Melting camera story overcooked

31 May 2018

Images of NASA's "melted camera" spread like a small grass fire on social media last week, with early reports blaming the remotely operated camera's close proximity to the NASA/German GRACE-FO rocket launch on 22 May for its untimely end.

NASA has now revealed some of the details initially reported were, like the camera, overcooked.

The charred remains of Bill Ingalls' camera. Photo © NASA/Bill Ingalls.

Rather than being torched by the blast from the ascending rocket, the camera was the victim of a small grass fire ignited by the rocket.

When NASA photographer Bill Ingalls returned to the camera after the launch, firefighters were waiting to meet him. He forced open the body of the charred camera and prised the memory card out. Incredibly the card survived the fire and he was able to recover the images which revealed the exact cause of the Canon's firey demise.

The camera captures the NASA/German GRACE-FO launch on May 22, 2018 and, minutes later, its final moments before being overcome by an approaching grass fire. Photo © NASA/Bill Ingalls.

"I had six remotes, two outside the launch pad safety perimeter and four inside," said Ingalls. "Unfortunately, the launch started a grass fire that toasted one of the cameras outside the perimeter."

Ironically, the other cameras, including Ingalls' four remote cameras inside the launch perimiter, were undamaged.

The location of the camera and the surrounding vegetation can be seen in this image taken before launch.

The soon-to-be-roasted camera was set up outside the launch perimeter, 400m from the launch site. Ironically, four remote cameras were positioned inside the perimeter – all were undamaged. Photo © NASA/Bill Ingalls. — The soon-to-be-roasted camera was set up outside the launch perimeter, 400m from the launch site. Ironically, four remote cameras positioned inside the perimeter were undamaged. Photo © NASA/Bill Ingalls.