NASA - Launch of STS-129 (Atlantis)
Space shuttle Atlantis and its six-member crew beginning an 11-day delivery flight to the International Space Station
Yes, it's 10 minutes. Deal with it or don't watch the video.
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43 
3. LightAng3l 2 years ago
This is incredible! It is a marvel of engineering and yet...it seems so primitive.
18
4. Buttmonkey 2 years ago
phh! anybody can launch a space shuttle, not like it's a rocket science or something 
24
At #1
The sparks light the hydrogen/oxygen fuel, which flows from the orange fuel tank. They ignite the shuttle boosters first to ensure that they are lit throughout take off and to provide counter force for where the real lift off strength comes -- the RSRM's (reusable solid rocket motors).
The RSRM's light differently. A small charge ignites the "ignition chamber" at the top (just below the beginning of the cones)of the white boosters, which sends an extremely hot burst of flame down the entire length of the rocket boosters in about 1/20th of a second, where the solid rocket fuel then burns from the core, out.
i never got that part 24
#6
It serves two purposes. The shock waves from the ignition blasts are so intense, that they can cause the structural concrete to weaken, and in that case it serves as a sound dampener.
The second purpose it serves is to protect the concrete below the boosters from either turning into glass or being burnt entirely through from the extreme heat.
They basically flood the area with water to absorb and dissipate any energies the boosters produce which could cause excessive damage to the launch site.
If you look up "ATK Booster Test" on youtube you'll probably find some information about how the hillside in front of the blast zone has been completely turned to glass due to the heat.
37
aah!! i thought sound dampener was so you wouldn't go deaf so to speak, i didn't think of sound as a shockwave, thanks yet again ^^
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9. Comment rated too low. Show this comment tunicopp 2 years ago
:warning: Actually it is 11:31 :warning:
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11. Gringo_el_Diablo 2 years ago
::Breaker Breaker 1-9 do you copy my mad funk skills? Give me a response & let me know your real::
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12. mydixiewrecked 2 years ago
8:20 ITS OVER 9000!.....MPH lol sorry couldnt help myself. I wish there was more video from the main tank cam for its reentry, that would be a awesome follow up video lol
(56 votes)
+1
1. kainim 2 years ago
#(removed comment), die
and i always love how these take of, it boggles the mind that it goes up, so... slow (seemingly)
and those sparks at 1:27 is that to ignite the fuel (best comparison i can think of is a lighter,is it the same principal? use a spark to light the fuel and thus the "engine"?)