STS-124 LIFTOFF camera on the aft skirt of the left SRB

A video camera on the aft skirt of the left solid rocket booster captures the launch of space shuttle Discovery, booster separation from the shuttle then splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The right solid rocket booster is also visible as it falls towards the Atlantic Ocean after separation. The booster parachutes are also seen opening softening the landing in the ocean.

Credit:NASA TV

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NASA
• STS-124
• DISCOVERY
• LIFTOFF
• SRB
• CAMERA
• LAUNCH
• TV
• aviation
• space
• environment
• mechanics
• electronics
• computer

[Boeing94]

Amazing! so cool at 2:06

[zaphodb777]

Simple, if you notice by the way the smoke is streaming, they aren't out of the atmosphere yet... but the atmosphere is pretty thin. And of course, if you are bolted to an engine, as the microphone was, you will hear all the vibrations.

Gently put a stiff metal wire in your mouth between your teethm and rub it on the ground, or across a wall gently. You will hear all kinds of noise.

[oomblikkies]

Spooky sound during decent

[lithiumdeuteride]

@MezzaNine26

Well, the Earth actually takes up nearly 180 degrees of your view from this relatively low altitude.

It's the fisheye lens that's making the Earth look extremely curved. Watch how the curvature reverses as the horizon nears the edge of the field of view.

[antimatterXXXIII]

@MezzaNine26 Some of that is the effect of the very wide angle camera, but you would in fact be able to see the horizon curving very dramatically even at only 35 miles altitude. In some of these videos the coast of Florida with the Shuttle's smoke trail is clearly visible.

[antimatterXXXIII]

@vfr802 It's basically an empty tube, sort of llike a soda bottle, and the air rushing past the rocket nozzle opening makes the same sort of sound. At first you only hear the remaining fuel burning and spent fuel embers bouncing off the metal body of the booster - then as it gets lower, into thicker air, the roar is the Coke bottle effect of air rushing past the nozzle.

[MezzaNine26]

Amazing! Look how small the Earth looks from the edge of space... `

[myndenway]

Well, there is enough atmosphere at that altitude for some air considering how fast they are going. At 17,000 mph you don't need to hit too many molecules to generate that little bit of sound we hear, even though most of it is rocket noise. Once the shuttle separates, it gets very quiet. Then as it descends into the lower atmosphere, the sound picks up again as there is more air.

[stormspotterkwp]

All the way to the water! How cool was that!

I take it the sounds were from transducers on the skin of the rocket? To the last commenter; if there's something to vibrate it will transmit sound within it; it just won't to an observer not touching the medium. Fantastic video!

[vfr802]

Simply amazing! The sounds are so erie, sometimes like whales singing underwater. I didn't think sound was possible in space as air is needed for vibrations we perceive as sound? I know it's authentic but I'd like to understand it.