Movies Always Get This Simple Thing Wrong About Space Shuttles... #shorts

Just a silly little thing.

Background music from Joel Cummins - Looped Ascent

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[UnscannableDrew]

It probably went something like this:
STUDIO EXEC.: "Why is the plane flying upside down?"
FX GUY: "That's how the shuttle actually launches..."
STUDIO EXEC.: "People are going to think we're idiots. Flip it right-side up."
FX GUY: "But... Yes sir."

[christof]

let me get this right: the only movie that did their space shuttle flight right was the one made before the actual flight of the first space shuttle? wtf hollywood?

[russellharrell]

‘Sequel to Maximum Overdrive’

That puts the whole Cars franchise into perspective.

[johnnyfavorite]

Don't forget movies like Armageddon and Life force portray the shuttle as capable of travel well beyond earth's orbit.

[pdqkevin]

Hollywood always does the thunder and the lightning at the same time also.

[houdinjeff]

I never thought I’d hear that Moonraker was accurately depicting anything about space travel, but here we are.

[TridiverParanormal]

I like the fact that the shuttle launch you used for this short is one where you see a bird getting killed by the top of the external tank.

[stuborn-complaining-german]

When I watched Moonraker when I was young I was like "Yeah, cool, Spaceshuttles, nice..."
When I realized that movie came out before the first Shuttle flight: *Mind blown!*

[gordonrichardson]

As someone who lives in the Southern Hemisphere, I can half understand why Hollywood can't grasp flying upside down to get into space...

[tom_something]

I can almost imagine a conversation during "Moonraker" production.

Consultant: "The space shuttle should be upside down as it enters orbit."
Director: "No, I want the shuttle to appear right-side up, or the average viewer will think we got it wrong!"
Consultant: "Well if you want the space shuttle to be right side up then Earth has to be upside down!"
Director: "What does that even mean?"
DoP: "Uh, guys? I think I can make that work."
Director and Consultant: "Upside-down Earth?"
DoP: "Upside-down Earth."

I mean, it totally works, right? The shuttle has it's belly pointed to the bottom of the frame (right-side up for the viewer), but it has its back to Earth (scientifically accurate). They framed Earth above the shuttle instead of below it. Beautiful

It looks like very conscientious composition. And of course, you can't spell "conscientious" without "scien-" ... without "scientio". Dammit.

[marcusclarkson]

I was in ....I guess kindergarten in 81 when Columbia went up for the first time. It was an absolute EVENT, you know what time it is when they wheel a TV into every classroom lol.
I was blessed with an awesome and passionate teacher who taught us about nature, dinosaurs, gerbils, and ...the Space Shuttle and this is one of the gems she taught us that I remember and I had a toy shuttle at home that I played with upside down after that. Lonnnng ago!!

[christophercraft]

I like how you used the one liftoff where they actually hit a bird for the opening clip.

[leokimvideo]

Moonraker had Derek Meddings as visual effects supervisor. Considering how many miniature rocket launches he's done it's no wonder he knew how the Shuttle would work before it flew

[lam]

Fun Fact: The special effects designer for Moonraker was Derek Meddings, who previously worked on Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation shows! He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Special Effects.

[scarecrowproductions]

I really feel bad that Space Camp came at the very worst possible time.

I just discovered that forgotten gem and watched it last Thursday night this week.

[craigcorson]

If you remember old science fiction films, they used to show the rocket launching, and it's a V-2. Then it's climbing, but now it's a Redstone or an Atlas. Then in orbit, or on its way to Planet X or wherever, it looks like an early Von Braun design, with the engines going full blast, of course. Hollywood sci-fi directors used to just not care about little details like those. To them, a rocket's a rocket's a rocket.

[michaelsutherland]

This format is a double-edge sword. On the one hand, it's quick and to the point. On the other hand, I now have the urge to fly unsafely.

[benzracer]

Plot twist. Shuttle launch engineers saw moonraker and then decided James Bond can’t have continuity errors and have since launched every space shuttle upside down to keep it cannon.

[rmjwinfrey]

Is nobody gonna talk about how the shuttle at the beginning murdered a bird haha

[Emy]

When themost accurate thing is a 70s bond movie you know you‘re in trouble xD