Capturing the beauty of launch
The Sun was blazing, but we felt the relief of a light breeze. The wildlife stirred as we bustled to prepare the telescope and array of cameras. The Falcon 9 stood majestically on the pad across the water. The telescope was set, the joystick controls functioning, the countdown going, and we were poised for that magic moment: At 5:31 pm, the plume gushed out, that bright flame rose, and the ANASIS-II mission was on its way to space.
I marveled at the scene, mouth gaping, as the sound ripped through my chest. Suddenly, I recalled I was filming—of course! I was aiming to capture a behind-the-scenes view. Was Ryan able to track the rocket with the telescope? Yes he was. And, it was glorious.
Engine closeup in flight 🔥🔭🚀
— Cosmic Perspective (@considercosmos) July 21, 2020
Another look at @SpaceX Falcon 9 with #ANASIS2 and telescopic tracked slomo 🕹️🎥@elonmusk
🙏crazy scope crew @OPT_Telescopes @Erdayastronaut @astroferg #SpaceX #slowmotion pic.twitter.com/r9bXutk7oD
Welcome home fairing catchers!
— Cosmic Perspective (@considercosmos) July 22, 2020
Congratulations @SpaceX on the first double catch! 🎉
0.5 + 0.5 = 1.0 ☑️#SpaceX #SpaceXFleet pic.twitter.com/83TnYyeiQF
Returning from Space, Making History Again
Mere minutes after liftoff, the rocket landed itself ever-so-gracefully on the droneship in a way that all SpaceX fans have come to expect. This was the second flight for this history-making booster. On May 30, 2020, it sent Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station, marking the first time a commercial company launched humans to space. The quick turn-around time between launches also set a record for orbital-class rockets.
What’s more: The fairing-catcher boats, Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief, were perfectly poised to simultaneously catch both payload fairings for the first time ever. In the wee hours, we set out on a journey to capture the fairing boats as they waded back into the Port of Canaveral with their sacred bounty.
Returning to the pad
Once again, we convoyed out to the launchpad. This is always the moment of truth. Did our triggers function properly? Had our cameras collected the beauty we envisioned when we placed them? Once again, we were overwhelmed with the beauty we began to unveil as we reviewed the footage.
This ever-rewarding adventure is full of excitement and surprise at every turn. We love to push the bounds and see what new beauty we can unveil with our technology. In the coming days, we’ll share more of our captures. From the remote rocket-tracker camera, time lapse, 180 stereoscopic VR, and the high-speed launchpad shots, there is still much to uncover.
Meanwhile, we invite you to join us on our journey. Be the first to learn about our captures. Dive into our community discussions and come behind the scenes with us as we document this exciting new era of spaceflight.
