Far from being anachronistic and out of date, black and white photography is as it ever was: a timeless art form that continues to influence modern photography, retaining its importance in the modern era.
In the age of high-resolution digital color imagery at our fingertips, black and white photography remains a captivating and at-once surreal form of art. The absence of color forces both the photographer and the viewer to focus on composition, contrast, detail and the intricate interplay of light and shadow without the distractions of hue and color. Tone becomes replaces color, another way of saying ‘millions of shades of grey.’ Ironically, that’s just like life: millons of shades of grey.
SpaceX completed a doubleheader today; not that many people close to the launch site saw it.
At 6:13 PM, Falcon 9 lifted off out of a gloopy fog at Launch Complex 39A and lofted the Maxar 4 / WorldView 5 and WorldView 6 satellites into orbit on the second successful mission of the day for the company. The rising rocket was seen up the east coast as far as New York City, but here locally, fleeting glimpses was the order of the day.
After staging, Booster B1076 begins its descent maneuvers (top) while Falcon 9’s second stage continues its ascent (bottom)
In a milestone for space exploration and commercial spaceflight, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday.
At 2:03 a.m. EST, the 320-foot-tall New Glenn finally roared to life after two holds and was propelled by seven Blue Origin BE-4 engines fueled by liquid oxygen and methane.
Spectators crowded the beaches and riverfront to witness the spectacle, as the rocket ascended gracefully into a cloudy sky obscuring a nearly full moon.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rises off of the launch pad on its debut flight on January 16, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
In a milestone for space exploration and commercial spaceflight, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 36 at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. The historic maiden flight marked a significant step forward for the company, as it positions itself as a key player in the rapidly growing space industry.
At 2:03 a.m. EST, the 320-foot-tall New Glenn finally roared to life after two holds and was propelled by seven Blue Origin BE-4 engines fueled by liquid oxygen and methane.
Spectators crowded the beaches and riverfront to witness the spectacle, as the rocket ascended gracefully into a cloudy sky obscuring a nearly full moon.
After cheering wildly as New Glenn ascended Space Coast residents were pleased they witnessed another chapter in the area’s storied history of space exploration. “It’s inspiring to see this level of innovation happening here,” said Sandra Lyons, an engineer who watched the launch from the beach near Cherie Down Park in Cape Canaveral. “Every mission brings us closer to a future where space travel becomes routine,” she said. “It’s good that there are now several companies that can provide launch services for the country.”
The Cape Canaveral beaches were crowded with spectators gathered to watch the launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn debut launch.
After staging, the second stage — often a point of failure for debut flights — ignited as planned and continued the ascent of the rocket and payload. The second stage is in its final orbit following two successful burns of the BE-3U engines. The payload, Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder is receiving data and performing well.
In its stated criteria for success, Blue Origin achieved a rare feat: a successful first flight that achieved its primary goal of reaching orbit. Unfortunately, the secondary goal of landing the New Glenn first stage was unsuccessful. Blue Origin has yet to state the reason(s) the first stage did not land at sea as the company had hoped, but undoubtedly, the company gathered data and will have lessons learned not only from the failure of the recovery of the booster but also the flight itself of the entire system.
Statements From Blue Origin’s Leadership
“I’m incredibly proud New Glenn achieved orbit on its first attempt,” said Dave Limp, CEO, Blue Origin. “We knew landing our booster, So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance, on the first try was an ambitious goal. We’ll learn a lot from today and try again at our next launch this spring. Thank you to all of Team Blue for this incredible milestone.”
“Today marks a new era for Blue Origin and for commercial space,” said Jarrett Jones, Senior Vice President, New Glenn. “We’re focused on ramping our launch cadence and manufacturing rates. My heartfelt thanks to everyone at Blue Origin for the tremendous amount of work in making today’s success possible, and to our customers and the space community for their continuous support. We felt that immensely today.”
Blue skies Over Florida: New Glenn rising into the night on a pillar of blue fire. Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
In a long expected move, documents showing that SpaceX is planning to shift operations away from Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral’s Space Force Station’s old LC-13 to an area just east of the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 have been filed.
A recently released Master Drainage Plan Modification plat shows the location of the new landing zone for Falcon 9 landings.
