Note that the audio and music in this sounds much better on a desktop running with a higher-quality audio system.
I changed the background music and added some sound effects and I'm kinda bummed because in doing so I lost record of about 900 hits attached to the previous version. Wish there was a way to upload an update without losing the hit count. Anyway...
Decided last minute to go view this launch with Kathy down in Titusville, FL.
It looks like that of most of the videos of the final shuttle launch - especially of the ones taken on or in the vicinity of the bridge, mine appears to be of a rare breed. It seems to be one of the steadiest, if not *the* steadiest of the amateur videos taken. I had a huge, heavy, smoothly-moving tripod compared to most others, though. ...It shows.
We viewed it from the A. Max Brewer Causeway Memorial Bridge, which connects Titusville with KSC, and spans the Indian River.
Just as the shuttle began to lift off, a child standing on the cement sidewalk guard next to me accidentally bumped my camera so I had to cut that short shakey part out, unfortunately. The launch was still awesome regardless, and I got most of it from ignition up until it disappeared into the low cloud ceiling about 44 seconds after launch.
For this launch, I broke into my HD tapes for best possible quality, especially since the view of everything was fuzzy at best due to haze and fog. I wasn't sure I was even aiming at the correct launch pad but my guess turned out right. The bridge was closed down to allow public viewing from atop it, and was filled with so many people that it was literally crowded from stem to stern, and across it's full width. It was an amazing sight to behold so MANY people in one place, from so many places all around the world, to view this one last American mission into space.
Originally, I was going to mute out the crowds and just leave background music, but I thought twice on that and left it in so that everyone could hear how the nearby crowd began to quickly band together chanting in a synchronized countdown as they listened to the shuttle audio on my handie-talkie and it gradually spread outwards all around me amongst thousands. If you watch other videos you begin to realize that this countdown occurred in unison all over Florida and the country. It was an amazing and quite a moving experience to watch happen right in front of you. Everyone cheered in unison when the shuttle finally disappeared behind the clouds. And when it was gone, you suddenly realized..."Oh my god. That was it! There will be no more, now."
Post launch, Press choppers from Ch. 9 and Ch. 6 roamed the skies. We waited in our place for the crowds to disperse atop the bridge and while doing so I took the liberty of taking some extra filler shots before the local police finally asked evveryone to disperse from the main roadway so that they could reopen the causeway bridge again.
Upon returning to Gainesville, I finally learned that my friends up here were prevented from viewing by rains occuring for most of the day. That's disappointing to hear, and I'm sorry. Hopefully this video will make up for it for some of you. Enjoy!
If anyone WAS able to actually find some crack in the sky somewhere and to get some video of the launch as seen from here in Gainesville, let me know and if you'll allow me to make copies I'll try to make a time-synchronized back and forth cut of viewing angles from here and from KSC.
I guess this is it. There will be no further shuttle video entries made to this page from here on out. The program has ended. :O(
Date: July 08, 2011, 11:29 AM EDT
Camera Used: Canon HV-20 HD vidcam
Tape Used:Sony DVC HD (DVM63HDR) Mini-DV cassette
Lenses Used: Canon TL-H43 1.7x Tele-Converter
Shutter Mode: Fixed aperture (0)
Focus Mode: Manual, fixed
Video Editing Software Used: iMovie 09
Location: Titusville, FL - Max Brewer Mem. Bridge, Indian River
Music: "Destination", royalty free, courtesy www.SoundJay.com, with thanks.
02:13 [ 130 MB ] [ widescreen format ]
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14:55
STS-135 Final Shuttle Launch - Full (Long) Versionby stormspottertodd260 views
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