Discovery launch as viewed from a passenger flight

Usually when NASA launch a space shuttle we all get to see it from ground level and cameras that follow the shuttle as it disappears into the outer atmosphere. This can create some truly stunning footage, especially as the rockets fire and the initial launch happens.

On Thursday Discovery got its last ascent into space, but this time instead of just seeing it from the ground, one lucky passenger flight also saw it from the air.

The flight was from Orlando, Florida, and it happened to be passing by the Kennedy Space Center just as the launch happened. We’re also lucky that one of the passengers had the sense to pull his camera out and start recording.

The footage gives you a true sense of just how fast the shuttle is travelling and the trajectory it takes. This is definitely one video for my YouTube favorites list.