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Axis cameras watch final shuttle Endeavour mission

On Oct. 12, Endeavour embarked on the “Mission 26: The Big Endeavour” road-trip to retirement — a three kph journey from Los Angeles International Airport across the 405 Freeway and through the streets of L.A. It was scheduled to arrive at CSC on Oct. 13, but unforeseen obstacles and entanglements such as trees and a light post along the route delayed its arrival to the following afternoon.

Its transport through the streets of Los Angeles was watched by the L.A. Police Department and Axis Communications IP surveillance cameras, which transmitted over a wireless mesh network with enhanced, HDTV-quality situational awareness.

The Axis used a “leap-frog” approach to track the shuttle’s movements: As the shuttle passed beyond the first camera’s field of view, it was uninstalled and then reinstalled at the front of the surveillance network to continue the chain.

“Crowd and traffic control around major events bring about unique challenges, especially when it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event like this,” said Michael Downing, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and commanding officer of LAPD’s Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau in a press release. “Relying on Axis’ surveillance technology as we’ve done for many of the city’s biggest events removes typical IT and surveillance obstacles often present with critical yet impromptu security applications. With these worries eliminated, we can focus on our job: making sure the spectators remain safe with minimal disruption to the city and shuttle.”

The LAPD used 720p HDTV quality AXIS P5534-E PTZ Dome Network Cameras and 1080p HDTV quality AXIS Q6035-E PTZ Dome Network Cameras. For the wireless mesh network, the rooftop of a 54-story L.A. skyscraper served as a relay site between the Axis cameras and radio nodes throughout the route.

The police department has used similar technology to monitor several high-profile events in Los Angeles, including the Academy Awards, L.A. Lakers and Kings victory parades and other large city gatherings.

“This leap-frog style, on-the-fly mesh network build-out is such a unique surveillance installation. It proves once again that the LAPD’s counter-terrorism and special operations bureau is at the forefront of using technology to protect the city’s people and assets,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications.