Atlas V Launch From Kennedy Airbase

[canis]

Just thought I would share these with you, taken a few weeks ago when we were lucky enough to be at NASA for the launch of an Atlas V (This is the baby of their current in service vehicles). The experience is amazing if you ever get the chance to be there then I would grab it with both hands and not let go.

The launch was approximately 6.5 miles away from where we were, and within 3 minutes from launch it was reported at being approx. 500 miles downrange. The noise was felt before it was heard and everything vibrates around you.

I have another set which I need to get off the camera of a Delta IV Heavy which is about 4 times the weight and power of this one which was launched on our last weekend in the US, I will post them up when I get round to organising them.

Atlas V Launch

 

[Speshal]

I'd love to go and see that

 

[cider_and_toast]

The wife and I were lucky enough to see the second to last Space Shuttle launch a couple of years back and then to cap it all, we managed to get over to Kennedy to watch it land as well. It was a truly awesome experience.

I can't believe that the US space programme has reached such a low that for the time being their only access to space is to rent a ride from Russia.

 

[canis]

I have to admit I also thought it was a shame that the US pulled their only manned space program, but the new program is well advanced considering how long it has been running and it will definitely be in our lifetime that they start making deeper space exploration possible with manned flights. I think the aim is to return to the moon, then aiming for Mars and further as the technology progresses.

The annoying thing is that NASA had a project on the go some time ago which was nicknamed SS2 (for Space Shuttle 2) which was a revised, more robust version of the shuttle which was also capable of longer flights and heading deeper into space. This would have been in service before the Challenger disaster had the funding not been pulled, and in the end a lot of the developments that were made for the project were put into service on the shuttle due to safety concerns. But now, as we are so much further down the line in terms of technology and understanding they had to start form scratch with their new flight vehicles...