Shock Collars, Bomb dogs and….. NASA?

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nasa, wallops flight facility, antares, cygnus, to the moon road sign, international space station, resupply mission, northrop grunman
Cody Croswell's first day at the pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

Shock Collars, Bomb dogs and….. NASA?
By … Cody Croswell

Me … “Hello?’

DSF … “Happy Birthday. Want to go to Wallops as a photographer, I need some help, it will be your first “assignment”?’

Me … “… “

Me … “Rich, if this is a joke it isn’t funny.”

It is still dark outside. Not dawn, not pre-dawn. Dark. My eyes are already open. I’m staring at the ceiling, at least in the direction of, when I can feel the non-existent digital hand of the clock tick to 4 AM. It is time to go launch a rocket!

So I thought.

It isn’t a bad ride down to Wallops in the morning. An early Saturday morning allows us to be nearly the only car on the road. It is crisp. The air has that iced over feel to it. The feel you only get on the Eastern shore after a mild January. The one that comes after you have started to forget the cold winter, already looking towards spring, the one that bites you in the ass later in the day when you remember forgetting the extra layer. There is something else though, there is a layer of excitement in the air. We are going to launch a rocket!

northrop grunman, NASA, antares, rocket engines
Touring the building NASA uses to build a rocket

The day is a whirlwind. A factory tour, pictures and general tomfoolery was had by all- even the NASA scientists had some fun with the ‘new guy’.

After the tour we headed out to the pad to set up cameras to leave overnight. I have to say I was nervous. We grabbed our gear and prepared for our inspection.

Let me back up.

So setting up cameras is one of the most bizarre things I could ever try to explain. On paper, it is pretty simple. You need a camera and a trigger than will signal the camera to start taking pictures. A plus B equals C, easy peasy pumpkin squeezy.

Nope.

remote camera set ups, nasa, cody croswell, dsf photographer
Setting up one of the remote cameras for the first, second, or third time.

What it really means:

Take a camera and a trigger, leave it outside, overnight ( DAYS OVERNIGHT) while keeping the camera dry, warm and charged. If you manage to keep it working about a week later and object in front of the camera that is 13 stories tall will suddenly become brighter than the sun and disappear 5 seconds later.

THEN all that is required is that you camera settings match whatever the weather happens to be- which is extremely consistent on Delmarva…..

Easy.

Did I mention that this has to be done over and over for each scrub (what NASA officially calls a do-over, or a reschedule).

That means driving down, resetting, second and third guessing yourself multiple times. In this instance we reset three separate times.

Spoiler: I would do it again in a second. Put me in coach! I am ready to play!

Fast forward to launch day tres.

Today is different. I can’t explain it. Hell Harley sat out the last attempt and even he looks ready to go!

That or he really, REALLY wants to play with what Les has. His job is done, everyone is safe- maybe a little fun dad?

bomb sniffing dog, nasa, antares, cygnus launch
Harley our canine escort and his handler Les

5…4….3….2….1.

Quiet. Erie quiet.

Then clicking. LOTS of clicking. What the heck is that sound???

My finger, along with everyone else’s, has locked down on the cameras shutter release and that is all that can be heard.

Then you see it. Its bright. Almost too bright- then you hear it. It starts like thunder and grows. The sound rips across the field like 18,000 horses trying to escape all at once. The clouds are low today and the sound amplifies to the point that it starts to distort, the power is simply too much for even nature to handle. Then a thirteen story building starts hurtling towards the heavens at a rate that looks impossible. For a moment I am completely transfixed as I watch the scene unfold in front of me.
The camera! That’s why you are here man! Pick it up!

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I grab the camera and start trying to find the rocket. I lock on and start watching, taking a shot when I can, waiting for that moment…..

THERE! The shock collar! Bam!

Got it.

antares, cygnus, shock collar, rocket cracks the sky
The “Shock Collar” when the Antares cracks the sky.

From Wikipedia : “A vapor cone, also known as shock collar or shock egg, is a visible cloud of condensed water that can sometimes form around an object moving at high speed through moist air, for example, an aircraft flying at transonic speeds. When the localized air pressure around the object drops, so does the air temperature. If the temperature drops below the saturation temperature, a cloud forms.”

The wild thing about this phenomenon is the erie “hole” that it appears to produce as it pierces through the atmosphere. You can see the dark shadow and the tunnel that seems to form from the hole that wasn’t there moments before. Scary!

