Spectacular SRB Videos from STS-130 Provide Night-time Shuttle Love

By Nancy Atkinson - February 14, 2010 10:15 AM UTC | Space Exploration

This may be the last time we'll see this. Launch videos taken from the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters are incredible anyway, but add the fact the latest launch took place at night, and you've got a recipe for complete awesomeness! The SRB perspective of launch is unique, but go to about 2:05 in the video to watch the SRBs separate and you will swoon! Endeavour zooms away like something out of a science fiction movie. Then the sparks fly -- literally and figuratively -- as the SRBs fall away. Given STS-130 was the final scheduled night launch, don't miss watching this one.

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Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com