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Launch Day!
Jun. 4th, 2010 11:03 amI managed to get some shuteye after returning from the State Commission meeting last night, and was awakened by my alarm at 1:45 am, which gave me enough time to get together and walk to the Polyot hotel, where the telecom folks have their office and rather modest studio. The head telecom guy I was working with was kind enough, however, to call and offer to send a car to pick me up, and as I was feeling a bit lazy, I accepted the offer.
When I arrived, the techs were already involved in a conversation - via Olga - with the satcom provider (the point being to send video and audio from Baikonur via satellite to Reston, Virginia). Once that fire was out, I helped coordinate the return feed from Reston, and then went upstairs to wait for the launch.
For at least the second time that I know of, my interpretation/reading of the official launch coverage never saw the light of day. My voice was sent to Reston, apparently, and after almost 6 minutes, I was given a "cut" signal, which is the first time that has happened.
* * * I managed to get a couple of interesting images of yesterday's rocket blessing, particularly the part where the priest goes around the base of the rocket and blesses it with holy water.
I was concentrating too hard on capturing the priest, so it might be a little hard to figure out where the rocket is. Well, if you follow the series of steps that start at the bottom center of the frame and end at the right-hand center of the frame, the long, gray vertical rectangle in the image is the nacelle of engine No. 5. This next shot shows the engine nacelles that are attached to the first stage of the Proton, and ought to give you a general sense of scale between the rocket and humans.
It was a good time of day for the blessing, as the sun was behind the rocket.
* * * Over the course of my campaigns, I've developed a set procedure for launch night (and all the launches I've worked have taken place between midnight and dawn). Once I'm finished with the "broadcast," I leave the Polyot and head on over to the VIP event that's generally held at the Proton Club, which is basically a local facility that provides an auditorium and some limited areas for social events.
The VIPs were set up on the second floor, and all of the refreshments were ranged around the room, on what are normally ping-pong tables. The food was very artfully arranged.
After enjoying a snack and doing some work (interpreters are never really "off duty"), I went back to the hotel and got some more sleep. I am due back at the Polyot at 12:30 pm today, in anticipation of news regarding the final "burn" of the upper stage main engines, followed by spacecraft separation. Upon separation, our work here is done.
All except for tonight's closing banquet, followed by packing and moving stuff to the airport for the "backhaul." But that can wait until later. I need to find some coffee.
Cheers...
When I arrived, the techs were already involved in a conversation - via Olga - with the satcom provider (the point being to send video and audio from Baikonur via satellite to Reston, Virginia). Once that fire was out, I helped coordinate the return feed from Reston, and then went upstairs to wait for the launch.
For at least the second time that I know of, my interpretation/reading of the official launch coverage never saw the light of day. My voice was sent to Reston, apparently, and after almost 6 minutes, I was given a "cut" signal, which is the first time that has happened.
I was concentrating too hard on capturing the priest, so it might be a little hard to figure out where the rocket is. Well, if you follow the series of steps that start at the bottom center of the frame and end at the right-hand center of the frame, the long, gray vertical rectangle in the image is the nacelle of engine No. 5. This next shot shows the engine nacelles that are attached to the first stage of the Proton, and ought to give you a general sense of scale between the rocket and humans.
It was a good time of day for the blessing, as the sun was behind the rocket.
The VIPs were set up on the second floor, and all of the refreshments were ranged around the room, on what are normally ping-pong tables. The food was very artfully arranged.
After enjoying a snack and doing some work (interpreters are never really "off duty"), I went back to the hotel and got some more sleep. I am due back at the Polyot at 12:30 pm today, in anticipation of news regarding the final "burn" of the upper stage main engines, followed by spacecraft separation. Upon separation, our work here is done.
All except for tonight's closing banquet, followed by packing and moving stuff to the airport for the "backhaul." But that can wait until later. I need to find some coffee.
Cheers...
