Engineering

I think it interesting that some of the most powerful images of the Shuttle program are being collected at the end of the program. Things we have not seen before. These are some of my favorite images ever.

Endeavour in one of the last night launches for the program:



A long-range photo of Discovery approaching the ISS:



Atlantis re-entering the atmosphere, captured from the ISS orbiting above:



A video showing Discovery's final launch -- but taken from an airplane several miles away. This video showed me visibly just how fast the shuttle gains altitude, something that is hidden by the very long powerful zoom lenses that NASA uses to document launches.



Similarly, here is Endeavour's final launch showing the booster trail casting a shadow on the cloud layer present over the pad:



The STS system is still one of the greatest engineering feats achieved, and keeping it in service through 30 years is a remarkable achievement.

(Previously: 1, 2)