Not really. It’s a shadow from a cloud of vapor that’s really condensed and really high up there. Seriously. Although, if you want to freak out your friends share the link to the article and only copy the above paragraph. It will be fun!

Things start to settle, the birds start to return to their roost- even the Delaware Eagle comes back to see what all the fuss was about.

I’m pretty sure the deer didn’t move.

That’s it. A long week of getting ready, standing down, getting soaked- all over in seconds. I hear Rich say something about getting the cameras.

I guess Mr on the ball forget his camera at the line. Ha. I thought I was the new guy! I do a quick count as I prepare my gear for it’s cozy ride under the bus back to the field station. There is one camera, two- where the heck is the other A7? Oh it’s still on the pad. Gosh, I thought I left it on the field for a second. Man that would have bee… the pad!!

RICH! RICH! We still have cameras on the pad!!

Rich just looks at me and doesn’t have to say it because I pipe up for him.

The new guy just remembered it isn’t over!

antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera, go pro hero 8, hero 5, r2d2, launch bucket
The launch bucket R2D2 being set up and the cameras lined up by Cody Croswell

It is another wait to head out. Not as long this time as the rocket isn’t sitting on the pad, a giant bomb waiting for a controlled explosion to hurtle it into another world. Awaiting fellow humans that may very well be staring back at us at this very moment.

There is still a wait though. The crew has to come out and clear the area, make sure it is safe. RP-1 is basically a mix of liquid oxygen and kerosene. While kerosene is much safer and less toxic than most fuel choices (even gasoline) a lot of it is consumed during a rocket launch and NASA wants to make sure everything is okay before they let a bus full of rocket geeks all hopped up after a launch, loose on the pad.

We board the bus. My expectations are zilch. A million things are against me. The weather, in experience, the many resets, the weather, the cold, the rain, the wind, the weather.

Did I mention the weather?

As I approach my camera I start clapping. Not because I’m happy, but like everyone else I am checking to see if my Miops (sound trigger ) is still working.

On a side note I have given a lot of thought to this; why on earth do we do things like that as humans? It is if someway, somehow if the camera fires now, after it is all over, the pictures will be perfect. If I touch it before checking I am screwed. People are weird.

I can hear it. Holy crap! It’s working! The GoPro’s are on?? What? It worked??????

antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
The shot the Cannon caught even though it was bumped a little … Cody Croswell

The experience was amazing. If you think, even for a second, that launching something that’s nearly three-quarters of a million pounds and over one hundred and thirty feet tall is anything less than out of this world- let along routine- come to Wallops and find out for yourself how very wrong you are.

Cody Croswell

  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera, go pro hero 8, hero 5, r2d2, launch bucket
    The launch bucket R2D2 being set up and the cameras lined up by Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    The shot the Cannon caught even though it was bumped a little … Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    The pad in smoke Go Pro Hero 5 … Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Antares lights up and is about to launch Go Pro 5 at the pad .. Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Antares launches caught on the Go Pro 5 .. Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Antares has left the pad caught on the Go Pro 5 .. Cody Croswell
  • wallops island flight facility, nasa, antares, northrop grunman
    Aerial of Wallops Island Flight Facility … shot from out of the restricted fly zone … Cody Croswell
  • wallops island flight facility, nasa, antares, northrop grunman
    Aerial of Wallops Island Flight Facility … shot from out of the restricted fly zone … Cody Croswell
  • wallops island flight facility, nasa, antares, northrop grunman
    Aerial of Wallops Island Flight Facility … shot from out of the restricted fly zone … Cody Croswell
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access
    Cody Croswell’s camera and Go Pro Hero 5 our first remote set up
  • antares, cygnus, shock collar, rocket cracks the sky
    The “Shock Collar” when the Antares cracks the sky.
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    R2D2’s view of the pad and Antares
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Antares is airborne and on her way to space
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Antares launches as seen form the media area
  • antares, cygnus, nasa, wallops flight facility, launch pad, remote camera
    Night shot of Antares sideways on the pad being loaded
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access, sunrise
    Antares at sunrise from the ferry landing
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access
    Antares vertical day before the launch
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access, sunrise
    Antares at sunrise
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access, launch vehicle, iss, international space station, resupply mission
    Antares on the launch pad up close and personal
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access, launch vehicle, iss, international space station, resupply mission
    Antares on the launch pad up close and personal
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access
    The boys waiting for the Antares Launch
  • antares, cygnus, northrop grunman, wallops flight facility, nasa, rocket launch, media access
    Antares on Monday being worked on by NASA crews

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