LZ-1 and LZ-2 (as they are colloquially known in the spaceflight community) are on the site of the former Launch Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
LC-13 was constructed in 1956 used for test launches and operational Atlas launches from 1958 to 1978, when it was shuttered. The Mobile Service Tower was demolished by a controlled explosion in 2005 for safety reasons, and the blockhouse there was demolished in 2012.
A person standing in the middle of the main landing pad at LZ-1 shows its size. Photo: SpaceX
LC-13 was originally used for operational and test launches of the Atlas ICBM, and Atlas B, D, E and F missiles were also test launched from there. It was the most-used and longest-serving of the original four Atlas pads.
April 1956 – LC-13 construction started
14 April 1958 – Air Force accepted the launch complex
2 August 1958 – First of two Atlas B launches
14 April 1959 – 11 March 1960 – Thirteen Atlas D launches
15 February 1960 – Atlas Able exploded during static firing
11 October 1960 – 13 February 1962 – Fourteen Atlas E launches
10 November 1961 – Monkey “Goliath” launched on Atlas E; mission failed
9 August 1961 – One Atlas F launched
1962-1963 – Pad converted into an Atlas Agena D complex for space launches. The A-frame Mobile Service Tower was demolished and a new larger, square-shaped structure was built.
17 October 1963 – 20 July 1965 – Three VELA launches (two satellites each)
5 November 1964 – NASA Mariner 3 mission launched by an Atlas Agena
1966 – Launch complex turned over to NASA for civilian Atlas Agena D launches
6 November 1966 – 4 March 1968 – Six NASA Atlas Agena D launched; five Lunar Orbiter and one Orbiting Geophysical Observatory E
March 1968 – Returned to Air Force
6 August 1968 – 7 April 1978 – Eleven classified Atlas Agena D launches for the Air Force
7 April 1978 – Launch complex deactivated after the last launch. Supported 51 Atlas and Atlas Agena launches
6 August 2005 – Mobile Service Tower came down by a controlled explosion
June 2012 – Blockhouse demolished
February 2015 – Site leased by SpaceX to be used as a landing platform for the Falcon9 1st stage
Site renamed Landing Zone One (LZ-1)
21 December 2015 B1019 touched down during Falcon 9 flight 20
6 February 2018 Two booster touch down at LZ-1 and LZ-2 during Falcon Heavy Flight Test
Atlas Agena D with Mariner 3 on the launchpad, at Cape Canaveral’s LC-13 Photo: NASAAugust 2005 – Mobile Service Tower was demolished by a controlled explosion at LC-13 US Air Force ID050809-F-0000X-012SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster B1019 touched down at LZ-1 during flight 20 to become the first successfully returned orbital booster. Photo: SpaceXTwo booster touch down at LZ-1 and LZ-2 during Falcon Heavy Flight Test on 6 February 2018. Photo: SpaceX
LC-13’s Future
In 2023, the 2-pad launch site has been allocated to Cocoa, Florida based Vaya Space and also Phantom Space through the Department of the Air Force’s Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS), a program designed to support the commercial space market and demand at the Eastern Range.
At the time, Kevin Lowdermilk, CEO of Vaya Space said, “We are proud to be selected as one of the four companies in the first round of the Launch Pad Allocation Strategy by the Space Force and we truly appreciate their support of commercial space launch. We are pleased to call SLC-13 home.”
Rendering of the Vaya Dauntless rocket. Graphic: Vaya Space
“Launching from SLC-13 gives Vaya Space a long-term home on the Eastern Range to support our customers’ launch needs,” added Rob Fabian, COO of Vaya Space. “We’re looking forward to many launches from there alongside our friends from Phantom Space. It’s encouraging to see a new generation of commercial space launch vehicles rise up in the footprints of the old Atlas launch vehicles the site was built to launch.”
Vaya is producing the Dauntless rocket, which is propelled by solid rocket fuel. That fuel is produced from 99% recycled post-industrial thermoplastic, and the Dauntless rocket will utilize more than 7.8 metric tons per launch. Vaya states that the spent fuel exhaust will safely break it down into non-toxic byproducts.
Timing
At this point in time, the dates for the approval, construction and eventual move of SpaceX landing operations to the new landing pad are not known.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has fined Blue Origin $3000 plus costs for conducting a static fire of New Glenn’s second stage prior to the department issuing the company a permit to use Launch Complex 36’s water deluge system. The total amount came to $3,250, a nominal fine for the violation.
