Space Shuttle: The Time-Lapse Movie
A team of photographers captures Discovery's long journey to the launch pad.
- By The Editors
- AirSpaceMag.com, May 17, 2010
Scott Andrews/ Stan Jirman/ Philip Scott Andrews
Video Gallery
Go For Launch!
Space shuttle Discovery gets prepped for flight—in just under four minutes.
Last year while training for his STS-131 space shuttle mission, astronaut Alan Poindexter was looking for a different way to document Discovery's next-to-last flight, something that had never been done. So he turned to a couple of friends—Scott Andrews, a photographer and technical advisor to Canon who has shot every shuttle launch but two, and Stan Jirman, a software engineer for Apple. They came up with a winning suggestion: What about a time-lapse video that captured the whole process of getting a shuttle ready for launch?
The result, produced in collaboration with Andrews’ son Philip (a photojournalist himself), is a stunning, one-of-a-kind, four-minute chronicle of Discovery’s trip from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the pad, beginning with the "rollover" to the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 22 and ending with the STS-131 launch on April 5. (See the video at right.)
With the help of everyone from shuttle technicians to crane operators to escorts (86-year-old NASA retiree Charlie Parker was particularly valuable in squiring Andrews’ team around) the photographers positioned multiple cameras—up to nine at any one time—inside the cavernous assembly building to click away while the orbiter, fuel tank, and twin solid rocket boosters were “stacked” for launch.
Scott Andrews figures the finished video represents tens of thousands of individual frames and at least 100 hours of shooting, using the highest-resolution digital single-lens-reflex cameras on the market. Jirman did the color correction, which took a week alone.
When it was done, Poindexter had what he'd wanted—a unique visual record of an intricate workflow that’s been going on at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for nearly 30 years—and, with the shuttle's impending retirement, is about to come to an end.
Comments (46)
Great article. Scott, Philip, Stan and Charlie really did an
amazing job.
Posted by Roger Scruggs on May 21,2010 | 08:30 AM
This was my first launch to see and seeing this video is icing on the cake! WONDERFUL!
Posted by Shane K. McNeill on May 21,2010 | 01:05 PM
Is there any way we can request a DVD of this video? I'd love to have it in my collection of NASA launch videos!
Posted by Jennifer Flinn on May 21,2010 | 02:20 PM
This video was a wonderful peek at just some of the work involved in getting a shuttle off the ground. My first-grade grandson was awestruck. Thanks to each of you for your beautiful collaboration in bringing this to the 'common man.'
Posted by Ruth Armstrong on May 21,2010 | 06:13 PM
Wonderful job! To see all the equipment utilized in preparing for the launch alone is awsome. To imagine the engineering, designing, and construction of something of this magnitude is almost impossible. Thank you for taking us inside for an incredible view.
Posted by Colleen on May 21,2010 | 07:13 PM
This is amazing, I truly hope that since this was done with a very high end DSLR that the super high resolution 'video' created will be available uncompressed for future archives. This will be an amazing way to remember this era.
Posted by Mike W on May 21,2010 | 11:42 PM
Saw their posts over at FredMiranda. Excellent work!
Posted by Mike on May 21,2010 | 11:54 PM
Congratulations, Scott. Great job. You're better than ever.
Posted by Jim Sugar on May 21,2010 | 12:16 AM
One word: COOL!!!
Posted by Steve Ueckert on May 21,2010 | 01:24 AM
Simply amazing. Extremely well thought out and well done.
Posted by Ross Dettman on May 22,2010 | 10:33 AM
This is an absolutely brilliant piece of work...but where is the HD version?
Posted by Howard Allman on May 22,2010 | 02:15 PM
What a great experience. Have lived in Brevard since 1966 and watched so many launches. It was really great to see from the inside. Wish there were going to be many more,for many reasons.
Wonderful job to all who had a hand in the video and the launch.Thank you.
Posted by Donna Honig on May 22,2010 | 02:38 PM
As someone who grew up around KSC all my life, and worked there in security for 5 yrs., this was the most amazing video I've seen made yet!! It gave me chills and a big sense of pride to watch it. It should be shown to all the folks in Washington so they could see how much work and dedication goes into a launch. Congrats guys on jobs well done from all of us that treasure our accomplishments that we have made in space....
Posted by Kathy Florio on May 23,2010 | 08:12 AM
I would love to download this in HD.
Posted by Scott on May 24,2010 | 03:02 PM
Impressive!!
Congratulations!! Very good job!!
