Woot! Clean launch. Go Endeavor!

Some problems with flash evaporators but other than that, all seems
well. Also glad to see those ECO sensors issues seem like a thing of
the past.

The new photo strobes during ET separation were nifty. Anyone know
where they're mounted? Are the photos being made of teh shuttle's
belly or of the ET itself?

Oh, and is it just my opinion or did the CNN International guy who was
covering the launch come off like a complete doofus? It reminded me a
bit of the movie Best in Show and the punchy commentator played by
Fred Willard who makes all the painfully obvious comments opposite the
commentator who actually knows who actually knew what was going on.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

Are these not pretty standard Nikon units in the umbilical wells?

My brain hurts.

I cannot see this of course, just going on what i've read.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Todd H." wrote in message
...

Some problems with flash evaporators but other than that, all seems
well. Also glad to see those ECO sensors issues seem like a thing of
the past.

The new photo strobes during ET separation were nifty. Anyone know
where they're mounted? Are the photos being made of teh shuttle's
belly or of the ET itself?

Oh, and is it just my opinion or did the CNN International guy who was
covering the launch come off like a complete doofus? It reminded me a
bit of the movie Best in Show and the punchy commentator played by
Fred Willard who makes all the painfully obvious comments opposite the
commentator who actually knows who actually knew what was going on.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://toddh.net/

"Brian Gaff" wrote in
m:

Are these not pretty standard Nikon units in the umbilical wells?

An attempt at clarification:

Recent Shuttle flights have been using a video camera mounted on the ET;
it continues to transmit video even after ET separation. There may
indeed be still cameras located in the umbilical wells. The ET
camera shows all kinds of interesting events, especially weird-looking
out-gassing around the Shuttle. That's what we've been discussing.

(There are multiple cameras mounted on the SRBs as well, but are not part
of the video downlink; these are available after SRB recovery.)

Tonight's launch was in total darkness after SRB separation, except for
a very faint glow from the SSMEs, the OMS engines, possibly from the APU
exhaust, and intermittent flashes possibly from a strobe system during
ET separation.

I watched the replay video and can only discribe it as a glowing and
pulsing nimbus of light, often greenish, to the aft of the orbiter
during powered ascent which expands as the Shuttle climbs out of the
atmosphere and into vacuum. At some points the orbiter itself seemed
to be enveloped in this nimbus, which I assume was from the APU
exhaust which continue to run for a while after SSME shutdown and
ET separation.

Some of it was downright spooky.

--Damon

On Mar 11, 5:27*am, Damon Hill wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote . com:

Are these not pretty standard Nikon units in the umbilical wells?

An attempt at clarification:

Recent Shuttle flights have been using a video camera mounted on the ET;
it continues to transmit video even after ET separation. *There may
indeed be still cameras located in the umbilical wells. *The ET
camera shows all kinds of interesting events, especially weird-looking
out-gassing around the Shuttle. *That's what we've been discussing.

(There are multiple cameras mounted on the SRBs as well, but are not part
of the video downlink; these are available after SRB recovery.)

Tonight's launch was in total darkness after SRB separation, except for
a very faint glow from the SSMEs, the OMS engines, possibly from the APU
exhaust, and intermittent flashes possibly from a strobe system during
ET separation.

I watched the replay video and can only discribe it as a glowing and
pulsing nimbus of light, often greenish, to the aft of the orbiter
during powered ascent which expands as the Shuttle climbs out of the
atmosphere and into vacuum. *At some points the orbiter itself seemed
to be enveloped in this nimbus, which I assume was from the APU
exhaust which continue to run for a while after SSME shutdown and
ET separation.

Some of it was downright spooky.

--Damon

I didnt know about the strobes . . . that explains what seemed to be
changes in camera settings . . . which just didnt make any sense to
me. Thanks for the clarification.

John

Todd H. wrote:
Some problems with flash evaporators but other than that, all seems
well. Also glad to see those ECO sensors issues seem like a thing of
the past.

The new photo strobes during ET separation were nifty. Anyone know
where they're mounted?

In the orbiter's ET umbilical well.

Are the photos being made of teh shuttle's
belly or of the ET itself?

The ET.