STS-130 Launch in HD - The last shuttle launch at night - 02/08/2010

ViperProductionsFilm Says:

Feb 15, 2011 - I used to watch shuttle launches when I was a boy. They were so cool, but I never knew why.Now that I more fully understand what the space program represents, and the evolution of our species as a whole, watching this in fullscreen nearly made me cry. When they moved the walkway and the beanie cap, it felt like another wave of anticipation, for one of the most important things our race has been able to create.We have this available, and we're scrapping the program??!

spacevidcast Says:

Feb 16, 2011 - Great question! Unfortunately, it's due to age of fleet among other things. The shuttle's iconic. It had its qualities, but also has a lot of flaws. It never lived up to its full potential. Once Columbia was lost, changes have been in the works to find a new way to orbit. There are some rumors that the shuttle may fly to 2013, possibly 2017 (not likely though). Either way, it's bittersweet for us all to see it come to an end. We hope the next rocket is as great or better.

ViperProductionsFilm Says:

Feb 19, 2011 - It really makes me want to cry. Why isn't there a Plan B for this? Space exploration is one of the most important things in humanity's existence. This is the pinnacle of humanity's entire time on this little blue dot of ours. All we have to offer to the universe so far is the fact that we know there's more out there than ourselves...and we don't have a new plan for exploring it deeper? WTF

spacevidcast Says:

Feb 19, 2011 - Plan B was the Ares design, which was strongly pushed by the then-administrator Griffin. Sadly, Ares was way too expensive and unsustainable, so that further adds to the delay and charlie foxtrot that is NASA. It doesn't help that congress is pushing NASA from 0.58% of the current annual budget (That's only 18 billion dollars) down to 0.45% for 2012.

axeala Says:

Feb 19, 2011 - the USA needs to make a big shuttle so when something happends to the earth we can all leav this planet

DeepAbsentia Says:

Feb 26, 2011 - I think you're watching waaay too much "2012", buddy.

homes12345 Says:

Mar 1, 2011 - THATS WAS BADASS when it hit the clouds!

flchange Says:

Mar 10, 2011 - can anyone explain why at a given point just before MECO the shuttle experiences 3 times gravity? is it because the plus x or pitch maneuvers? thank you.

spacevidcast Says:

Mar 11, 2011 - It's because of Newton's second law of motion. F=ma. Force equals mass times acceleration. As the propellant in the ET (external tank) decreases, the force remains the same, so the acceleration increases. They have to throttle back at 2 points in the flight so as to not overstress the spacecraft with the G's.

flchange Says:

Mar 11, 2011 - thank you. it´s understood.

sritger Says:

May 5, 2011 - Amazing video! Space exploration is the coolest thing in the world, hands down.

jetfreak4 Says:

May 8, 2011 - Why does their altitude decrease for a brief period? I'm assuming it's because they go briefly into a nose-down position for extra down-range distance. I've also never understood why the Apollo missions climbed to orbital altitudes much higher than the shuttle at engine shutdown.

joel053 Says:

May 15, 2011 - This will be the last launch where humans are put into space on American made equipment. It's all down hill from here as America becomes a third world country like a cross between Congo and Mexico.

CamCam8771 Says:

Jun 4, 2011 - Can someone explain to me what is the difference between the "Range" you see on the screen and the "down range" that the announcer says?

jetfreak4 Says:

Jun 5, 2011 - There are major inconsistencies between the displayed speeds and the speeds the announcer is calling. She calls Endeavor's speed 6000 mph when the display screen only reads it at 5200 mph. Who is correct: the announcer or the display screen?

kcaplan Says:

Jun 6, 2011 - The juice stuff starts at 00:04:20 in the video, where the crew acsess arm retracts

wlmason73 Says:

Jul 2, 2011 - The shuttle main engines are incredible. They gave it their all, and then some! The next time anyone tells you to "give 110%" correct them and say "Although it's impossible to give 110%, the space shuttle main engines prove it's possible to give 104.5%". Are there any other operational launch systems with (>75%) the max thrust of the shuttle? The numbers she just spat out weren't far from Saturn V territory.

IDoNotBlameYou Says:

Aug 7, 2011 - Night launches are the best!!! I LOVE THIS SO MUCH!!

TheJoePepper Says:

Aug 15, 2011 - I believe it is because the number you are reading is the velocity. The speed is shown in Mach which at Mach 8 is just under 6100 MPH.

aczjbr Says:

Oct 30, 2011 - Rio de janeiro. I´m not yankee, but admirer of the space explorations. I ask for like this the all citizens of the it USA that they help to save James Webb of the cuts of budget of his Congress. Hear the video below. Help to save the humanity's eyes. And spread for his/her compatriots.Save the James Webb Space Telescope/ watch?v=aZGE86qBxCI&feature=re­­­lated

PRSOV Says:

Nov 12, 2011 - @jetfreak4 the numbers displayed are taken from the space shuttles on-board computers... So I would believe them.

MegaDogwater Says:

Dec 30, 2011 - @flchangeis it just me, or does anyone else think the female flight anouncer sounds really smart and sexy :>

likeplaneboy Says:

Mar 22, 2012 - liar sts 131 is last mission for night launch

John19182004 Says:

Apr 21, 2012 - Yes, but at the time of this launch, STS-131 was targeted for a launch date that would've been a day launch. They slipped (can't remember the reason off hand) a week or two and it ended up being a pre-dawn liftoff.

zfan2591 Says:

Apr 25, 2012 - So did the shuttle reach orbit at the end? I thought passing through the atmosphere would be more intense and produce more light and turbulence. It looked so easy here.