Posted by sergio on May 24,2010 | 06:49 PM
The most incredible waste of taxpayer money I've ever seen. I have lived close to JSC for 50 yrs and have seen no benefit from the trillions of dollars spent trying to prove Evolution is true (NASA's stated mission condensed). PBS states that we have reaped such wonderful windfalls from the space program as "cordless screwdrivers" and "freeze dried foods", hardly worth the 40% rate at which we are being taxed to pay for these and other multi-billion dollar failed missions to mars etc.... It does make a spectacular video, but I can rent these at Blockbuster for $4
Posted by Houston taxpayer on May 24,2010 | 10:25 PM
I am retired from the Space Program after 33 years. I now speak occasionally to schools and libraries and show the children some of the things I have collected through the years and my time in the astronaut office. I would love to have a DVD of this video to show the children but do not know how to get one.
Posted by Lonnie Moffitt on May 25,2010 | 09:56 AM
Fantastic to say the least. When is the next launch. I live in S florida & would love to be there for the next one ? EDITORS' REPLY: Keep your eye on nasa.gov
Posted by ralph Langer on May 25,2010 | 06:52 PM
This was awesome! Thanks for all your hard work for our enjoyment!
Posted by Glenda Johnson on May 26,2010 | 10:19 AM
Having spent 30 years at the Santa Susana site in Ca we are still greatly impressed and proud of the space program and the extremely hard work getting the main engine ready. all the flights still give us a thrill.
Posted by Hann, Charles on May 26,2010 | 01:56 PM
Scott, magnificent piece of work! Well done.
Posted by MARK USCIAK on May 26,2010 | 10:23 PM
that was the 1st time Id seen such detail on the preparation. i had no Idea it took several months just to move the vehicle into position. I really enjoyed it and wish i could see one of these last flights in person :)
Posted by DJ Truuf IMPACT DJ OF THE YEAR on May 26,2010 | 02:55 AM
where is the HD-Version?
Posted by Neutrino on May 27,2010 | 10:04 AM
I'd love to be able to see the video but FLASH crashes when trying to view it. Maybe the video should be encoded using a newer, better, technology.
Posted by Mike Weasner on May 27,2010 | 10:42 AM
A beautiful, stunning piece of photo-journalism. Condensing the whole process into such a short, compelling video shows the intricacies and amount of work needed to set up the launch. These are truly great feats of engineering and science.
Posted by Tim on May 27,2010 | 05:30 PM
This video is incredible! To those who think it's a waste of money for the space programs - you don't see the intangibles that SKC has brought. What an amazing place to visit!
Posted by Vic on May 28,2010 | 03:07 PM
Scott-you and the crew that producted this 4 minute masterpiece are to be applauded. This shoot, put together with a "how did we" piece, would will be a wonderful training tool, as well as an inspiration to all photographers and editors. Well done, you just keep on ticking.
Posted by Phil Sandlin on June 2,2010 | 07:41 PM
This is truly a great documentary piece...sadly, more of it's type weren't produced (?) during the space-exploration age..Unfortunately, thanks to those who wanted "change" and voted in Obama, we have now come to and seen the very end of the USA space-exploration program, now to be taken over by the Russians and the Chinese...sad!
Posted by jim ostrowski on June 3,2010 | 11:52 PM
Wonderful. This should be shown in all our schools. It might just inspire future scientists and students to stay in school.
Posted by Ann June 4,2010 on June 4,2010 | 12:20 PM
Great job guys! I'm glad somebody documented this for posterity. I know its been shot thousands of times but not quite like this.
Posted by Brett Kennedy on June 7,2010 | 11:12 AM
What a magnificent piece of work. The common person does
not realize what painstaking work goes into getting the
shuttle ready for launch. And this is just the end portion.
As for the space program a waste of money... some may of thought Edison was wasting his time too. Kudos guys, many thanks and much gratitude.
Posted by Marilyn Lavoie on June 8,2010 | 09:48 PM
Ever since the Shuttle program was launched, each and every mission captivates my attention. The American space program is nothing short of amazing. The technology and expertise is really something to behold. The brains and effort into getting the Shuttle, and even more so Appollo, to complete their missions with the success rate they had is a miracle. Not that they didn't know what they were doing, but the missions completed and the difficulty completing them was/is a compliment to the skill and competance of the engineers/astronauts involved, and the programs in general. I watched this video many times and the work involved boggles the mind. Beautiful.
Posted by tracker on June 10,2010 | 10:19 PM
This is an amazing documentary. It is unbelievable about the amount of intricate work it takes to prepare the STS for flight. Now we are giving up the space program and will rely on the Russians to transport our astranauts to the Space Station. How does our Government expect them to be able to transport our men and women when the Russians have trouble trying to dock one of their own supply ships with the Space Station?
Posted by Bill Blasingame on July 9,2010 | 03:21 PM
Love the space program, love the shuttle love timelapse... However such a bright idea to do this at the last minute? They could of been doing this, as a research tool if nothing else, for a long time. Time-lapse is inherently interesting and the shuttle is inherently impressive, otherwise the video could of been better. He should have had seasoned film makers to make it rather than friends family insiders. It's obvious it was shot on the 5d mkII, a camera that has somehow turned photographers immediately into 'cinematographers', missing out the 'video' stage, or 10 years of learning to make films. My favourite part of the piece is the 'roadie's milling about in their tour jackets and baseball caps!
