I was watching the Atlantis launch during the weekend, and I noticed that in the launch blog, they said about 1 hour before the launch that "all non-essential personnel have evacuated the launch pad." I guess that means that there are "essential" people who stay on the launch pad during the launch. It must be an interesting experience... Does anybody know what it's like to be on the launch pad, presumably in a bunker of some sort, when the shuttle launches?

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If it's anything like the Saturn V launches, the platform manager and crew are last to leave, shortly before launch, and head to a nearby (a few km away) station for the launch itself. I seriously doubt anyone is near the pad during the launch. (other than the orbiter crew obviously)

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The only essential personnel on the pad at the time of launch are the crew. Everyone else has moved to appropriate distances and/or shelters.

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