Footage of Space Shuttle Atlantis Lift-off
 

Dear Friends,

On May 14, we were down at Kennedy Space Center for the launch of the last scheduled flight of Space Shuttle Atantis.

We have posted two short segments on YouTube.

Both were recorded at 220 Mbps, I-Frame Only using the nanoFlash.

The first was an HD-SDI feed from Camera 77 located on the tower, next to the Space Shuttle, looking down. This is a very dramatic shot that I have never seen before.

The camera feed was 720p60 (True 60, not 720p59.94)

YouTube - Atlantis tower liftoff shoot using nanoFlash


I shot the second video using a Canon XL H1, with the 20x Lens, at 1080i59.94.

I was on the top of the VAB, 3.3 miles from Pad 39A. The second video was shot on a good Sachtler Tripod, but the roof of the VAB shakes rather violently during the launch, and sways in the wind before the launch. Optical Image Stabilization was on due to these conditions.

I exposed for the vehicle, and not the exhaust, as we wanted to see the vehicle details. The exposure was not adjusted during the flight. The excessive shaking of the image near the end is due to the roof of the VAB and the whole rig bouncing up and down due to the buffetting by the Shuttle's exhaust which was pointed almost exactly at us.

YouTube - Atlantis liftoff shot with nanoFlash

It is our intention to post the original, 220 Mbps footage on our website, Convergent Design > Home, but we have not done this yet.

wow...absolutely amazing. Good work.

Really Cool Shots !
 

Hi Dan:
One of the things your two shots reveal about the Shuttle launching is how fast it really takes off of the launching pad. I didn't know know it jumped up so fast. Whenever you see the space shuttle launches on TV they look so slow and graceful, but that machine is zipping right very fast straight from ignition ! Dan, put the XL H1 shot in Avid's image stabilization fluid move filter and folks will never know anything ever bounced.

Dan, that's some of the best-looking footage I've seen on YouTube even though their process mashes it up. We'd really like to see the 220 MBps files.

Hi Dan, any chance of putting these up on Vimeo? If so, we'd be
able to show them right here on the forum via an embedded player.

Dear Gints,

Thank you very much. This was a high-pressure shoot.

We were delayed in getting to the roof of the VAB. I had the tripod, XL H1, and Toshiba camera setup about 15 seconds before launch. I manually tracked the vehicle.

Initially I had the Toshiba POV camera zoomed out, then we zoomed it in when we learned that I could track the vehicle in a reasonable manner. Both the XL H1 and the Toshiba POV were on the same tripod. I will still setting up both cameras just before the launch.

Our guys are swamped, but I do have a promise that they will put this footage on our website as soon as possible.

The footage that I like the best was Camera 77. We were really lucky on that one. The camera was supposed to be pointed at the top of the vehicle and we were going to watch it as it went by.

However, just a few seconds before launch, it was tilted down to see the view that we recorded.
I have never seen this shot on tv before and I think it is very dramatic. I would have loved to have a 1080 camera in the same position.

Hi Dan,

Great videos. In the Camera 77 shot it's amazing how much the whole External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters flex at about 12 seconds. Can't wait to see the 220Mbps original files.

Garrett

shuttle ...
 

Nicely done Dan ... very clean images for u-tube!

The vantage point on Camera 77 sure is dramatic Dan. Must have felt odd having been a part of some of the big history of NASA to be documenting part of the final launch of the Space Shuttle Program in such a visceral manner.

Looking forward to seeing some of the source footage.

Dear Chris,

I will try to get these files on Vimeo.

Thanks, Dan -- the effort would be of definite advantage to DV Info Net.


It was not the final launch of the Space Shuttle Program (that is, not unless the next two scheduled flights are cancelled). This was instead the last scheduled flight for space shuttle Atlantis. There are still at least two more flights to go until the Space Shuttle program is concluded. STS-133, the final flight of Discovery, is scheduled for a launch window beginning a few months from now on Nov. 1st and STS-134, the final flight of Endeavour and currently the last space shuttle mission, is scheduled for a launch window beginning Feb. 26th of next year. Hope this helps,

Amazing! Thanks for posting that.

Thank you Dan! That was an excellent material! Well Done.
I am in production again and no time, but, when I saw the title of the topic I didn't hesitate to see it.
I don't think I've seeing the liftoff that close....
Thank you!