[Gator Lager]

Well these are the before launch pics. Obviously tomorrow I'll post the after pics. Those photos will show the power released by the main engines and solid rocket boosters. In other words the pad gets slightly charred.

The views are of the srb's/holddown post/main engines with the flare stack in the distance/sound suppression (red things filled with water)...

[AKcrab]

You work for nasa? These your pics?
Just curious, they are awfully cool.

[ThinkInsane]

Can't wait to see the after pics. The closest I ever got to a launch was Oh Shucks raw bar in Cocoa Beach, and that wasn't even the shuttle, but a rocket. Still pretty impressive though.

[Gator Lager]

I work for United Space Alliance. The primary Shuttle contractor. We do all the work and get all the blame.
Yep I took these pics earlier. Just got this damn camera. Kinda blurry? Oh well, I'll post the after pics tomorrow.

[Gator Lager]

The closest I ever got to a launch was Oh Shucks raw bar in Cocoa Beach


Yep know it well. ha. I wish people could get closer. The sound up close from a launch is... no way to describe it. Just REALLY LOUD.

[suvsr4terrorists]

Sweet. Can you get me a backstage pass sometime?

[iMOTOR]

My friends aunt works at nasa, when we went there I got some cool photos. I have some pictures of the Columbia inside its hangar, that was several years before it blew up

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

I work for United Space Alliance. The primary Shuttle contractor. We do all the work and get all the blame.
Yep I took these pics earlier. Just got this damn camera. Kinda blurry? Oh well, I'll post the after pics tomorrow.

Crazy, awesome photos!

There must be LOTS of people who work for USA (nice acronym, BTW ).
What exactly do you do that allows you to get that close to the shuttle?

[ManOfSteal]

Awesome!

[Gator Lager]

Originally Posted by suvsr4terrorists

Sweet. Can you get me a backstage pass sometime?

Pior to Sept 11, a launch pass wasn't that hard to get ahold of. But now you have to be a major
V.I.P. and know some big wig's.

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

My friends aunt works at nasa, when we went there I got some cool photos. I have some pictures of the Columbia inside its hangar, that was several years before it blew up

Where does she work on base ?

Must have been on a "Open House Day", or you're a big time V.I.P.
I always like that day. Let the regular folk (non VIP's) see one up close. But alas times have changed.

Columbia was my bird. I was assigned to her for a few years. Hell when she flew, I flew. Meaning my blood (literally, from hitting my head a lot) sweat and tears (from hitting my head alot) flew.

Originally Posted by dcmacdaddy

Crazy, awesome photos!

There must be LOTS of people who work for USA (nice acronym, BTW ).
What exactly do you do that allows you to get that close to the shuttle?

Yep, but only a small few of us actually allowed to work on them. My title is senior aerospace inspector (I'm a shuttle Q.C.) formerly a technician/s.c.o./closeout crew member.

As for the acronym, Lockheed Martin ( I call it lockmart ) and Boeing got tired of fighting each other and then formed U.S.A.

[Gator Lager]

count down clock
http://countdown.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/countdown/cdt/

[wdlove]

Those are awesome pictures. Thank you for posting.

With all the additional cameras on the shuttle the launch should be quite exciting.

[suvsr4terrorists]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

Pior to Sept 11, a launch pass wasn't that hard to get ahold of. But now you have to be a major
V.I.P. and know some big wig's. .

God I hate terrorists.

[finboy]

Thanks for the photos, GL. A bunch of my grad students work for USA or Boeing, or NASA. Good folks. And Open House at Johnson Space Center was awesome. They just had it a few months ago, after several years of not having it.

I wish you guys the best of luck today. I think just about everyone in America does.

[DarwinX]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing and I can't wait for the afters!

[karent]

I'm watching the live feed now, as the astronauts are loading into the buses to go to the shuttle. Brings tears to my eyes. I remember when guys walked on the moon for the first time. There is something about the whole thing, space travel, that's just, just. beyond words.... sorry.

[residentEvil]

HDNET has full live HD coverage all day long. Started at 11am and goes thru the launch. Been watching off and on; nothing too exciting yet.

[dillerX]

poo.

scrubbed for today.

[RAILhead]

CRAP!

