Delta IV Rocket Launch
Delta IV Rocket Launch
Here's some pics of the Delta IV launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station this past Friday evening. The launch was initially scheduled to go off around 7:15 PM, but due to some technical issues it did go until after 8. It's fairly typical to have launch delays which can vary from mechanical anomalies on the rocket to weather concerns. Every launch has a time frame referred to as a window in which take off must occur. The window can be anywhere from a few minutes long to several hours depending on the particular mission. If there are any problems they must be fixed during the window or the launch will be scrubbed and happen on another day. Friday's window was several hours long and issues were resolved in time so the rocket launched that evening.
The campground we are staying at is close enough to Cape Canaveral that generally we can get a great view of a launch without fighting traffic to get closer. Depending on which way the wind is blowing we can generally hear the rocket's rumble as it climbs into space.
When we first went outside to watch, it was still light out. We spotted a wood stork and great egret across the lake sharing a perch. These are the first two that claimed their spot for the night. By the time it turns dark, there will be hundreds of white birds nested in the trees.
Here are a few more shots of the rocket.
Here is a photo of the Delta IV launch pad that I took a few years ago.
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Enjoy!
Roger
That is awesome! I lived at Patrick AFB for almost a year and love, love, loved watching the launches.
You really captured the experience and I applaud your intelligence in staying right at the camping site to watch the launch at night. Oh, no! I had to go to Jetty Park! And I even knew better, but, it was the last launch of the Space Shuttle. Who could miss that? Several scrubs later, it launched.
I especially like your shot of the launch pad. Pretty cool and you got a great shot of it!
Thank you for the awesome share of your experience!
!tip
I worked for the Air Force at the Cape for 15 years. I was fortunate enough to watch that last shuttle launch from the parking lot at our building! If you haven't seen it yet, the new Atlantis exhibit at KSC is awesome.
I had a friend named Chris who worked at Cape Canaveral during the last launch also! I wonder if you knew him? He was in the Air Force. I'm just fortunate to be able to see some of the launches up close and personal.
Oh wow! I worked for the Launch Group. Where did your friend work?
In actuality he worked for NASA through the Air Force, before they trashed the astronaut track. I want to say he worked for Mission Control
I probably wouldn't have known him if he worked for NASA. I only interacted with people on the Air Force side and only small groups of them.
Ah! Probably not then. Anyway, it is always nice to know someone in the right places that love to share that part of their life.
And I actually did see the Atlantis exhibit
Isn't it awesome!
It is totally sweet!!!!! Yes!
That must have been so cool to experience! I bet the noise was unreal 😁 thanks for sharing
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Thank you for your comments! The noise is impressive especially if you are close to it!
Oh wow! I"m completely jealous that you can see this live! I'm guessing that you have a pretty serious zoom on your camera to get that shot of the launch pad....
I took that shot of the launch pad several years ago. I was pretty close to it. I didn't need to zoom!
Weird... I would have thought that security around the launch pad would be pretty heavy (or do you work there?).
I worked there!
Oh man! Lucky you to be so close to all the action!
That looks so cool to watch. It looks like a giant missile. Or fireworks at night.
Thank you for you comments! It is a giant missile!
New things to learn, thank you :) I suppose this is only the light trail we see on the pictures and the rocket body must be in the dark above.
You are right! The rocket thrust is so bright that the rocket itself is in the dark. If the launch had gone off a little earlier when it was still light out you would have been able to see the rocket body.
Wow. Brilliant stuff @rwedegis
I would love to experience a launch one day. We don't get a lot of them in the UK or Romania. It will have to be a big trip.
Gaz
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There is usually one or two launches a month here. Maybe one day you'll be able to see one.
I would like that.
Hello my friend how are you today? What is the Delta IV? Is it a satellite launch? Looks like a really cool experience to watch the launch. Seeing that bright trail of fire in the night sky must have been amazing.
I'm doing well thanks! Delta IV is one of the three types of rockets that they launch from Cape Canaveral at this time. The Delta IV and Atlas V are owned and launched by the Air Force and the Falcon 9 which is owned and launched by SpaceX, a private company owned by Elon Musk. SpaceX is also developing the Dragon rocket which will be carrying astronauts into space soon.
The Delta IV launch the other night was carrying a WGS satellite into space. The WGS is a military communications satellite. The night launches are really cool to watch. They light up the whole sky at take off!
I don't know what I would enjoy more--the rocket launch or all those birds nesting in one spot. ;) Though I suppose that's the cool thing, you got to experience both! The best of both nature and technology!
Thank you for you your comments! Just enjoy it all!
Twenty years and a day ago , the show Farscape premiered, and the opening scenes took place at Canaveral. Awesome timing on your part to feature this now, and it made my geeky heart ridiculously happy.
Gorgeous shots, as always too. Oh, and I've started tweeting out posts for the #SteemTweets thing (trying to bring awareness of the blockchain to the masses) and yours is here -
https://twitter.com/TraciYorkWriter/status/1108334138933825537
Thought of you and Sheila yesterday when Cailli & I drove past your campground. We're still in our same place, but still actively searching for new digs. Looking forward to breakfast sometime in a month or two. 😊
Thank you for the shout out on Twitter! You are awesome! I never watched Farscape or even remember it. 20 years ago on that date I was still living in New Hampshire, but moved to Florida a few months later.
I am definitely looking forward to breakfast!
That's cool. The only launch I've ever seen in person was a shuttle launch in the Spring or so of 1998. It was during the day and I was standing in the water next to a Laser sailboat eating lunch during a break in a day of sailing school. The launch seemed pretty distant, but I could clearly make out the shuttle.
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives
I was surprised at how far away you can see the launch from here. I'm sure that has something to do with how flat Florida is. Thank you for your comments!