Two launches in the span of four days occurred on the Space Coast this week with ULA's Delta IV rocket carrying the GPSII-F3 satellite (October 4th) and SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifting a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station for the Commercial Resupply Services Mission, CRS-1 (October 7th, they also had a secondary payload). This week has been window into our future on the Space Coast where we can expect multiple launches per week, every week. I hope we open space access to the point of daily launches, at least suborbital flights.
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| SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch of the Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station for the Commercial Resupply Services Mission, CRS-1 |
The photo composite of the Falcon 9 launch above is of five photos, each with 13 seconds of exposure. The photomerge created an interesting inversion in the middle of the contrail, but I like the artistic feature. This was my first night launch, so based on my Shuttle launch experience I was expecting 10-15 seconds before hitting a cloud deck. I was off by a significant factor, but at least I will be ready for the next night launch, of which there will be plenty! The HD video I shot with my phone is below. It was like watching a star get lifted into the night sky.
These are a couple of my favourite shots from the Delta IV launch. I love the long contrail that rockets leave behind that connect the earth to the cosmos, ripping a hole through the atmosphere. The classic zoom picture of a rocket just off the launch pad with a strong reflection in the water never gets old. It's a very personal souvenir that captures the excitement of the launch, and the immense power of the rocket.
These are a couple of my favourite shots from the Delta IV launch. I love the long contrail that rockets leave behind that connect the earth to the cosmos, ripping a hole through the atmosphere. The classic zoom picture of a rocket just off the launch pad with a strong reflection in the water never gets old. It's a very personal souvenir that captures the excitement of the launch, and the immense power of the rocket.
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| This Delta IV launch was flawless on a beautiful morning from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 37B. |
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| The Delta IV rocket carrying the GPSII-F3 satellite well clear of the tower and heading into the cosmos. |
The official stats form the launches:
| Oct. 4 | Delta 4 • GPS 2F-3 |
| Launch time: 1210 GMT (8:10 a.m. EDT) Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida  The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket deployed the Air Force's third Block 2F navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The rocket flew in the Medium+ (4,2) configuration with two solid rocket boosters. Delayed from Sept. 20. See our Mission Status Center. [Oct. 4] | |
| Oct. 7/8 | Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 1 |
| Launch time: 0035 GMT on 8th (8:35 p.m. EDT on 7th) Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the third Dragon spacecraft on the first operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The flight is being conducted under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Delayed from Aug. 9 and Sept. 24. See our Mission Status Center. [Oct. 7] | |
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