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Night Launch

Adventures of a first-time shuttle photographer.

  • By Ed Darack
  • AirSpaceMag.com, October 13, 2010
1 of 12 | Next »»

Ed Darack


Time was running out. With the space shuttle program ending, veteran writer and photographer Ed Darack knew he’d have to hurry if he wanted to shoot a shuttle launch—especially a nighttime launch.

In February 2010, Darack had the opportunity to photograph space shuttle Endeavour‘s last-scheduled night flight. See the gallery at right to read more about his Space Coast road trip.

“To me,” writes Darack, “the most memorable image of the first shuttle launch after the Challenger disaster is an iconic photograph taken in September 1988 by Roger Ressmeyer (and published as a two-page spread in Time magazine) of a flock of birds taking flight above a marsh as the space shuttle Discovery rises above launch pad 39B. It’s an inspirational image, one that made me realize I should try to photograph a shuttle launch myself.”

This shot: a nighttime view of the countdown clock and the distant Pad 39A with Endeavour awaiting launch. —The Editors


1 of 12 | Next »»



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Comments (1)

This photo is very nice, and i like the arch.

Posted by Bryce Desy on November 3,2010 | 02:52 PM

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    Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine has been delighting aerospace enthusiasts with the best writing about their favorite subject since April 1986. As an adjunct of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, Air & Space matches the grand scope of the Museum, encompassing every era of aviation and space exploration. With stories that range from the Wright Brothers to the design of NASA's next lunar lander, Air & Space emphasizes the human stories as well as the technology of aviation and spaceflight.

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