[Kurisuchianu89]

YOU SUCK! STFU KOCKHED. ( yes i know, its not spelled correct.. KOCKHED

[crucialconflict02]

good stuff. thanks for posting.

[HerrBenji]

Thank God for giving humans the potential to make these amazing machines and explore places beyond our home. May someone tell me what is the purpose or what is the use of the bunch of sparks that are headed below the main engine's exhaust cones?

[AVR2508]

Is it the main engine ignition system or part of it?

[Ravenflight104]

Herr Benji:

The spark generators eliminate the need to have an internal ignition source. This makes the engines more reliable on ignition, lighter in weight and cheaper to build.

[HerrBenji]

Excellent... thanks for your reply.. I was willing to know that for a long time now... How do you know this stuff?

[Ravenflight104]

Herr Bengi:

I grew up with it. My dad was a designer for fuel control systems on rocket engines, including the LM ascent stage and the shuttle OMS pods. I remember seeing Alan Shepard's first flight and was in high school during Apollo. My interest in the hardware and events of aerospace has been a lifelong interest to me.

Again, thank you for your reply...it's nice to answer intelligent questions.... I wish I could do that more often....but most of the time here I'm talking with moon hoaxers.

[tridentmusic]

I didn't think people THAT OLD were still alive..........

Glad I'm not alone.

Where do you think it will go in the (near) future RF104?

[Ravenflight104]

trident:

I wish I knew....

Many of histories best aircraft have suffered multiple failures. The problems were solved, one by one, and they went on to have great safety records. The Space Shuttle has had two failures, but overall has a ninety-nine percent flight success rate.

The people who fly this machine have great confidence in it....so it makes me wonder why we are decommissioning the shuttle fleet when the airframes have not even seen half of their expected lifetimes. What a waste.

[gullivera]

I've a question too mate, if you don't mind, why do they turn it upside-down on launch? Is it to do with the G-force being safer pushing down toward your feet, you know when it pitches? I ask because in the movie Apollo 13, during launch when the rocket pitches, it's depicted as still being right-side up, was this a mistake in the film or is there a reason for that? Cheers.

[Ravenflight104]

gullivera:

In answer.... the Shuttle flies upside down on ascent because, during testing, it was shown to be the most stable in that position when mounted on the External Tank. ( heavy -side down)

Also, as an educated guess, astronauts may also fly inverted on ascent to keep the blood flow going to their heads to lessen the probability of blackouts.

[gullivera]

Ah, I see, that does make sense. Thanks mate!

[daflotsam]

It launches from the old Apollo pads with the Shuttle side facing inland for visuals. Then as it heads up and East, it rolls so the communication links are Earth side down.

[bkpaal]

It has to do with balance/weight of the air craft in proportion with the G-forces it generates for better control. Plus the shuttle is much heavier once the fuel is burnt more than half which is just about 6 minutes into the flight, so the tanks are lighter and it is better for the shuttle to dangle instead of standing on the frame....Sounds awkward but from flights's point of view it is safer.

[mikemcgibney]

I thought it was for burning off unwanted gases produced during the start of the launch procedure?

[RJY4356]

If you're referring to the flares under the engines at 4:47, yes that is for getting gaseous hydrogen out of the engine nozzles during the start.

[MusicalFan1701]

I thought spark generators were for preventing gaseous hydrogen external to the engine nozzles from exploding on main engine start. The sparks ignite the gaseous hydrogen in a controlled fashion. I don't see how they can be an external ignition source for numerous reasons. See SSME diagrams.

[MusicalFan1701]

You are correct. See my other comments.

[geffy38]

I think when the shuttle gets scrubbed an astronaut shit there pants!

[mohanicus]

"we wish to welcome you to munchkin land"

00:38.

bottom right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fueldbybeans]

they kind of looked like turkies in those suits!

[morphex9903]

richard branson get ure space program down in prise! I WANT TO GO TO SPACE!!!!!

[yerty2000]

Fair play to beardy though. He has actually had the bollocks to do it. It'll only be a matter of time before others get the idea, but old beardy will have a head-start and you'll be able to go into space before long..:)

[hitmonlee00]

let me know when u guys are going to space again yea.

i'll sneak into the shuttle and go along

maybe hide in the toilet or something

[ingareinar007]

Maybe the Space-shuttle can come as a "do-it-your-self" space-kit later? I`d love to see the "manual for beginners" on that one! X)

[Guser223]

that would just be fun to be in the shuttle.

