Ian's Pictures from CSXT's Space Shot 2002

All pictures

These are my pictures from CSXT's space launch attempt on Sept 17-19, 2002.

(1536x1024 1955K) (500x333 19K)	This is the campsite at the east end of the flight line on Tuesday morning before the first launch attempt. On the left is a tent belonging to a gentleman from Seattle named Clark Larsen. His son Jerry is Program Manager of CSXT. On the right are three tents. The two smaller tents belong to Jeremy and me (left to right). The larger tent behind them was supposed to be the "social area" tent, a place which we could use as a shelter from the wind while talking or eating together. A Swiss college student who arrived at Black Rock without a tent or any arrangements of where to stay ended up using the social tent as his own. At first I felt sorry for him but I later wished I'd made the purpose of this tent clearer to him. He didn't understand my request to keep his stuff out of the way during the day. He ended up leaving his stuff in the way preventing the use the tent for any social gathering, leading us to call it the "antisocial tent". It still ended up useful for storage of our coolers and my bicycle in the shade and out of the wind.
(1536x1024 2003K) (500x333 20K)	Vehicles park in front of the CSXT launch control trailer Tuesday morning during preparation for the first launch attempt.
(1536x1024 1998K) (500x333 16K)	People work on the rocket at the launch pad. The flag is just one sign that the wind is too high for a launch. Preparations continue in case the weather changes.
(1536x1024 2079K) (500x333 32K)	Tuesday morning I was assigned to close and guard the Trego entrance to the playa at the railroad crossing. This view from Trego shows dust from the wind storm in progress at the launch site nearly 5 miles away. Wind is nearly calm at Trego.
(1536x1024 2109K) (500x333 31K)	The road from Trego toward the Black Rock Desert playa.
(1536x1024 2260K) (500x333 40K)	The railroad crossing at Trego.
(1536x1024 2117K) (500x333 33K)	The wind storm at the launch site is visibly getting worse from the size of the dust cloud.
(1536x1024 2041K) (500x333 30K)	After Tuesday morning's launch attempt was scrubbed, I stopped on the way back from Trego to take a picture and GPS waypoint at this dune.
(1536x1024 1864K) (500x333 26K)	The flag flies proudly atop the launch tower Tuesday afternoon.
(1536x1024 2244K) (500x333 37K)	CSXT member Dr Phil Martin smiles for my picture in between taking his professional-quality pictures of the rocket.
(1536x1024 1921K) (500x333 27K)	I took a bicycle ride to look at the nearby cleanup from Burning Man. These are some of the workers making organized searches for debris.
(1536x1024 1852K) (500x333 21K)	During the bike ride, a dust devil (large whirlwinds often seen in the desert as they pick up dust) formed near me so I followed it and snapped some pictures.
(1536x1024 1826K) (500x333 21K)	View of the dust devil from my bicycle.
(1536x1024 1902K) (500x333 26K)	The dust devil harmlessly strikes the porta-potty for the BM cleanup crews.
(1536x1024 1887K) (500x333 22K)	I rode around to get a shot from the other side of the dust devil. But the lighting didn't make this easier to see.
(1536x1024 1949K) (500x333 55K)	This picture shows how eddy currents around surface disturbances (such as these pieces of litter from Burning Man) causes mini dunes (a.k.a. "playa serpents") to form.
(1536x1024 1947K) (500x333 19K)	A picture taken from my bicycle after fleeing from the two Pitbull dogs now pictured returning to the cleanup crew who owns them. It was a subject of debate whether these people simply left the dogs unleashed or deliberately unleashed them on me. Combined with other behaviors we observed, some of our people were quick to jump to the conclusion that the dogs were deliberately unleashed on me. All I can say objectively is that I was too far away to clearly see whether it was intentional. The same dogs chased the BLM law enforcement officer in his vehicle the next day. These dogs were a recurring nuisance for others as well.
(1536x1024 1818K) (500x333 14K)	Another shot of the Pitbull dogs returning to their owners at the BM cleanup crew. I'd be really curious to know if the dog's owner was saying "good dog" or "bad dog".
(1536x1024 1816K) (500x333 15K)	Another BM cleanup crew.
(1536x1024 2050K) (500x333 34K)	Ky and Jodi Michaelson at the launch pad.
(1536x1024 1802K) (500x333 27K)	The CSXT launch control center.
(1536x1024 1787K) (500x333 19K)	Ky Michaelson prepares his rocket bike for a demonstration ride by his wife Jodi. Bruce Lee stands nearby and talks with Ky during the preparation. Any rocketeer who doesn't recognize the names of Ky Michaelson and Bruce Lee is assigned homework to watch the episode of Junkyard Wars where the American teams built rockets for the season finals, which first aired in early 2001. Ky (originally a Hollywood stunt man) was the judge for the episode. Bruce was the expert for the "Long Brothers" team who succeeded in launching and recovering intact a rocket with an Ostrich egg payload.
