SpaceX

There is a right side (sun behind you) and a wrong side (sun in your face) to photograph a launch. I was on the wrong side today, but that was okay: I met some really nice people, and got to enjoy watching a young fellow who had made the trip from Texas setting up his camera gear for liftoff. He and his mother were delightful.

That’s part of the joy of watching launches from one of the public spots: you never know who you’re going to meet, and it is nice to help them out when I can. I’ve met folks from England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, The Czech Republic, Russia and most all of the states. To a single one, they were nice people who were really excited to see SpaceX launch a rocket. I hope they all had fun, and I hope they want to come back here again.

Photographically, by no means my best day, but as I mentioned, I was in the wrong place to get great photos in simmering air and a thick, hazy sky. And so it goes…I don’t mind. I had fun anyway. Besides, the video came out better.

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The view of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch carrying the SATRIA-1 satellite for Indonesia on June 18, 2023. Shot with a Nikon Z8, using a Nikkor 200-500mm telephoto lens.

The launch was the twelfth flight of Booster 1067, which successfully touched down on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” which was pre-positioned offshore prior to the launch. Another ship was out to sea to capture the payload fairings that surrounded the satellite at launch to protect it from atmospheric forces as it ascended towards orbit. Like Booster 1067, SpaceX plans to return the fairings to land for refurbishment and reuse at some point in the future.

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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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