[user1547name]

Did I spy a midgit there at 0:40?

[fwayndo1]

no she was just on her knees i think

[Kward107]

HAHA i was just htinking, if i was in the space station i would just hide in a closet or something

[Kward107]

I'm so fucking jealous. God damn.

[ivan93203]

This vid makes me want to build my own space shuttle so I can go to space.

[hitmonlee00]

nice try.

[Vi3tNamBoi]

i wonder how it feels to be in a zero-g environment and how it feels to be in space.

:D

must be awesome flying a 9mill+ lbs (correct me if I'm wrong) spaceship! :p

[Ishidasouken]

microsoft software on a freaking spaceshuttle

god damn... =D

[carnivalofsouls2047]

It must be badass flying space shuttles up to Hugo Drax's hidden space station and launch a brigade of astronauts out of the back packin' lasers to attack his henchmen. I once saw a space shuttle documentary called "Moonraker" where they detailed an assault on some rich guy's space city and they wasted them and destroyed his secret hideout. It was awesome!

[Ninjujitsu]

Could you imagine how easily these guys pick up chicks?

"So what do you do?"

"Oh, oh me? I fly fucking space ships, bitch, yeah I flew one yesterday."

[cmarcallen]

The shuttle isn't a "space ship", it's an orbital vehicle. A space ship at the least is a vehicle that can leave earth orbit. The shuttle does not.

[Ninjujitsu]

And that, boys and girls, is how you subsequently scare the ladies AWAY.

[cmarcallen]

Lol, I was just messing with ya.

[gnorville]

It looked like when the crew was walking out to the bus to take them to the shuttle, every one of them had a HUGE grin plastered on their faces. I would have too :)

[VTXnME]

? how did we tangent off onto this from a space shuttle launch?

[Syrgent75]

Astronauts walk like Penguins...lol.

[daflotsam]

Ha. I bet those suits take some getting used to. Especially in the earlier days.

[SavannahR8]

That's one of the best quality videos of any space shuttle Bruno thanks :)

[StaraDupcia]

agreed

[skjeggy]

Imagine sitting on MSN or playing WoW in outer space. "Sorry, gotta log, we are landing on the moon, BRB.

[bandarna]

your shit is weak

[IntermittentSprocket]

I watched the launch on NASA TV here in the UK it was miraculous to see her reaching for stars. What happens to the fights suits, do the astronauts keep them, as a momentum of STS-117, Atlantis?

[sportykv312006]

Steve Swanson

[ingareinar007]

He is an astronaut? Wow, I allways wanted to talk to one! Even I know it must be the most spectacular thing for humans to do..

[sportykv312006]

I was there! My cousin was on the flight. It was so amazing to watch the lift off. The weather was great.

[drtrdr99]

REMEMBER when "MADE IN AMERICA" meant something!!!!!!!

[TachieBillano]

Man, I get nervous everytime I see a shot of one of those shuttle insulation tiles or insulation blankets popping out of place!

[ghostgeek]

NICE edit! Great post!

[bjgonewild12]

i was there its was freakin awesome i will be getting my video of the launch shortly

[HAL11000]

Since there was some damage caused by a hail storm, an engineer thought: 'Oh, I guess they're going to exchange the tank and send it back to Michoud.' Instead, they devised a foam sander in 10 days flat. So Atlantis road on a repaird ET. Thats new.

[EddieHfromBottom]

They repaired over 2 thousand holes in the tank's thermal protection system foam.

[HAL11000]

*Whistles*

[HAL11000]

Its amazing that they repaired the ET.

[BrunoTheQuestionable]

The repair seemed to work ok - the ET looked clean in the images from Atlantis.

[JaalaJ]

Yes! Finally launched! I HAVE to get NASA TV. Hey Bruno... NASAexplorer left a comment on 'Support?' Unexpected, but a very nice suprise.

:)

[BrunoTheQuestionable]

It seems to have taken forever ! Should be a good mission.

It would be great to have NASA TV - I have to use the internet feed.

Yeay for NASAexplorer (hmm, I thought he would ...), it should help the cause.

[JaalaJ]

Using the feed would be okay... if Australia's internet services were half decent. The Ukraine has faster internet connections than us! I'll be sending that video off tomorrow.

:)

[BrunoTheQuestionable]

100+ supporters (including several big names) is quite respectable. Fingers crossed.