(1536x1024 1927K) (500x333 25K)	Jodi rides the rocket bike.
(1536x1024 1926K) (500x333 27K)	Jodi rides the rocket bike.
(1536x1024 2058K) (500x333 29K)	Jodi rides the rocket bike.
(1536x1024 1898K) (500x333 30K)	The CSXT launch control trailer.
(1536x1024 1864K) (500x333 23K)	An impressive dust devil forms near the launch site.
(1536x1024 1850K) (500x333 21K)	An impressive dust devil forms near the launch site.
(1536x1024 1596K) (500x333 24K)	Video crews record a statement by Ky Michaelson.
(1536x1024 1976K) (500x333 28K)	The CSXT core crew during the group photo shoot.
(1536x1024 2036K) (500x333 30K)	Now other volunteers have been allowed in for the second round. I'm in the picture on the right in the back. I'm not sure whom to credit with taking the picture with my camera, but one likely candidate is Nadine of "Photos by Nadine" since she was among the ones taking the photos.
(1536x1024 2018K) (500x333 32K)	Preparations continue inside the launch control center. ToSpace CEO Laurie Wiggins watches other preparations on the right.
(1536x1024 2018K) (500x333 22K)	The CSXT flight line on Tuesday evening near sunset, after weather caused a scrub early in the launch preparations.
(1024x1536 1976K) (500x750 47K)	The CSXT Primera rocket and launch pad at sunset on Tuesday.
(1536x1024 1864K) (500x333 24K)	Here is my truck blocking the 3-mile entrance to the playa during the Wednesday morning playa closure.
(1536x1024 1777K) (500x333 22K)	This is a zoomed-in view of the launch site from 5 miles away at the 3-mile entrance to the playa.
(1536x1024 1829K) (500x333 22K)	This is a zoomed-in view of the launch site from 5 miles away at the 3-mile entrance to the playa.
(1536x1024 1905K) (500x333 27K)	This shows the brand new signs that BLM has installed at the playa entrances. The "Three-mile playa access" sign is just the name of the entrance. The sign on the right is BLM's notice of the playa closures for the CSXT space launch attempts.
(1536x1024 1958K) (500x333 36K)	CSXT placed a JP Aerospace sticker on their rocket to thank us for our help.
(1536x1024 2152K) (500x333 44K)	CSXT placed a JP Aerospace sticker on their rocket to thank us for our help.
(1536x1024 1925K) (500x333 21K)	This is the Burning Man "Department of Public Works" pickup truck which showed up whenever this guy came to harass us. By the end of the event, even the most open-minded of us had become very irritated with the people who put on the Burning Man event.
(1536x1024 1992K) (500x333 33K)	Enroute to the Black Rock, this was an interesting mirage effect we had to stop and get a photo of. The right edge of the Black Rock Range mountains has a mirage reflection which makes it look like the other mountain range has a piece sitting in front of it. In reality, the mountains in back are far north near the Oregon border.
(1536x1024 2028K) (500x333 21K)	Water boils from the geothermal vent at Black Rock Hot Springs.
(1536x1024 2055K) (500x333 28K)	Our off-road vehicles on the right (Owen's 4x4 SUV and my 4x4 truck) and the original off-road vehicle on the left (remains of an 1840's covered wagon.)
(1536x1024 1795K) (500x333 12K)	On the historic Applegate Emigrant Trail from Black Rock Hot Springs to Double Hot Springs.
(1536x1024 2427K) (500x333 44K)	At Double Hot Springs (also known just as "Double Hot") the group inspects the setting, knowing full well that these hot springs are dangerously hot and have claimed many lives. Note that some of the sides around the pools are steep loose dirt. If you come here, you want to be careful to stay away from the sides. Also restrain any children and pets from getting too close to the pools. Anyone who falls in will be instantly injured and unable to rescue themselves. It will be impossible to rescue them, endangering anyone who tries. Even recently, people have died trying to rescue their dogs from these pools. This became the subject of a silly lawsuit against BLM by one such person's family, which is why BLM is now putting up signs all over Nevada warning against approaching hot springs on public lands. This is the spring that started all that. Rumor has it that one of the dogs remains in one of the pools. All we saw was the head of a bull under the murky water. Presumably the rest of the bull was still attached to it.
(1536x1024 2450K) (500x333 45K)	A small side pool boils menacingly.
(1536x1024 2315K) (500x333 35K)	The clear pool carries a dangerous beauty to it.
(1536x1024 2438K) (500x333 53K)	A short way downstream from Double Hot Springs, someone has set up a small rudimentary hot tub, with a hot water valve that can be used to adjust the temperature. This may be the only way to try the water without risking injury.