LC-36’s water deluge system in action in September 2024 as Blue Origin conducted a second stage static fire on the launch pad. Credit: Blue Origin
As a result, FDEP notified Blue Origin that they had violated the law, saying, “While Blue Origin applied for a permit for the LC-36 deluge system on May 31, 2024, no permit has been issued to date and the system may not be placed into service. This static fire appears to constitute an intentional unauthorized discharge of untreated industrial wastewater to the environment.”
After two previous delays, including an abort-at-ignition and a booster swap, SpaceX launched the ‘From One To Many’ payload for Astranis tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC) under broken skies on the Space Coast.
After two previous delays, including an abort-at-ignition and a booster swap, SpaceX launched the ‘From One To Many’ payload for Astranis tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC) under broken skies on the Space Coast.
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off at the stroke of midnight December 29th. It was carrying the Astranis ‘From One To Many’ payload to orbit. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Around 8.5 minutes later, Falcon 9 Booster B1083 completed its seventh mission successfully when it touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean. ASOG and B1083 will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and preparation for its eighth flight.
At 3:02 AM EST, Astranis CEO said, “Great news– we have acquired and established command authority over all four spacecraft.”
Falcon 9 venting late in the countdown before its launch on January 29, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Payload
Four Astranis MicroGEO Block 2 communications satellite were delivered to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Once they have been deployed, they will travel to their final orbital locations under their own power.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
SpaceX is planning to launch Starlink 12-6 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center NET Monday, December 30, 2024. The launch window opens at 12:00 AM EST (0500 UTC) and closes at 3:28 AM the same day.
Date: NET December 30, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 12-6
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
Launch Window: 12:00 – 03:28 AM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s ISP constellation.
A timelapse of the flight path of Falcon 9 / Astranis From One To Many on December 29, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Blue Origin New Glenn on the launch mount at LC-36. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville.
Blue Origin had a very good day on Friday: they completed their first-ever integrated static fire of New Glenn, after having received a five-year license for New Glenn launch and recovery operations for Cape Canaveral.m
Launch License
An FAA launch license was perhaps the last major regulatory milestone for Blue Origin in its launch campaign for the New Glenn maiden launch. Late Friday afternoon, the FAA announced that it had granted the company the necessary legal clearance to fly the vehicle:
“The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry without compromising public safety,” said the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman. “By working closely with Blue Origin, the FAA issued this new launch license well in advance of the statutory deadline for the historic maiden flight of New Glenn.”
Under the license, Blue Origin can conduct orbital missions from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida with the New Glenn first stage landing on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean. It is valid for five years.
Blue Completes First Static Fire Of New Glenn
In recent weeks, New Glenn has mostly been vertical at Launch Complex 36 as Blue Origin ran tests, honed procedures and rehearsed the terminal countdown of the rocket before its first flight. Those tests culminated Friday when launch controllers went all the way down to T-0 and briefly ignited New Glenn’s seven BE-4 main engines all together for the first time.
New Glenn during its integrated static fire Photo: Blue Origin
Blue Origin stated in a press release that the data obtained during testing will be utilized to finalize day-of-launch timelines, confirm expected performance, and correlate models to real-world test data.
“This is a monumental milestone and a glimpse of what’s just around the corner for New Glenn’s first launch,” said Jarrett Jones, SVP, New Glenn. “Today’s success proves that our rigorous approach to testing–combined with our incredible tooling and design engineering–is working as intended.”
The tanking test included a full run-through of the terminal count sequence, testing the hand-off authority to and from the flight computer, and collecting fluid validation data. The first stage (GS1) tanks were filled and pressed with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX), and the second stage (GS2) with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen–both to representative NG-1 set points.
The formal NG-1 Wet Dress Rehearsal demonstrated the final launch procedures leading into the hotfire engine run. All seven engines performed nominally, firing for 24 seconds, including at 100% thrust for 13 seconds. The test also demonstrated New Glenn’s autogenous pressurization system, which self-generates gases to pressurize GS1’s propellant tanks.
Blue Origin, September 27, 2024
According to Blue Origin, “The campaign met all objectives and marks the final major test prior to launch.”
New Glenn is now expected to launch on January 6, 2025.
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