*********** WARNING LANGUAGE ON THE VIDEO ****************

Sorry, I forgot that there are expletives on the video and small kids shouldn't hear them.
Just turn off the sound I guess.

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I was looking up some things and came across this video shot by ESA scientists who were
watching their payload being flown on a Russian Soyuez (Caught the error).

The proximity of this event reminded me of my trip to Vandenburg AFB in the early 80's
to witness the launch of a joint Soviet/American Emergency warning satellite that would pick up distress calls from the transponders of aircraft and ships.

While the Atlas orbited the payload successfully, myself and the small group of Eagle Scouts I was with were even closer than the ESA scientist and if the Atlas had veered North instead of its Southern direction, fell back to Earth as the Proton did or had been self destructed, myself and my cadre of scouts would have been killed either by the blast or lack of breathable Oxygen in the area; we were THAT close! So close that our chests reverberated to the pressure waves set up by the Atlas's engines ... it was AWESOME! Well enjoy the Proton crash ... very spectacular!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl9u-h_btBo

Jonathan

Kewl fireworks........

Were you the Scoutmaster at the time? I've been one for 12 years now. About time for Wes to come back in charge for his oldest grandson in a couple of years........

Joe,

No I was an Eagle Scout. We were based out of the Aerospace Corporation, in El Segundo CA. We would hold meetings at the Los Angeles Air Force Base. Julie White, a PhD who still works for the Aerospace Corporation, was one of the scout leaders. We were more 'nerdy' than outdoors orientated. Yes we attended Jamborees and such, but spent more time at observatories, rocket launches, and listening to visiting guest speakers.

Jonathan

That's one of the most beautiful explosions I've ever seen.

Now for the ESA guys. How ignorant can you be?

They are still scared excrementless way after the explosion.
Arguing over what exploded.
Thinking they ran for miles.
Still arguing over what exploded.

Those ESA folks need to get out of their labs and fly some model rockets.

I don't know whether to laugh or to use another double facepalm photo.


Oh, BTW. Nice to have you back and posting rocketry, JD!

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I love sanding.

Despite my best attempts to geekify the boys in our troop, they still prefer to go camping and do wilderness survival training. Our troop averages 18 boys and right now we have 6 in the military, all but one at the tip of the spear 2( Marine infantry, 1 Army infantry, 1 SEAL, and one sub sailor). Only two engineers and one in training.

We do the Space Exploration MB every year, but for them the highlight is when I fire off a rocket with an E60 in it. They were a little disappointed last year. Both times it worked perfectly. They were hoping to see a CATO . Several of them did have a blast with the observatory that Loud Thunder camp has though.

Interesting, but that's not a Proton... that's a Soyuz launcher (modern day R-7). They use them for unmanned payloads as well, when they don't need the full lift capability of a Proton (say for instance the Progress freighters to ISS, and satellite launches... Proton is their "heavy lift vehicle" (equivalent to our EELV's).

Later! OL JR

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The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Yes, double facepalm photo!

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If it flies, I can crash it!