Space shuttle acrobatics

[sff_corgi_lj]

What do you think, gold-medal-worthy? ;)

For those who might have missed seeing the footage of the 'Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver', also known as the 'shuttle backflip' -- or just want to see it again:

http://wm.nasa-global.speedera.net/wm.nasa-global/RTF/backflip.wmv (Windows Media Video file)

Other STS-114 offerings:

• External tank, photographed from Discovery - Hi-res (329 Kb), but really neat
• Another external tank image, showing the area of foam loss - EXTREMELY large, but might be worth the wait for the detail (Hi-res (1.5 Mb))
• Fisheye lens launch photo (medium (720 x 505, 72 ppi))
• Launch photo with reflection, very artsy (Medium (722 x 480, 72 ppi))

Also, have fun with Java and watch the Station/Shuttle orbit:

J-Track for Spacecraft.

Comments

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

What was the bird still doing around THAT much noise instead of bolting? A launch is incredibly loud from miles and miles away, never mind close enough to get whacked by a spacecraft.

Canaveral/Kennedy, incidentally, is also a wildlife refuge - they've got eagles on the tour. :) This is problematic in that they also have a feral pig problem that wildlife regs inadvertently protect.

[ravensnape.livejournal.com]

My first thought was maybe it was born there and used to the noise but unless the bird was older then two years with a very long memory, :D, then I haven't a clue.

[sff-corgi.livejournal.com]

Oh, but I think that was a previous flight... but it'd still have to have a long birdy memory. :)