Here's something you don't see much anymore: an original pencil drawing of a launch. This drawing by
Wendy Clark
from the UK is reminiscent of the pre-spaceflight days, before we had actual images of launches, and just our dreams of spaceflight. This isn't the first time Clark has drawn a launch (
here's an article we posted of her drawings of the MAVEN launch and the final space shuttle launch
) but this one is almost a contrast in themes: the latest technology in launches from the upstart SpaceX team vs. an old-school, old fashioned, by-hand product.
For this drawing, she reiterated what she told us previously: "Don't let anyone tell you drawing a rocket is easy!" Clark said on Flickr. "The Strongback was a complete dog of an object to draw, such a maze of engineering."
She also captured the 'dirty' side of launches: "Dust and gravel being thrown up everywhere, and the lovely Falcon 9 rocket was a little grubby on lift-off and I've tried to reflect that in the drawing," she said.
Thanks to Wendy Clark for sharing her work on
Universe Today's Flickr site
. See more of her drawings and photography on
her own Flickr page.