- Why do the flames appear to creep up the sides well above the engines? or is it a mirage effect from the pressure waves? - Howard A'Court
Apollo 11 Launch
Collection: NASA Great Images in Nasa Collection
Title: Apollo 11 Launch
Full Description: The Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle climbs toward orbit after liftoff from Pad 39A at 9:32 a.m. EDT. In 2 1/2 minutes of powered flight, the S-IC booster lifts the vehicle to an altitude of about 39 miles some 55 miles downrange. This photo was taken with a 70mm telescopic camera mounted in an Air Force EC-135N plane. Onboard are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr.
Date: 7/16/1969
Image #: 69PC-0413
Original url: grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000628.html
UID: SPD-GRIN-GPN-2000-00 0628
Center: KSC
Center Number: 69PC-0413
GRIN DataBase Number: GPN-2000-000628
SOURCE: nasaimages.org/luna/servlet/detail/nasaNAS~5~5~20373~125465
Visit www.nasaimages.org for the most comprehensive compilation of NASA stills, film and video, created in partnership with Internet Archive.
Comments and faves
Don't call me Shirley, juannomore, Andres Rueda, mikepetrucci, and 156 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Claudio © (33 months ago | reply)
wow... making history
life2.0 (33 months ago | reply)
Awesome plume. I think the notes meant to say '700mm telescopic'.
scott3eh (33 months ago | reply)
Awesome. Those were the days.
Hugo Mesa (33 months ago | reply)
amazing!
continuum (33 months ago | reply)
We're going to the moon!!!!
Lyle58 (33 months ago | reply)
When America still had a pair!
Tiryx (33 months ago | reply)
Que louco heim!
NASA on The Commons (32 months ago | reply)
I checked with the photo archivist and they clarified that "70mm" is referring to the type of camera used, not the lens. Type of lens used was not recorded with image.
Cheers,
NASA on The Commons Team
x-ray delta one (26 months ago | reply)
... the creep of the flames up the sides of the first stage is from the lack of air pressure at the higher altitude. With less and less air pressure on it, the flame begins to billow outward.
And/ or forward speed is beginning to get close enough to exhaust speed that the 'lazy' parts of the rocket plume are meandering along with the Saturn. We need one of those crew-cut Camel smokin' guys in here to give some expert opinions!
gTarded (22 months ago | reply)
I watched the launch of Apollo 11 from the beach at MacDill AFB - Tampa, Florida. From that distance it appeared to be a bright shooting star going straight up.