WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

At Patrick Air Force Base in Cocoa Beach, Fla., workers prepare the WB-57F aircraft that will take photos of Space Shuttle Discovery during its launch on Return to Flight mission STS-114. NASA approved the development and implementation of the aircraft-based imaging system, known as the WB-57 Ascent Video Experiment (WAVE). The WAVE provides both ascent and entry imagery and enables better observation of the Shuttle on days of heavier cloud cover and areas obscured from ground cameras by the launch exhaust plume. WAVE comprises a 32-inch-ball turret system mounted on the nose of two WB-57 aircraft. The turret houses an optical bench, providing installation of both HDTV and infrared cameras. Optics consist of an 11-inch-diameter, 4.2 meter fixed-focal-length lens. The system can be operated in both auto track and manual modes.