Discovery Launched!!

[LD]

Originally posted by mjparme:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> 6,700 MPH!!!!!!

Actually I believe once it is in orbit it is doing around 17-18,000 mph.

As a related piece of trivia the fastest humans are the Apollo astronauts who reached speeds of 24,500 mph (6 miles per second!) right after the initial trans lunar injection burn (the burn that broke them away from earth's orbit and headed toward the moon).

Trans Lunar Injection </font>[/QUOTE]thats intense
I didnt know how fast it got, all I know is that was the last speed I head them report on the news
thats pretty fast
[img]graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img] to the ultimate speed machine
have the lingenfelter race that [img]tongue.gif[/img]
watching the fire come out of those rockets was intimidating
wonder how the mpg ratio is :D

[1DangerousV6]

i've ALWAYS wanted to see one launch in person..my grandparents live down by cape canaveral and they say they can always hear the sonic boom..sometime im going to go down there for a stay to see one launch [img]smile.gif[/img]

[98Camaro3.8]

Originally posted by LD:

wonder how the mpg ratio is :D

The ET holds 143,351 gal of LOX and 385,265 gal LH2.

Assuming MECO at around 90 miles up (changes depending on the launch), and let's say 140,000/380,000 burned, that'd be:

LOX: 0.00064 MPG, 3.4 Feet per gal
LH2: 0.00024 MPG, 1.3 Feet per gal

Harder to calculate MPG on the SRBs, since they use solid fuel. ;)

[camaro_speedemon]

Originally posted by 1DangerousV6:
i've ALWAYS wanted to see one launch in person..my grandparents live down by cape canaveral and they say they can always hear the sonic boom..sometime im going to go down there for a stay to see one launch [img]smile.gif[/img]

It's an absolutely increadible site. My aunt lives on coco beach, we used to drive over there all the time to watch them go off.

I was planning on driving over on the day it was suppose to go off the first time, but they delayed the launch, and I had to work.

[mjparme]

Originally posted by 1DangerousV6:
i've ALWAYS wanted to see one launch in person..my grandparents live down by cape canaveral and they say they can always hear the sonic boom..sometime im going to go down there for a stay to see one launch [img]smile.gif[/img]

The sonic boom generated by the shuttle during launch cannot be heard on the ground. The sound waves of the sonic boom travel perpendicular to their direction of travel. In other words, it doesn't hit the ground.

However, when the shuttle reenters the atmosphere there are twin sonic booms that can be heard on the ground. One from the wings, and one from the tail fin.

Your grandparents defintely hear it as it can be heard for hundres of miles, it just isn't a sonic boom they are hearing.

Sorry to be nit-picky, I just like clearing up scientific misconceptions.

[ July 29, 2005, 07:06 PM: Message edited by: mjparme ]

[LD]

Originally posted by 98Camaro3.8:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by LD:

wonder how the mpg ratio is :D

The ET holds 143,351 gal of LOX and 385,265 gal LH2.

Assuming MECO at around 90 miles up (changes depending on the launch), and let's say 140,000/380,000 burned, that'd be:

LOX: 0.00064 MPG, 3.4 Feet per gal
LH2: 0.00024 MPG, 1.3 Feet per gal

Harder to calculate MPG on the SRBs, since they use solid fuel. ;) </font>[/QUOTE]well it gets there dang fast [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[camaro_speedemon]

Originally posted by mjparme:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 1DangerousV6:
i've ALWAYS wanted to see one launch in person..my grandparents live down by cape canaveral and they say they can always hear the sonic boom..sometime im going to go down there for a stay to see one launch [img]smile.gif[/img]

The sonic boom generated by the shuttle during launch cannot be heard on the ground. The sound waves of the sonic boom travel perpendicular to their direction of travel. In other words, it doesn't hit the ground.

However, when the shuttle reenters the atmosphere there are twin sonic booms that can be heard on the ground. One from the wings, and one from the tail fin.

Your grandparents defintely hear it as it can be heard for hundres of miles, it just isn't a sonic boom they are hearing.

Sorry to be nit-picky, I just like clearing up scientific misconceptions. </font>[/QUOTE]I think he was refering to them hearing the sonic boom on re-entry.

I tell you what, the double sonic boom on re-entry is farking loud as hell.