Fox was showing the Space Shuttle launch -- what a beautiful sight -- and showing the speed in feet per second. Flying at over 25,000 fps. That is absolutely amazing.

God speed to the crew.

To keep this on topic you might want to calculate how many foot-pounds of energy that represents...

I get 1,610,000,000 grains maximum allowable landed weight and at 25,000 fps the online ballistics calculators can not compute.

Can I get one in a double?
If not, how about a lever.

Roger QSL
PS...great work by NASA and THE CREW!

I was in that neck of the woods today and went to Apollo Beach and watched the launch.

Absolutely Amazing!!!!! Definitely one of the most incredible things I've ever seen and heard. You could clearly see when the boosters separate (150000ft) and it was still in plain view when the radio announcer said "they're past the turn around point, if the engine quits they have to land in Spain"!!!

I kick myself for not doing this years ago. If anyone wants to post a photo, I'll email one. Thanks!

Bob

Seeing a launch, where you can feel the power, would have to be a real kick in the pants.

Attended an employees day at ATK in Utah in April and watched test fire of booster, then got to walk around the booster. It goes way past impressive. My granddaughter is a Chemical Engineer in the 'Energetic Materials Division'. It's energetic all right.

quote:

Originally posted by Omnivorous_Bob:
If anyone wants to post a photo, I'll email one. Thanks!

You can send it to me. My email address is in my profile.

That would be 2,234,125,222,024 ft-lbs... Almost 2 1/4 TRILLION ft-lbs!!

quote:

how about a lever

quote:

Originally posted by ManCannon:
That would be 2,234,125,222,024 ft-lbs... Almost 2 1/4 TRILLION ft-lbs!!

And yet some will say that is is going too fast for adequate penetration...

Would that be considered a soft or solid? How well will it hold together if it hits bone? How much recoil would that produce?

Seriously, I lived in Daytona Beach for almost 10 years and got the opportunity to see several launches at Cape Canaveral. They are breath-taking. The ground literally shakes. Definately something everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime.

quote:

Originally posted by Omnivorous_Bob:
If anyone wants to post a photo, I'll email one. Thanks!

Bob

Here is the picture (nice shot):

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Fox was showing the Space Shuttle launch -- what a beautiful sight -- and showing the speed in feet per second. Flying at over 25,000 fps. That is absolutely amazing.

God speed to the crew.

Not really a nit pick... but the shuttle orbits at about 17500 mph, which is close to 25000fps. It isn't moving anywhere near that fast till it is out of the majority of the earth's atmosphere... and well after main engine cut off. Still, it's moving along at a pretty impressive clip following launch... especially when you consider the massive weight that is being accellerated. Now you understand why space junk is such a problem now days. Even a something with a small mass such as a paint chip hitting the shuttle while in orbit, or the ISS is such a big problem... even more so if it's traveling in an opposing orbit to the vehicle. Even something that weighs an few grams traveling at near 20000mph AT you... while you're traveling 20000mph AT it.... well, you can see that's a serious problem! Paint chips have crack the shuttle windows in the past!

Maybe I am just a simpleton, but 25000 fps is fast to me regardless of whether the altitude is 5 miles or the ship is in orbit. Point is anything that travels at 10 times the speed of a bullet regardless of what it is or where it is, is amazing -- to me.

I would just love to be at one of those launches some time!!