(1536x1024 2705K) (500x333 53K)	This is a makeshift dam of wood where the hot water pipe to the hot tub begins. The runoff from Double Hot Springs is still so hot that you can't even stand too close to the runoff water here.
(1536x1024 2629K) (500x333 48K)	The boiling water runoff from Double Hot Springs flows down this little stream.
(1536x1024 2388K) (500x333 48K)	A view of the hot tub at Double Hot Springs from up the small stream that feeds it and runs by it.
(1536x1024 2188K) (500x333 32K)	Leave it to Jeremy to demonstrate that there's actually a safe way to take advantage of the heat at Double Hot Springs... In this picture, he enjoys his geothermally-cooked Cup 'O Noodles for lunch. He used a camping cooking pot with drinking water inside it to make a double boiler for his Cup 'O Noodles for lunch. (Don't use water from the springs for drinking or cooking!) Keeping away from the danger of the main springs, he placed the double-boiler in the near-boiling runoff stream from Double Hot Springs. Hmmm... using a double boiler to cook at Double Hot Springs seems to make yet another word play on the place. It's already nicknamed "Double Hot" for being very hot, but was probably named "Double Hot Springs" for the two main pools.
(1536x1024 2135K) (500x333 33K)	This picture shows the new BLM sign at Double Hot Springs. (BLM was placing signs like this around the area during our visit.) Our vehicles are parked in the background.
(1536x1024 1992K) (500x333 16K)	The Moon rises Wednesday evening over the Black Rock Desert, as viewed from the CSXT launch site.
(1536x1024 2212K) (500x333 32K)	A dozen onlookers gather at the 8-mile entrance Thursday morning, when Jeremy and I guarded it during the playa closure. Some of the people watching here are local ranchers. Others are rocketeers from Colorado and Utah arriving to set up for the weekend's "BALLS" rocket launch meet.
(1536x1024 1893K) (500x333 18K)	Thursday morning, the countdown finally got to zero and the CSXT rocket was launched. This is viewed from my truck at the 8-mile playa entrance.
(1536x1024 1708K) (500x333 9K)	This was difficult to photograph with the Sun nearly behind it. The CSXT rocket cato'ed just seconds after launch. (A "cato" is rocketry lingo for a catastrophic motor failure that destroys the vehicle in flight.) This view shows two burning pieces of the rocket motor streaking upward on different paths after the explosion.
(1536x1024 1829K) (500x333 15K)	The pieces of burning propellant from the exploded motor independently reach apogee and begin to fall. What we couldn't see from the 8-mile entrance was the chaos at the flight line. As these visble large pieces fell where they were supposed to on the downrange area away from the flight line, the smallest pieces were blown back to the flight line where they caused a lot of alarm (and advice over the loudspeakers for people to seek cover) though there turned out to be no significant danger from the small pieces.
(1536x1024 1875K) (500x333 18K)	Three smoke plumes rise from the debris of the CSXT rocket. We had to keep the playa closed while crews located and accounted for all the pyrotechnic charges which had been on board the rocket.
(1536x1024 1942K) (500x333 19K)	Three smoke plumes rise from the debris of the CSXT rocket.
(1536x1024 1910K) (500x333 19K)	Three smoke plumes rise from the debris of the CSXT rocket.
(1536x1024 1894K) (500x333 20K)	I was able to briefly get a picture of CSXT crews picking up pieces of the rocket while I escorted the owner of a backhoe (which was being rented by the BM cleanup crews) to the flight line where he could await quicker word of when he could get into the downrange area to his equipment. I had left Jeremy guarding the 8-mile entrance and had to return there after this to continue the playa closure until BLM (under advisement from the FAA) declared it OK to open it.
(1536x1024 2051K) (500x333 27K)	The Winnemucca Fire Dept was on scene. I presumed they came with the BLM staff, whose offices are located in Winnemucca. As far as I was aware, they weren't called upon to put out any fires. (You can't put out a solid rocket fuel fire. But it burns itself out quickly. And the lakebed isn't flammable, which is one more reason why we use it.) But I still thanked them for their help, as I hope many others did.
(1536x1024 2154K) (500x333 31K)	A piece of the motor and a stack of phenolic scraps which have already been picked up.
(1536x1024 2057K) (500x333 28K)	Near the CSXT cleanup area, we took this picture of the "serpent garden" which many of us had noticed over the previous days in the Burning Man cleanup zone. There were more "playa serpents" (mini dunes) here than any of us had ever seen in one place before. This seemed like compelling evidence in favor of the local residents' theory that playa serpent formation is radically accelerated by massive disruptions of the playa surface by the 40,000-person party at Burning Man.
(1536x1024 2014K) (500x333 25K)	Another view of the "serpent garden".

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