Scrubbed.

crap

crap

[awaspaas]

Scrubbed. May the astronauts rest in peace.

[Y3a]

I can't remember the name of the CD, but they recorded a Shuttle launch from the Press area, and had a robot recorder 2.4 miles from the launch, which is closer than they allow humans. Both recordings are absolutly amazing. The rumble of the solid fuel engines and the crackle of the liquid engines is really awesome. I wish they had super quality recordings of the Saturn 5's.

[jorgem4]

Could you post of give a like to high res pics of the shuttle???

Does are great pics!

[chabig]

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

My friends aunt works at nasa, when we went there I got some cool photos. I have some pictures of the Columbia inside its hangar, that was several years before it blew up

Columbia never blew up. Are you thinking of Challenger?

Chris

[Weyland-Yutani]

Originally Posted by chabig

Columbia never blew up.
Chris

What is the word for it?

cheers

W-Y

[SimpleLife]

Originally Posted by Weyland-Yutani

What is the word for it?

cheers

W-Y

Burned on re-entry.

[GSixZero]

I think he means Columbia burned up, not blew up.

[iMOTOR]

Originally Posted by chabig

Columbia never blew up.

didn't know the semantics gestapo posted here

you know what I meant

[Gator Lager]

I'm very angry now. Dammit. This day sucked big time. I went to work at noon and guess what. The sky had opened up, a major league Thunderstorm. Just missed the Shuttle at the Pad. Then about 2 hours before launch. The ECO sensor problem popped up again. aaaaaaaah. And as you all know by now, scrub. Whew the press jumped on us big time.

Trust me when I say, we're doing all the right things. But all the wrong things happen.
I call it K.S.C. Murphy's law. Well, we might launch Saturday. Hell you'll know before I do. I just work on the Shuttles. And please, we're not the idiots that the press makes us out to be.

oh someone asked for a link for photos.
I found some really cool Apollo pics and the crew log books they kept on the way to the moon and back. on these sites ? can't remember where. Happy hunting.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/highlights/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html

[chabig]

Originally Posted by SimpleLife

Burned on re-entry.

Or disintegrated, broke up, fell apart, ripped to shreds...just not "blew up", since there was no explosion.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by iMOTOR

didn't know the semantics gestapo posted here

Oh yes, they are hear. Errr... here.

[karent]

Hey Gator, Do you have post-launch photos for us?

[Weyland-Yutani]

Originally Posted by chabig

Or disintegrated, broke up, fell apart, ripped to shreds...just not "blew up", since there was no explosion.

In the altutude where it lost structural integrity there was an immense difference of pressure between the interior and exterior of the craft. This difference will have created a modest explosion as the craft began to break up, expediting the break-up.

The possibility is there anyway, so arguing over semantics and stuff we can't possibly know is counterproductive. One would be just as correct to say the shuttle blew up as broke up.

Did the Challenger then not break up? The fuel tank blew up causing the Challenger to break up.

cheers

W-Y

[Gator Lager]

Originally Posted by karent

Hey Gator, Do you have post-launch photos for us?

I'll try and make it out to the pad today. hopefully the MLP (mobile launcher platform) will be there. they roll it back to park site and do the repairs.

on a side note. the press is beating on us at them moment. so like I keep saying, take it with a grain of salt.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

Yep I took these pics earlier. Just got this damn camera. Kinda blurry? Oh well, I'll post the after pics tomorrow.

Just curious: can you get in trouble for taking pics ? I would not assume that this is exactly legal, right ?

-t

[Weyland-Yutani]

Well, best of luck to you and the Shuttle team Gator Lager. You're gonna need it!

cheers

W-Y

[ghporter]

Gator, your pictures are great. Not blurry at all, though the camera may have decided to focus on something other than what you thought it should. In particular, the first picture with the SRB hold-downs was perfectly focused (for the size of picture and subject matter) primarily on the camera-side of the SRB. The other pictures are similarly well focused. You aren't showing us pictures that should be printed as 24X36 prints, after all. They're great!

So what's the scoop on the belly tile gap filler tape?

[Mister Elf]

Originally Posted by turtle777

Just curious: can you get in trouble for taking pics ? I would not assume that this is exactly legal, right ?

