back to article NASA test foiled by rocket shaking power cord loose from camera

NASA has built a new camera that can show what's going inside the plume of hot gases produced by rockets, but the device failed during a test because “the sheer power of the booster shook the ground enough for the power cable to be removed from the power box.” Aside from that SNAFU, the new High Dynamic Range Stereo X (HiDyRS- …

  1. redpawn

    View from inside?

    I was hoping for a view from the inside of the plume. This is a fantastic view from the outside though. Hats off to you NASA.

  2. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Astonishingly detailed patterns

    Hopefully this kit will be available for other engines as well.

    1. Tom 7

      Re: Astonishingly detailed patterns

      I'm wondering if I can use the picamera on one of my A motors now the local rocket club has folded....

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only this:

    BIGGA badda boom...

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    WOW that is awesome!!!! Nice work NASA!!

  5. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken
    Coat

    "NASA boffins are thrilled with the results, as the video apparently shows gimbaling patterns and vortices that are expected, but have not previously been observed."

    It's always nice when reality complies with your models of it...

    Mine's the one with all the FEM software manuals in the pockets.

  6. Evil Auditor Silver badge

    Someone else noticed the spider abseiling into the plume a few seconds into the video? It might have gotten an actual view from the inside - a very brief one though.

    Very impressive images nevertheless! Take this, you eye cancer inducing HDR people out there with your petty little photoshop skills.

    1. Francis Boyle

      Doesn't look much like a spider to me

      Are you sure it's not the result of a very scared pigeon shitting itself?

  7. anothercynic Silver badge

    Awwww...

    El Reg is late to the party, Petapixel covered this 4 days ago :-)

    But yeah, this is pretty damn nifty for the boffins.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shaky!

    Does anyone know how to run a youtube video through some kind of de-shaking post processing? The rocket should be a nice stable point of reference...

    1. Alister

      Re: Shaky!

      The rocket should be a nice stable point of reference...

      Given that the story is all about how the shaking of the rocket was sufficient to disconnect the power cord of the camera, I think you might be a little optimistic in thinking it would be a stable point of reference... :)

    2. TeeCee Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: Shaky!

      Well, now that they've worked out that they need to duct tape the power cord to the camera, I'm sure that a non-shaky video (courtesy of a lot more duct tape on the camera) will be along soon.

  9. DropBear

    I swear I saw some of the patterns in that plume in the first version of Dune...

  10. Camilla Smythe
    FAIL

    Stereo?

    Aside from that SNAFU, the new High Dynamic Range Stereo X (HiDyRS-X) camera did a grand job.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPfcwT4Fcy8

    All I get is silence. Did the audio cable drop out at the start or did they forget the Slim Line Salad Dressing?

    1. Tom 7

      Re: Stereo?

      Probably one of the few occasions when 16 bit sound was not sufficient.

      16 bit weighted would have done it if the weight was a couple tonnes of acoustic padding.

    2. Ru'

      Re: Stereo?

      Surely stereo refers to two cameras (stereoscopic?), rather than sound?

  11. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Not just the only problem

    In addition to the power cable issue, the automatic timer failed to start the camera on time, thus they failed to record the really important ignition transients.

    Better'n poke inna eye with a sharp stick, though!

  12. Chris Evans

    Not "...shooting in slow motion"

    They shoot at a much higher frame rate than normal and that then allows them to replay the frames at a normal rate which looks like slow motion.

    1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

      Re: Not "...shooting in slow motion"

      That's why we used to call this kind of filming "ultra-rapid" where I come from. With odd intonation. Now we too call it "slow motion", as if coming up with a native language version would have been so hard...

      1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        Re: Not "...shooting in slow motion"

        Over here we call it Zeitlupe.

        BTW, ever seen "LA Story"? Steve Martin's shower has three settings: cold, hot and slo-mo.

      2. Chris Evans

        Re: Not "...shooting in slow motion"

        Just remembered I've heard them called 'high speed' cameras, which seems very appropriate!

  13. Alan Brown Silver badge

    What it shows

    Is just how lumpy the exhaust from a solid is.

    It would interesting to compare that plume with that of a liquid booster.

    Elon?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What it shows

      It's almost like he heard you ....

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKqY8sy3nkM (went up a day or so ago)

    2. IT Poser

      It should look like this:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_diamond#/media/File:J58_AfterburnerT.jpeg

      The diamonds in the plume indicate lower turbulence. Lower turbulence means more exhaust gases going in the direction we want and hence a better engine design.

      My initial reaction to the video was not oh, how pretty. Instead I thought, 'My word, there is a lot of room for improvement in the design of solid rocket boosters.'

  14. Sureo

    That rocket produces enough energy to run my home for a year or two.

    Seriously, there are connectors available that aren't affected by vibration.

  15. Phlogistan
    Facepalm

    We can put a man on the moon ...

    It is hauntingly beautiful but for pity's sake 720p?

    Some of us *DO* watch video on things other than our phones...

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