friendly bump...<br />rfoshuag, <br />think of it like this, if nothings going to convince you wind doesnt have a factor in drift of the shuttle.<br /><br />the shuttles essentially suspended in the air by the thrust in the lateral direction. now imagine a helicopter hovering in the air. you mean to tell us all that a helicopter wont drift (without compensation, same as the shuttle) with a breeze? if so, i applaud you for thinking inside the cardboard of the box.<br /><br />now, my questions about shuttle launches are these....just so i understand what ive been wondering for years. please clarify these. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> thanks much in advance.<br /><br />1.) watching this video, i believe the announcer has his info off, as he states at 7:71 into the video that the shuttle's travelling at 19,000 mph. at about T+7:30 launch time..isnt that a little fast?.<br /><br />2.)and then at about 8 minutes into the video, you see traces of what look like plasma around the outer rim of the camera lens. <br /><br />3.)maybe about 8:10 into it, you see what looks like maybe a pulsing flame (possibly) in the back, by the tail (it may be from the nose, im not quite sure)...is that plasma from the atmosphere as well, or exhaust from the APU(s)?<br /><br />4.)at about 8:38 in the video, white plume appears from the tail..please clarify what this is.<br /><br />5.) at 8:41 video time, a sudden orage glow appears around the ET/orbiter...MECO, i assume?<br /><br />6.) 8:50 several things happen. the shuttle seems to shift, vapors and small bits of foam debris appear, the shuttle pitches down a couple degrees (for ET sep, yes?), and theres some vapor apparently around the leading edge of the left wing (over on the right side of view)<br /><br />9.) 9:00 vid time, more orange glow on left, please clarify. 9:03-9:15 white vapor vectoring around on the left wing again, what is it? i heard him say they were the RCS, but only to one side like that? <br /><br />thanks again. <br /><br />Jeph <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>