I managed to score a rare commodity, causeway launch viewing tickets for the launch of Shuttle Discovery for STS-133. My dad covered the shuttle launches throughout most of the 80s for a South Florida newspaper, so I grew up with all kinds of really nice photography of shuttle launches, but never saw one my self until just last year and then from 15 miles away. Then again, it was easier back then for a serious photographer to find a news paper that was willing to “hire” them and write the necessary letter for the photographer to get press credentials. Moreover, it was also easier to get access to the non-press viewing areas like the causeway on the NASA parkway.

Now, access to Merritt Island during Shuttle launches is seriously curtailed. Public viewing requires tickets that are available though a lottery system. Even then, only limited numbers of tickets being issued for access to the KSC visitor center, and an even smaller number of tickets being available for access to the causeway. Suffice to say, the causeway viewing tickets sell out minutes after they’re available and the KSC visitor center tickets are gone minutes later.

For me, this is an exciting opportunity, not only as a photographer and a space geek, but also to document something at its close that my dad was documenting at the beginning.

The one thing that I know, but want to be clear about, is that without the ability to place remote cameras much closer to the launch site than you can physically be (i.e. what the press can do), the images are all largely the same, tiny shuttle on a long trail of smoke and fire. Distance only makes the tiny shuttle not quite so tiny and much less distorted.

The Plan

I don’t have press credentials, so no remotes, and no access to the top of the VAB. That said, from 5-6 miles, I’m looking at a shuttle that will take up 10-20% of a 400mm frame, depending on crop factor. That means long glass. However, since ticket holders also have access ot the visitor center for the better part of the morning, and that means other things to shoot, I’ll need more than just a long lens.

For the launch, my plan is to run 3 cameras, 2 still and one video with a couple different focal lengths.

Still Camera 1: Hand-held, Telephoto, and Tracking

The plan is to use a 100-400 at 400mm to track the launch, but the body I’ll use is still up in the air. On the 40D, the Shuttle would take up about 13% of the long edge of the frame. Tack the 1.4x TC on and I can boost that to 20% of the frame on the 40D at the loss of auto focus (though 6 miles is effectively infinity so I can pretty much just lock focus there).

Using the 1D mark 3 drops those percentages to 10% and 15% with and without the teleconverter respectively. That said, the 1D has better AF coverage and will track focus with the teleconverter in place.

Ultimately, I think this is going come down to what works best after looking at things. I’ll have 2-3 hours at the viewing site before the launch to adjust my plan, and one of those planned adjustments will be determining which way to go with the long glass.

Still Camera 2: Fixed, Wide-Angle

Since I don’t have the setup to run 2 cameras in tandem, one’s going to have to stay fixed on a tripod. This setup is a much bigger question mark in my mind, at least regarding lens choice. I’ll be carrying both a 10-22 and a 24-70, either of which I think would work acceptably. Depending on how things look from the site, but other than that I really don’t know.

Firing the #2 camera is something that’s going to be a bit more interesting. I obviously can’t work it and my tracking camera at the same time, so I’m going to need to use a remote trigger of some sort. My plan right now is to use a Canon TC-80N3 to trigger this camera. The setup is as confusing as ever, the camera will be set to continuous low release mode (no more than 5 FPS). The lens will be pre-focused with the AF turned off. The TC-80N3 is set as follows.

When started, the TC-80N3 will wait 10 seconds, and then hold the shutter release down for 1 minute; it’ll do this once and stop. The idea being at say T-15 seconds, I can start the timer, at T-5 seconds (1 second after SSME ignition) the camera will start firing) and will continue to do so until 1 minute has elapsed.

With an 8GB SanDisk Extreme 3 CF card, the 40D will shoot at 3 FPS for 10 seconds before slowing down to whatever it can manage. The 1D with its larger buffer can do about the same at 5 FPS. Either way the 5 seconds before and after SRB ignition should be covered well enough.

Video Camera 1: A Flip HD Mino

Okay it’s not the greatest video camera; however, it is what I have. The trouble is where to mount it. My initial plan was to mount it to a hot-shoe to 1/4-20 adapter on top of the camera on the tripod. I didn’t have the flip initially so I didn’t plan on taking it, needless to say, time ran out on me before I could procure a hot-shoe to 1/4-20 adapter.

I tried making such an adapter, but alas, apparently the epoxy I used wouldn’t bond to the styrene plate I was going to put in the hot-shoe. Time for plan B.

Plan B, is the DiY version of a heavy duty Justin clamp made from what was handy. The base is a simple “A” clamp from the home store with a 1/4-20 bolt attached to it. The camera end is a mono-pod ballhead from Cullmann (the CB3.1). I’ll clamp the A-clamp to a tripod leg, and the screw the flip into the ball head, and that should be good enough.

Since the flip can record 2 hours of video, I’m planning on starting this at T-9 minutes when the countdown starts at the end of the last hold, and let it run though till after liftoff.

Packing

The bag of choice for this little exercise, and my bag of choice in general, is a ThinkTank StreetWalker Pro backpack. For a backpack, I find I can cram more in this bag than I should have any right being able to do so. The pack list: since I need to go though it anyway.

• EOS-1D Mark 3
• EOS-40D
• Flip Mino HD
• EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM w/ hood
• EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM w/ hood
• EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM w/ hood
• EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM w/ hood
• EF Extender 1.4x II
• TC-80N3
• Speedlite 580Ex II
• Gitzo GT-3530LS w/ Arcs-Swiss Z1 Ballhead
• Clamp w/ Cullmann CB3.1
• 77mm Circular Polarizer
• 67->77mm step-up ring
• 3- 8GB Extreme 3 cards (2 in camera, 1 spare)
• 1- 2GB Ultra 2 CF card (backup)
• 1- 2GB SD card (emergency backup for the 1D)
• Tiny roll of Gaffer Tape

Moreover, I’ve put this stuff into a checklist program on my iPhone, so I can go though and check off everything I’m taking before I leave (the night before since wake up is at 4:30 AM) and again as I’m getting ready to leave KSC to make sure I didn’t lose or leave anything.

Ultimately, I think the key with all major photographic expeditions, especially ones that require tremendously early mornings, is to insure you’re prepped and packed the night before. Moreover, if you’re taking more than just a single camera, having a checklist for what you’re taking is probably a good idea. I’ve done a few of these kinds of things, based only on memory, and always felt like I was forgetting something, even if I hadn’t.