Shuttle launch from another angle

[DavidU (Dave)]

Here are some videos of the shuttle launch from various cameras on the solid rocket boosters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FadV-VwuXWo#movie_player

[multiweb (Marc)]

Pretty cool - Shame it's at night though. Would have been real cool in daytime.

[DavidU (Dave)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Pretty cool - Shame it's at night though. Would have been real cool in daytime.

A daytime one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVUcW-4C18U

[Benno18 (Ben)]

In the first vid, was that foam falling passed the shuttle right at the start?
Also do they re-use the rockets? Just one more, why does the shuttle twist on take off, why not straight up?

[coldspace]

Originally Posted by Benno18

In the first vid, was that foam falling passed the shuttle right at the start?
Also do they re-use the rockets? Just one more, why does the shuttle twist on take off, why not straight up?

It twists to get it onto its orbital trajectory after lift off.

Matt

[bloodhound31]

The twist is known as the roll-maneuver. It is part of the aerodynamics and balance of the shuttle. Sling-shotting using thrust in a curve is easier than going straight up in order to reach escape velocity and maintain it.

Baz.

[Octane (Humayun)]

I've almost blown my data allowance for the month.

Are these the videos from all the different cameras positioned on the solid rocket boosters? If so, they're very cool videos. The daytime video from (I think) the left SRB of STS-127 falling back to earth is one of the best I've seen.

And, yes, the twist manouevre is referred to as the Roll Program. It assists with communications and guidance. Once the Shuttle is near orbit, it performs a manouevre called the Plus X. That is when they twist around again with the heat resistant tiles facing back to earth, to aid in communications. They do another vertical roll once they're below the International Space Station, so that the crew onboard the ISS can take high resolution photographs of the undercarriage of the Shuttle for inspection by engineers for any damage obtained during ascent.

Regards,
Humayun

[Galactic G (Greg)]

Originally Posted by Benno18

In the first vid, was that foam falling passed the shuttle right at the start?

I think it's ice falling from the side of the shuttle. Ice forms because the liquid oxygen is so cold. Several techniques are used to reduce the ice build up but it still happens in places.

Also do they re-use the rockets?

They re-use the Solid Rocket Boosters on the side of the Shuttle. They are discarded during the assent and parachute back to splash down in the sea where they are pick up again. By the time the main fuel tank is discarded the orbiter is moving so fast and is so high that the main tank burns up in the atmosphere as it falls back to Earth.

Just one more, why does the shuttle twist on take off, why not straight up?

The twist, or Roll and Pitch Program, puts the orbiter on a trajectory that allows it to gather enough speed to reach the desired earth orbit (usually to reach the International Space Station). The Roll and Pitch Program also manoeuvres the shuttle so that the main fuel tank is directly under the orbiter and it's wings are level during assent.