LC-39A

Crew-7 crew members NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon and Falcon 9 as it lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on August 26, 2023.

The launch was captured from several angles and this video was assembled using Florida Media Now’s Mark Stone and my elements, then edited together by me. It was a true team effort.

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The Crew-7 astronauts walk out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on August 26, 2023.

Crew-7 crew members NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, commander; ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, pilot; and mission specialists JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov meet with their families, friends and co-workers before departing to the launch pad.

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Falcon Heavy launches from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A on April 30, 2023. This was the view from the perfectly Mosquito Lagoon in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville, Florida. From there, it is possible to get an unobstructed view of the launch pad and from a relatively close distance.

This video is more what it is like to watch a rocket launch in person, and what kind of terrain you can find yourself in when you do.

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On April 28, 2023, SpaceX attempted a new feat: launching two rockets from the Eastern Range (KSC and CCAFS) within three hours of each other.

First up, Falcon 9 carrying two O3b internet satellites for SES launching off SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the second, a Falcon Heavy carrying ViaSat-3 Americas scheduled a mere two hours and fourteen minutes later.

We optimized our view for the latter launch, while opting to forgo a close view of Falcon 9. (It was some 11-12 miles away). Here’s our view from the perfectly named Mosquito Lagoon.

This was an unsuccessful launch attempt, but that happens often enough that you almost expect it…even from the very reliable SpaceX. Weather is a huge challenge, but let’s not forget how complicated and powerful the rockets themselves are. If it’s not as good as it can be for a launch, they’ll probably scrub and try again tomorrow.

Sometimes, that happens when you are in a beautiful wild place at a gorgeous time of day. And that makes it not so bad after all.

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SpaceX launched a Cargo Dragon spacecraft packed with nearly 6,300 pounds of supplies and experiments for the International Space Station on March 14, 2023 at 8:30PM. The launch was from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Temperatures were cool with a brisk breeze on the Space Coast at liftoff. This often causes distortion in photographs where the subject is at a distance — for example, one of a rocket that is six miles away from the camera. The effect is called “heat shimmer” and occurs because at that distance the differences in the overall density of the air, which in turn affects the indices of refraction for light passing through it.

No matter, it was a flawless launch and one that was really fun to watch.

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SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39-A inside Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday morning with 53 Starlink satellites for their Starlink network.

This was Booster 1069’s fifth mission overall.

Photo was taken aside the aptly named Mosquito Lagoon, and on a relatively warm winter’s night, the flying insects were out in force.

They were not the only bite-y things about — as the sound of the rocket’s engines washed over the water, a bull alligator perhaps 10-15 meters away roared his disapproval. It is said that the sub-sonic tremors that accompany any nearby rocket launch are similar to those issued by males competing with one another for territory. Undoubtedly the gator would have been foul-tempered if it had been encountered. Fortunately, that was not the case and no photographers were harmed in viewing the launch.

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A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15, 2023 at 5:56 p.m. EST (2255 GMT). The rocket was carrying a classified U.S. Space Force communications satellite and five additional military payloads as a rideshare. The Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters returned to land at SpaceX’s landing zones a few miles away at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station about eight minutes after launch. 

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The “naked eye” view that a regular launch viewer would see from the Banana River in Cape Canaveral, about 10 miles from the launch site. This view was made standing on a pier with about 50-75 other people in attendance. While the view is not as up close as what you see on television, it is incredible to see in person — and to hear the true volume of the launches, especially the sonic booms.

Audio is a mix of Spaceflight Now and SpaceX streaming coverage and is included as it was part of the scene as many people had the coverage on their phones throughout the countdown and launch.

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