Shuttle Launch Photos from the Air

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station which
I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the space
station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky being to blue
in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------
DW

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:45:45 -0500, "Darkwing"
theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station which
I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the space
station would show the curvature of Earth

It does look curved to me!


as well as the sky being to blue

You really can't see "sky" very well from the ISS.

in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?


IIRC, this was discussed here just a shor while ago.

I would say that these are from an airplane, and not that high.

The AF and NASA have used a number of different airplanes to obxerve
launches at different times, going back to the days when I was
involved in Atlas flight testing ('61-'62).

Most of the ones I remember were some version to the 707/C-135.

More recently, since the foam problem, NASA has intensified their
photo coverage including from aircraft. I don't remember what type.

I think at some time, some version of the U-2 has also been used, as
well as some supersonic ones.

If no one has the specifics and you tell me that you spent five
minutes on Google looking for this, I will look myself and see if I
can find out.

Henry H.

---------------------------------

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:45:45 -0500, "Darkwing"
theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station which
I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the space
station would show the curvature of Earth

It does look curved to me!


as well as the sky being to blue

You really can't see "sky" very well from the ISS.

in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?


IIRC, this was discussed here just a shor while ago.

I would say that these are from an airplane, and not that high.

The AF and NASA have used a number of different airplanes to obxerve
launches at different times, going back to the days when I was
involved in Atlas flight testing ('61-'62).

Most of the ones I remember were some version to the 707/C-135.

More recently, since the foam problem, NASA has intensified their
photo coverage including from aircraft. I don't remember what type.

I think at some time, some version of the U-2 has also been used, as
well as some supersonic ones.

If no one has the specifics and you tell me that you spent five
minutes on Google looking for this, I will look myself and see if I
can find out.

Henry H.

---------------------------------

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in
:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station
which I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the
space station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky
being to blue in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------


IIRC: these were taken by NASA's WB-57
I'll look for the documenation.

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in
:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station
which I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the
space station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky
being to blue in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------


IIRC: these were taken by NASA's WB-57
I'll look for the documenation.

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:45:45 -0500, "Darkwing"
theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station which
I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the space
station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky being to blue
in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------
DW


Yes, as I supposed, some of those messages from the last round are
still up on my server.

Subject line: "Shuttle Launch from International Space Station"

Henry H.

Quoting one:

************************************************** *************************************

I was mistaken, you are all correct. Apparently those shots were not
from
the Space Station (which orbits at about 220 miles altitude), but
instead
from a high altitude aircraft (from about 12 miles up). Sorry about
the
confusion. These were taken from NASA's WB-57 at 60,000 feet.
"Bolo" wrote in message
. ..

On Fri, 2 Feb 2007 14:45:45 -0500, "Darkwing"
theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station which
I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the space
station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky being to blue
in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------
DW


Yes, as I supposed, some of those messages from the last round are
still up on my server.

Subject line: "Shuttle Launch from International Space Station"

Henry H.

Quoting one:

************************************************** *************************************

I was mistaken, you are all correct. Apparently those shots were not
from
the Space Station (which orbits at about 220 miles altitude), but
instead
from a high altitude aircraft (from about 12 miles up). Sorry about
the
confusion. These were taken from NASA's WB-57 at 60,000 feet.
"Bolo" wrote in message
. ..

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in
:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station
which I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the
space station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky
being to blue in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------
DW





WB-57 , flight STS-115


http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/det...?mediaid=30437

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/det...?mediaid=30436

"Darkwing" theducksmail"AT"yahoo.com wrote in
:

I was sent this email, it said these were from the Int'l Space Station
which I dispute. Yes the photos are very high but IMO a photo from the
space station would show the curvature of Earth as well as the sky
being to blue in these photos. Still a very neat picture!

Anyone know what aircraft these were taken from?

---------------------------------
DW





WB-57 , flight STS-115


http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/det...?mediaid=30437

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/det...?mediaid=30436

They were taken from NASA's WB-57. One way you can tell it wasn't taken
from the ISS is the relation to the horizon. Pilots and aircrews know that
when another aircraft is at the horizon, it's at your altitude. Since the
launch vehicle is still in full boost, it's not high enough to be horizon
level with the ISS. I give it another 60 days before we see them for the 4th
or 5th time.

Rob