The particular setup for this was sound activated. The lens was destroyed (worth it of course) but the camera survived this one despite being severed from its ratchet straps and thrown to the ground, and the sound device used for this one disconnected from the camera and thrown about 200 feet backwards into the pad perimeter fence (still worked!). All settings are preset manually. No one is allowed closer than several miles from a launch.
Well, that’s awesome. [Airliners.net, Thanks, Jason!]
Don Dennis
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 11:17 AMCheck out NASA’s website. They have a video there explaining the procedure used by the Post Launch crew – these guys go to the pad while it’s still smoking and begin the cleanup. They describe how light fittings, loud speakers and all kinds of things have been ripped apart, blown away or melted after each launch.
Chris Oaten
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 12:58 PM“No one is allowed closer than several miles from a launch.:
Except for the astronauts, of course.
Chris
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at 11:25 PMHere’s what the Delta launch looks like from Tampa http://s843.photobucket.com/albums/zz351/jgroulx/Delta%20Rocket%20Launch/?albumview=grid&fullsize=DSC_0209.jpg 125 miles away