Posted by Steven Moore on July 13,2010 | 06:01 PM
Wonderful work! Great Job Scott and the crew that producted this video. Any possibility of a DVD being made available? I know I am not the only one who would be interested in a couple of copies. Thanks for going to the effort to document this history before it disappears.
Posted by Michael Seay on July 25,2010 | 06:03 PM
well folks i worked on many parts of the shuttle for a long time. it was very interesting. met col. john broadway/ john glenn/chuck brady(astronauts) brady i stayed in contact with for yrs. it is not a joke ,we went to space for many good reasons and the moon. it's all for a purpose. but obama doesn't know very much. rather stupid I'd say, putting lots of people out of work.
Posted by lloyd garvin jr. on August 4,2010 | 11:04 PM
Scott, this is surely your masterpiece. Thirty years from now when all the shuttle anniversary programs are going on all one has to do is view this four minute presentation and immediately they will see what an entire processing flow from OPF to launch was like. Too bad this digital technology wasn't there in the Apollo/Saturn era, imagine a Saturn V photographed digitally and recorded in HD. Again well done.
Posted by Tom Usciak on August 20,2010 | 12:13 PM
The truly "most incredible waste of taxpayer money I've ever seen" is whatever was spent on the sub-par education of cynical writer "Houston taxpayer" who is obviously too brave to use his real name.
"Trillions of dollars spent" at a "40% rate at which we are being taxed to pay for these?" Hardly. The reality is, in 50+ years of federal spending, NASA has still yet to cross the first Trillion dollar barrier.
Compared to the recent $787 billion "stimulus" package of bailing out failed banks, home mortgages and automotive companies, that same amount would have funded NASA for the next 42 years at today's current budget of $18.5 billion a year -- which works out to a rate of one-half of one percent (0.05%) per taxpayer, or about a dollar a week.
Posted by Jim Spellman on September 16,2010 | 08:30 PM
Having grown up during the space race and having been on the tour at the cape the time lapse was great! I wonder how many young people have any thing like this to inspire them in this age of the web? Also Mr tax payer in Tx. go back under your rock and don't come out again! The spin off tech from many government programs has got us where we are today.
Posted by kim cargill on October 29,2010 | 12:49 AM
Wow and Awesome to Nasa and these photographers!
I was born in 1962 during the beginning of the Nasa space exploration period and I have never got to see a launch live. I have an interest that goes deep since I was named after the Senator John Glenn who got to orbit again on this Discovery shuttle. I drove down to catch the last Discovery launch and get as close as I could to the launch site to capture HD video and pics from my new Canon SX30 14-mpxl camera from a distance. Unfortunately, Nov.2-7th lift off was scrubbed and rescheduled and I hope to make the 12 hour trip again for the Nov 29th lift off time frame.
Hat's off to this digital masterpiece of History guy's and gal's! I share the passion of both Nasa and these photographers and I sure would like to get some inside information for someone like me to getting to a close location near Kennedy Space Center during lift off to grab some footage for myself and experience the thunder for the first time with my family.
Again Scott, congratulations to you, your fellow support team, Nasa, and God All Mighty for making your efforts successful!
Posted by Johnny Moore on November 18,2010 | 07:25 PM
Very nice, I will be sad to see the Shuttle program end with Atlantis this year (I got to see STS-122). Though our Sugar Shot to Space project pails by comparison, I never the less hope the human race does not lose our passion for exploration of space and I hope NASA continues with bigger and better projects...I for one would like to return to the moon permanently.
Posted by Rick Maschek on January 27,2011 | 04:22 AM
totally beautiful! NASA P.R. should set this to music and
a narration and make it public on PBS or the major networks,
I am sure the public would love to see it and enjoy it!!!
Posted by Lou on April 11,2011 | 06:37 PM
Anamazing piece of work, and congratulations to all involved.
But I have to agree with many on here, it would be great to be able to have a hard-copy; and if we had some sound and music...WOW !!!
Sell the finished products on iTunes or similar; then the world can enjoy it. Other download software is available :-)
Posted by Tim Wayne on July 22,2011 | 07:05 AM
aw, i thought it was going to be like an hour and a half movies of the astronauts getting into the cockpit in slow-mo, and then the ride into space (with a camera attached to the nose of the ship... or something)
ah dude now that would be awesome
Posted by derp on August 22,2011 | 01:16 PM
the video was totally meant for you to put your own soundtrack in
Posted by merp on August 22,2011 | 01:20 PM
I agree. Professional filmmakers would have done a better job.
Posted by bored on October 1,2011 | 09:16 AM