The first July 4th LIFT OFF!!

FL RENNY · **Joined:** Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:30 pm **Posts:** 458

So the shuttle took off yesterday around 2:48pm from Cape Canaveral. and WOW!!!! I live in St. Augustine Fl and was actually out in the water sitting on my surf board watching as it rocketed toward space, huge clouds streaming behind the shuttle, and the glowing fire from the shuttle's jets was absolutly amazing looking. Like a HUGE ball of fire jetting through the sky. An undescribable feeling came over me as to how lucky I was to be sitting in such a beautiful place and watching such an amazing moment. My buddies and I all started clapping and yelling and whistling. I almost started yelling U.S.A!! U.S.A!! And on a KJ-note...the sand was SOOO soft we were pulling people out all day..they must have missed the sign and cops that said "4X4 only past this point." So the KJ came in pretty handy, and performed really well. Some other 4X4's where having some trouble getting through the sand...I gave a nice JEEPERS wave as I drove by......

I didn't have a camera with me in the water obviously but I thought I would share my story with you anyway. :lol:

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:47 pm

Sounds like a good time! I didnt know the shuttle made clouds though! And I thought it took off last saturday? Did something delay it?

Edit: I wanna live at the beach. :cry:

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:57 pm

Very cool.

FL RENNY · **Joined:** Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:30 pm **Posts:** 458

Jeepjeepster wrote:

I didnt know the shuttle made clouds though!

LOL I mean smoke. Yea it got delayed b/c of cloud coverage. They say if there are cumulonimubs (spell check) clouds with in 20 miles they delay the launch b/c of lightning. It's almost like....this is Florida it rains EVERY day around 3 O'Clock for at least 5 minutes. Schedule it for the morning or something....duh ha :lol:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:23 pm

I was USAF at the time the 3rd shuttle took off and had a pass to watch it from NASA grounds from our vehicles. Man was that impressive! Rode my M/C down from NY just for the liftoff. Funny was when the wind changed and the liftoff gas/cloud/smoke rolled toward us, they told everyone to wait in thier cars till it passed. I was on the bike and like, d'oh, Now what? :shock:

I guess it wasn't poisonous after all! :roll:

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:42 pm

Yeah i watched it from my TV. D*TV has a NASA Channel. We actually watched them do some system checks and strap the astronauts into the shuttle around Noon. And then we watched is take off around 2:38 EDT. The cool thing about the NASA Channel is that you can hear the radio chatter of the engineers doing sensor checks and such. They also had a cam on the External Fuel Tank and I watched them out in low orbit, body roll and then let go of the Ex. Fuel Tank. That whole process was very cool to watch and listen to the radio chatter. I don't know if anyother cable providers carry this channel (Dish Network does not), but it's something really cool to watch, esp. if you can't get down to FL for the launch.

I was down a few summers ago in Titusville, FL waiting for a launch that they ended up scrubbing until the day after we got back home. :cry:

MudTrac · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:34 pm

Yeah we were out at my moms and watched it, too bad they wont do any more night launches, that is the most impresive thign ever. we are about 40 miles from nasa and its so bright it lights up the sky around us. im glad nasa didnt have any hithces this launch. the shuttle is decomissioned in 2010 and they only have 8 more launches to go till IIS is done I think. Nasa is crazy important for everyone, they give us stuff like Tang and Vel-cro LOL. seriously though its good for them to have had such a good launch and have the community supporting them.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:35 pm

Guyute1210 wrote:

Yeah i watched it from my TV. D*TV has a NASA Channel. We actually watched them do some system checks and strap the astronauts into the shuttle around Noon. And then we watched is take off around 2:38 EDT. The cool thing about the NASA Channel is that you can hear the radio chatter of the engineers doing sensor checks and such. They also had a cam on the External Fuel Tank and I watched them out in low orbit, body roll and then let go of the Ex. Fuel Tank. That whole process was very cool to watch and listen to the radio chatter. I don't know if anyother cable providers carry this channel (Dish Network does not), but it's something really cool to watch, esp. if you can't get down to FL for the launch.

I was down a few summers ago in Titusville, FL waiting for a launch that they ended up scrubbing until the day after we got back home. :cry:

That sounds purty cool!

I was down there last summer when the shuttle took off and its something I believe everyone should see. Some people may not think its all that great, but to me the engineering and everything that must be just perfect to get that thing into space and back out is just awsome. :shock:

Mutt · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:51 pm

Sounds like a blast.

When I used to work down in Jax......my favorite surf spot was the Gate station at Vilano beach.

nickmv · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:11 pm

man, that sounds like it was fun....getting to see the shuttle lift off while youre out surfing. Wish I lived on the coast

SethX9 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:14 pm

11.2 kilometers per second or 25,950 miles per hour....now THAT is some torque!!

And actually, it does make clouds.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:49 pm

SethX9 wrote:

11.2 kilometers per second or 25,950 miles per hour....now THAT is some torque!!

And actually, it does make clouds.

Wow, thats awsome! Are you sure that the shuttle does that also? I guess Ive been made into an idiot! :lol:

TnRebel · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 6:03 pm

It looked mighty spectacular from our back deck.

PitViper · **Posted:** Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:04 pm

wow that was a nice view

SethX9 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:42 am

Quote:

Are you sure that the shuttle does that also?

That's the speed needed to escape the gravity well on Earth.

TnRebel - ditto that: Amazing View!

FL RENNY · **Joined:** Mon Nov 07, 2005 4:30 pm **Posts:** 458

Great pic!!!! how did it sound from there?? It looks like you were right next to it!!

TnRebel · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2006 2:18 pm

I took it with a tel. lens and a tri-pod, the sound rattles the widows Im in Melbourne about 8.5 miles from the cape

dog_party · **Posted:** Thu Jul 06, 2006 4:18 pm

Nice picture and great story about watching from the surfboard! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! Woooohooo!

I'm not sure the "contrail" left by the shuttle can technically be called a "cloud" since a contrail/cloud (that trails off an airplane) is techincally "a stream of tiny ice crystals in moist, frigid upper air." On ascent, the shuttle is emitting a greyish smoke and white steam. The white steam comes from the heat of the exhaust hitting the water used to suppress the roar of the engines. And the greyish smoke is the burning exhaust of the solid-fuel booster rocket. I suppose it's possible that after it gets waaaaAAAAAAaaay up there, the air might get SO cold that the burning hot solid-fuel exhaust can create enough moisture to turn into clouds though.

0 to 100MPH in 8 seconds using 1.5 million pounds of fuel!! Not that's some power!!! :shock:

The first July 4th LIFT OFF!!

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