Posts: 678
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005

Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007

posted 05-08-2012 03:03 PM               

---

The cloud deck was pretty thick for AS-513 both around the pad and to the north and south where the tracking cameras are typically placed. So I don't think a tracking camera would have had a clear view of the Saturn once it punched through the clouds. The weather constraints for the workshop launch were likely not as strict as for a manned flight since there were no people riding the Saturn, plus it was the final launch of a Saturn V and its behaviors were well understood at that point.

Of course, the micrometeoroid shield pulling away was unexpected, but that was down to poor design of that element and insufficient testing to catch the potential for a problem.

Posts: 719
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006

posted 05-15-2012 11:00 PM               

---

I'm sure the standard number of tracking cameras were in place that day, but only a few got usable images because of the cloud cover.

On Spacecraft Films' Mighty Saturns: The Saturn V set, there is some footage of the workshop launch at about the 85-90 sec. point showing the exhaust plume widening out after going through Max-Q; after the meteoroid shield had torn off at roughly 60 secs.

I had never seen any shots of the rocket after it disappeared into the clouds at about the 33 second point, including watching the launch live on TV 39 years ago.
If the Skylab set ever gets done at Spacecraft Films, maybe we will see more long range tracking shots that have been buried in some vault all these years. I certainly hope that will be the case.