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Shuttle Discovery Launch over Ponce Inlet Lighthouse
On Sunday, March 15, 2009 the space shuttle Discovery was launched shortly before sunset. These photos are from Ponce Inlet, about 40 miles up the coast from the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center. In the foreground is the Ponce Inlet lighthouse.
The images above should display in the proper sequence. The first photo of the sequence is "Liftoff" showing the bright spot of Discovery with all engines blazing followed by a continuous exhaust plume leading back towards the launch site. "Booster Separation" shows the exhaust plume trailing behind three specs, the leftmost bright dot is the space shuttle and the pair of dots a little lower are the boosters falling away just after separation. The last image in the sequence - "Exhaust Plume" - was taken after the shuttle had flown out of view and the exhaust plume, beginning to be made ragged by air currents, was colorfully illuminated by the setting sun.
