Classic Space Flight Images

[Eric Mc]

The "Saturn" thread has inspired me to open a new thread for historic and meaningful images taken during the history of spaceflight - both manned and unmanned.

I'll start the ball rolling with probably the most famous image pf them all -

[jmorgan]

Might be a few in here.....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive...

The original archive.
http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html

Which one to pick.....
AS08-13-2329 by Project Apollo Archive, on Flickr

[Eric Mc]

I'm sure Apollo can provide plenty. Is that the first of the Apollo 8 "earthrise" pictures? I know they panicked a bit over swapping from black and white film to colour.

One of the Lunar Orbiter unmaned craft had snapped an earthrise in 1966 - but it didn't have the same impact as the Apollo 8 images.

This picture dates from 23 August 1966 -

[Skii]

Always loved this one of Harrison Schmitt

[Voldemort]

[IN51GHT]

Earthrise brings a lump to my throat every time I see it.

where have we gone wrong....1960's we were going to the moon, now manned flight is limited to low earth orbit. So much for progress.

Edited by IN51GHT on Thursday 3rd November 17:25

[Eric Mc]

We aren't limited to earth orbit at all. Here's an earthrise picture taken only a couple of years ago -




And here's a picture of place we only got to for the first time last year -

[jmorgan]

Not sure this gets much go an outing, always liked this one. I expect a more exuberant person to be punching the air and "whooping" a lot.
Mission Accomplished by NASA on The Commons, on Flickr

Need to dock in space. Lest practice.
Profile of Agena Docking Target by NASA on The Commons, on Flickr

[Einion Yrth]

Eric Mc said:

We aren't limited to earth orbit at all.

IN51GHT did specify manned spaceflight; yes I know all the arguments, but... just sayin'

[Moonhawk]

[Eric Mc]

I like that one too. Pity they gave up on the MMU so early. I hope they bring it back at some point.

[Beati Dogu]

This is really just rocket footage cut for a music video, but the dramatic slow mo in particular really seems to work well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0Q7e9Q6DlI

[RizzoTheRat]

One of my favorites is the Cassini "Day the earth smiled" picture, when they turned the camera back towards earth from beyond Saturn to get a modern update to the Voyager 1 "Pale blue dot" image.

We're the little spec on the right just below the rings, but you'll have to blow it up to full resolution to see us as we're only a few pixels at full resolution.



I went to a talk by Carolyn Porco (imaging lead for Cassini) a few years ago, they took a lot of stunning pictures.

[Dan_1981]

Two for me.....

This one....



There is a video commentary that goes with it on Youtube - about it being the most important image ever taken - it brings goose bumps.

And secondly - as referenced above - the original Pale Blue Dot Image - and the Carl Sagan extract that goes with it.

"That's here, that's home, That's Us..... on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam"

[Eric Mc]

Another one I like which illustrates the arduousness of early manned spaceflight -

[Moonhawk]

Aside from the deep field image above - this has to be one of the most iconic images from Hubble

[RizzoTheRat]

Dan_1981 said:

Two for me.....
the original Pale Blue Dot Image - and the Carl Sagan extract that goes with it.

"That's here, that's home, That's Us..... on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam"

Anyone else find they read that in Carl Sagan's voice?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M

[jmorgan]

Moonhawk said:

Aside from the deep field image above - this has to be one of the most iconic images from Hubble

Everything that means is immense.

[Caruso]

A rare splash of colour and humanity on the moon

[Derek Smith]

jmorgan said:

Might be a few in here.....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive...

The original archive.
http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html

Which one to pick.....
AS08-13-2329 by Project Apollo Archive, on Flickr

I've just put up a new loft hatch and the big, rectangular patch of white looks rather bland. My wife suggested an image of space, so that when the grandkids come around they'd have something different to chat about and it might get them intersted.

My idea was for Earthrise, but my wife reckoned that it was iconic for our generation. That seemed a bit sad.

I had a half sized poster of it in our first house. Now, it appears, it is old hat. Yet it still entices wonder.

Thanks for posting.