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Old 11-13-2006, 08:52 AM   #1
Undertoad
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November 13, 2006: Shuttle launch from above



Happy Monkey sent me to this blog entry which has these lovely launch shots, but the entry gets it wrong as HM notes; these are probably not from the ISS, but from some sort of NASA chase plane. What's alarming and annoying is the usual date stamp which as xoB notes elsewhere on the Cellar, tend to ruin every photo they appear on. It makes it seem like this is some sort of vacation shot, but surely no commercial jet is allowed to get this close to the airspace.



Still, I hadn't seen them before and they are striking. I hadn't seen any launch images from above before - only from the ground, which is striking enough.
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Old 11-13-2006, 10:00 AM   #2
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Nice.
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Old 11-13-2006, 10:58 AM   #3
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Possibly a chase plane crew member's personal camera? I mean, I can't imagine what scientific use such obviously nontechnical photos would have served, so I'm guessing that someone just took the opportunity to get a quick personal shot or two while they were on board the chase plane.
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Old 11-13-2006, 12:11 PM   #4
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According to Snopes, it's (likely) the NASA/JSC WB-57 High Altitude Research aircraft.

(and so ends my first post)
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Old 11-13-2006, 12:23 PM   #5
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Old 11-13-2006, 12:26 PM   #6
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Really awesome image.

I saved it, zoomed it WAY in on my PC (good monitor, high res, etc etc) and still could not QUITE make out whether that light thing-a-ma-jiggie at the top of the smoke trail is the SHUTTLE or the flame from its engines. Anyone?
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Old 11-13-2006, 12:59 PM   #7
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My guess would be the flame from the SRBs since they have not finished burning.

edit: and the shuttle, from that distance, would be less than a pixel.
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Last edited by barefoot serpent; 11-13-2006 at 01:06 PM.
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Old 11-13-2006, 01:20 PM   #8
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Great F.P. coot, thanks for the detail.
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Old 11-13-2006, 04:20 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Undertoad
What's alarming and annoying is the usual date stamp which as xoB notes elsewhere on the Cellar, tend to ruin every photo they appear on.
Yes they are always annoying. Luckily these ones are over very plain areas so they could easily be disappeared with Photoshop or similar.

Great shots all the same!
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Old 11-13-2006, 05:29 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cooties
According to Snopes, it's (likely) the NASA/JSC WB-57 High Altitude Research aircraft.

(and so ends my first post)
Welcome!

Does anyone have a link to a larger version?
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Old 11-13-2006, 06:04 PM   #11
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Looks like it's taking off from A Big Blue Marble....uh, you can use that.
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Old 11-14-2006, 01:36 AM   #12
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Notice the sky has got black in it but is NOT all black. This is not the ISS. Since it is NOT all black.. But it is from a higher than normally achievable altitude, (because of the black), so it is from a high altitude platform.

Neat pictures! Wish I could see the originals.
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Old 11-14-2006, 12:36 PM   #13
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There's a bunch of satellites taking pictures all the time, could be one of them. Or maybe part of Google's plot for world domination.
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Old 11-14-2006, 12:39 PM   #14
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Like this: Google Announces Plan To Destroy All Information It Can't Index?
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Old 11-14-2006, 01:59 PM   #15
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Here we go:
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/l...chasejets.html
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