-t

Haha...only Apple discourages people taking pictures of their products pre-launch.

[Gator Lager]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Gator, your pictures are great. Not blurry at all, though the camera may have decided to focus on something other than what you thought it should. In particular, the first picture with the SRB hold-downs was perfectly focused (for the size of picture and subject matter) primarily on the camera-side of the SRB. The other pictures are similarly well focused. You aren't showing us pictures that should be printed as 24X36 prints, after all. They're great!


So what's the scoop on the belly tile gap filler tape?

thanks, yea I recently got the camera. its a sony 7.2 mp. I just held up the camera and pushed the button. ansel adams I'm not. ha.

I didn't make it to the pad. worked in the vab. tomorrow I'll be at the pad and get them pics.

the aims gap filler isn't a big deal. it's installed to prevent the tiles from making contact during accent. it's bonded in with RTV (room temperature vulcanization) and they (gap fillers) do and have come out in the past with no effect on reentry. watching the NASA channel now. can't believe they're going try and cut them flush. if the astronaut makes the wrong move. a nonproblem will turn in to a MAJOR PROBLEM.

ah the press, I keep thinking of the eagles song "dirty laundry"
not all of the press folks are that way. some of them like us. well a few of them anyway. well ok maybe I could count them with my fingers. and those that don't like us, I got a special finger for them.

[Gator Lager]

Originally Posted by turtle777

Just curious: can you get in trouble for taking pics ? I would not assume that this is exactly legal, right ?

-t

nope. we don't do DOD missions anymore so as long as it's done safely, their is no problem.
but then again I'd never post anything sensitive/classified. that would guarantee a visit by the very friendly FBI. they have free room and board and clothing and ankle and wrist bracelets.

[ghporter]

Working in the VAB must be interesting; a building with its own weather is just bizarre. What's your particular job?

[Gator Lager]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Working in the VAB must be interesting; a building with its own weather is just bizarre.

I've been working in and around that building for about 18 years and I'm still amazed by engineering involved in it's construction. And yes I've seen it rain inside the vab. sunny outside and raining on the inside. the condition have to be just right. hot, humid and the upper doors closed. it's just a light rain. but cool to see.


What's your particular job?

Senior aerospace.. something something....blah blah or as i like to say, space shuttle QC.

[Gator Lager]

they moved the mlp today. sorry, I took a few lame photos.
255 looking down. burnt grass from srb exhaust and the white room stuff.
hopefully next time ( and I hope its soon) I'll get the photos I spoke of before.

[karent]

Cool!

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

k-

[finboy]

Originally Posted by Gator Lager

if the astronaut makes the wrong move. a nonproblem will turn in to a MAJOR PROBLEM.

That's what I thought, too. I can't see that as an engineering decision (because of the compound risk factors) but as more of a CYA decision on the part of some admin-type in a safe office somewhere. Or worse, some political type.

[alligator]

Hey, next time put a penny under the space shuttle before it launches. You know, kind of like a penny on a train track before the train comes by.

[chabig]

Originally Posted by alligator

Hey, next time put a penny under the space shuttle before it launches. You know, kind of like a penny on a train track before the train comes by.

Cool idea but it will never happen because the flying penny would pose a risk to the spacecraft.

[ghporter]

So it looks like the tile gap filler stuff wasn't stuck in at all, and they got it all out without any problem. What about the thermal blanket on the windscreen? It never rains but it pours!

The main engines were developed and tested by Rockwell at their Bay St. Louis, MS facility, and during the development process, there were a lot of problems. On one test firing, just before the combustion chamber cracked, you can see a paper airplane-shuttle fly past the camera...somebody got a good talking to for playing around when there was work going on! So no, I wouldn't want to see a pennie anywhere near the launch facility. Not at all!

[glyph]

Doesn't that gap-filler stuff serve a purpose? I was curious as all the news I've seen doesn't give any indication as to whether the stuff is critical or not. It doesn't seem important by the reports, but this is rocket science, so I don't know. I wonder if that tile is tongue & groove or similar.

[TailsToo]

I love these Pics. - I could look at shuttle pics all day. I am always in awe of the space program!

[OogaBooga]

I think everyone's in awe of the space program.


Working for NASA would be everyone's dream come true.