Fuzzy shoots the Space Shuttle (STS-122 Atlantis)
Michael Mauldin fuzzy@lazytoad.com
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Okay, I'm back safely from Florida with 9.6 gb of digital images and MP4 video from the Space Shuttle launch (STS-122 Atlantis).
I've been following the space program since 1964 and the Gemini Project.
My family planned a vacation to Florida to see a launch, but a hurricane
forced us to cancel. I've been too busy with work and family and retirement
to see any of the hundred shuttle launches, but since they're retiring the shuttle
in 2010, I figured I'd better get off the stick.
I got tickets to the planned December 7th launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-122, but after staying in Cocoa Beach for the better
part of a week, I went home empty-handed and NASA spent two months modifying the ECO sensors.
I went back to Florida for the February 7th, 2008 launch. The forecast was bad, a
70% chance of bad weather. But the cold front that had spawned dozens of tornados in
Tennessee slowed down enough that the weather was good for launch.
Camera Equipment
I made good use of the two month delay to acquire a high-powered
Canon 600m f4.0L IS telephoto lens.
After reading a lot about bird photography and very long telephotos, and some testing with a Bogen/Manfrotto monopod, I decided I needed a better
tripod and head. Moose Peterson's website was very helpful, and I bought
a Gitzo GT3540XLS carbon fiber tripod and a Wimberley WH200 swivel head. With the Canon 2X extender, this rig gives a 1200mm f8.0 lens that
still autofocuses using the center AF point on a Canon 1Ds mk III.
I also prepped for the launch by reading Stan Jirman's guide
to Shuttle Launch Photography, which I found immensely helpful.
Of course I ignored his advice to not take a camera to your first launch, but thanks to his advice and other research, I am very happy with
my photos.
I was sure that no matter how good my equipment, I'd never take a better photo than NASA's official photographers (who get to shoot from
much closer in), but I was determined to get a photo of me with the shuttle launching behind me. That was guaranteed to be the best
photo every taken of me with the shuttle. So I packed an extra tripod (a 4 segment Bogen/Manfrotto with a ball head) and
my backup Canon 5D, along with the Canon TC-80N3 timer remote shutter release. That way, I could have the 5D snapping away every two seconds during the launch.
Launch Day
Bruce and I arrived at KSC an hour before the doors were set to open at 8am. About a 7:45am they started letting people in.
Security is tight at KSC, and carrying all our cameras, lenses, tripods and folding seats was a chore. Since we were lucky enough to
have Launch Transportation Tickets (LTT), we headed over the the bus boarding area to see when the buses would take us to the
causeway. To our surprise, we heard from other visitors that the buses were only running until 9am. So we hopped on board,
surprised that they didn't check our tickets.
That's because they were running tours for an hour and a half before the whole area was locked down.
The first stop on the tour was the Saturn V museum. It turned out to be a serendipitous mistake,
because we could go out to the front of the Saturn V building and shoot the launch Pad 39A from
about 3 miles away. This is where some dignitaries and the families of the astronauts view the
launch.
We jokingly asked the tour guides about any good hiding places so we could hang around there for
the launch, and they told us that the security force uses dogs to clear the area after the tours
leave. We'd forgotten to bring any raw meat, so we couldn't have bribed the dogs, anyway.
After the tour, we headed right back to the bus center and got in line for the buses to the causeway.
We were so early, we were the first two people on the first KSC bus, and we got to pick a prime spot
from which to view the launch.
We set up our equipment, and I learned something about having the huge 600mm f4.0 lens...you attract
a lot of camera geeks who want to look through your viewfinder to see how close you can get. At one
point I threatened to put up a sign:
Peeks: $1
Questions: $2
Answers: $3
But space geeks are a friendly bunch, and I enjoyed talking to them.
We were all on tenterhooks hoping the weather would hold, and finally
around 2:30pm we heard the flight director polling all the officers,
and everyone including weather answered "GO".
Then at 2:36, they came out of the programmed T-9min hold. That's when
all the thousands of people lined up on the causeway suddenly got quiet.
It was eerie to have that many people hushed in anticipation.
I had a camera setting checklist taped to my tripod, and I ran through
all the settings one last time. At T-2m I started the backup camera
and video camera running.
Then at T-16s, they started the sound suppression system. Then the
main engines started with an orange fire, and a huge cloud of white steam
obscured the shuttle. Then a few seconds later it rose above the
clouds and tower. The hardest part was to remember to turn and wave
at the camera behind us. But we remembered.
Fuzzy's new camera and 600mm lens with a 2X extender
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Pad 39A from the Saturn V museum (on the morning tour at 8:41am)
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In place on the causeway
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Fuzzy had the biggest lens around
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The Vehicle Assembly Building (600mm)
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The VAB (with 1200mm)
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USAF building
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Delta Rocket inside
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Atlantis 2 1/2 hrs before launch
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The light was clouds and sun all day
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Two minutes before liftoff the vent arm starts to lift
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The vent arm is retracted at 2:43pm
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(T-8s) sparks from the hydrogen igniters
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(T-6s) Main Engines start
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(T-5s) steam clouds envelope the shuttle
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(T+4s) the shuttle rises from behind the steam
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(T+5s) shuttle clears the tower
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(T+14s) edge-on shot during roll
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(T+27s) roll completed
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(T+1:20) just a fiery cloud now
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Pad 39A sans Shuttle
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Fuzzy and Bruce with shuttle
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Fuzzy shooting Atlantis
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Punching through a cloud
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Go Atlantis, Go
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After the launch everyone checks their digital cameras
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The Rocket Garden
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Bruce and the rocket garden
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