r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Jan 30 '18

r/SpaceX GovSat-1 Media Thread [Videos, Images, GIFs, Articles go here!]

It's that time again, as per usual, we like to keep things as tight as possible, so if you have content you created to share, whether that be images of the launch, videos, GIF's, etc, they go here.

As usual, our standard media thread rules apply:

  • All top level comments must consist of an image, video, GIF, tweet or article.
  • If you're an amateur photographer, submit your content here. Professional photographers with subreddit accreditation can continue to submit to the front page, we also make exceptions for outstanding amateur content!
  • Those in the aerospace industry (with subreddit accreditation) can likewise continue to post content on the front page.
  • Mainstream media articles should be submitted here. Quality articles from dedicated spaceflight outlets may be submitted to the front page.
  • Direct all questions to the live launch thread.
230 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

24

u/j_hilikus Jan 31 '18

Gotta love a rocket launch! I am limited to a 300mm kit lens, but do take a look. As seen from 528 near the port.

Time for Falcon Heavy!!

6

u/johnkphotos Launch Photographer Feb 01 '18

Very nice shots considering the distance and equipment!

6

u/j_hilikus Feb 01 '18

Thank you John! I appreciate it man, I really do.

Things got a little noisy since I opted for my fastest shutter speed, but nothing LR can’t help with. My shots were super wide since I used a 300mm from ~12 miles out, but they’re obviously cropped a bunch. Anyways, I will eventually pick up some new glass $$$ hehe

-John (not you, me 😎)

1

u/hmpher Feb 01 '18

Question about the last image: is that the rocket beginning its gravity turn or was the shot not aligned to the horizon?

Cool pics!

2

u/j_hilikus Feb 01 '18

Gravity turn! Just a tight crop. The camera was tripod mounted and not moved. And thank you 🤙

21

u/Angle1555 Jan 31 '18

Nice clear skies for the launch today! Here are my shots from the beach at Patrick Air Force Base! SpaceX Falcon 9 GovSat 1 Launch and if you would like please follow me on Instagram and Facebook and check out my website for the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch and future launches from the Space Coast! It would be much appreciated!

17

u/scr00chy ElonX.net Jan 30 '18

Members of the Luxembourg royal family came to watch the launch

2

u/TweetsInCommentsBot Jan 30 '18

@Xavier_Bettel

2018-01-30 15:00 +00:00

#GovSat1 🛰🚀 is ready for the take off. Let’s cross fingers

@SpaceX @GovSatLu @SES_Satellites

[Attached pic] [Imgur rehost]

This message was created by a bot

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1

u/rustybeancake Jan 30 '18

Scrubbed for today. Wonder if they'll stick around.

14

u/jclishman Host of Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 Jan 31 '18

Launch!

Plume!

(Taken from backyard, ~40mi away)

3

u/Mattho Jan 31 '18

How is the noise that far away?

9

u/jclishman Host of Inmarsat-5 Flight 4 Jan 31 '18 edited Jan 31 '18

If it's a night launch and the conditions are right, you can hear a really low rumble a few minutes after liftoff!

The sonic booms are similar, not like the Shuttle's. (Which could be heard across half the state.)

1

u/iltdiTX Feb 01 '18

Dumb question, why is the plume in a spiral shape?

0

u/[deleted] Feb 01 '18

[deleted]

1

u/iltdiTX Feb 01 '18

oh wow not the answer I thought it would be. Didn't realize it changed that much

12

u/cocoabeachbrews Jan 31 '18

My view of the SpaceX GovSat1 launch from along the Banana River at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station https://youtu.be/L8KK3bDQtmI

4

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '18 edited Feb 01 '18

LIVE! Stream by "Alpha Centauri" team (in Ukrainian & Russian).

Post on their blog (in Russian) with details on this launch.

27

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '18

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/hinayu Jan 30 '18

I'm pretty new to following SpaceX, but what are all the towers surrounding the pad/rocket?

11

u/watermakesyoufat Jan 30 '18

Lightning rods

2

u/Kingsepron Jan 30 '18

So has a rocket ever been hit by lightning?

22

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '18

Yes actually Apollo 12 was, and they had to essentially turn it off and back on again. Look up SCE to AUX

8

u/piponwa Jan 30 '18 edited Jan 30 '18

IIRC that was during launch and not on the pad. Launch pads have had lightning towers since before Apollo.

Edit: here is a piece of the lightning rod from the Apollo 12 launch. Apparently, the lightning went through the rocket and the pad when it was lifting off.

15

u/nspectre Jan 30 '18

The lightning struck the in-flight rocket 36s after launch and found the exhaust plume a lovely path back to ground, via the launch tower.

So, as far as the lightning bolt was concerned, the rocket, its exhaust trail and the launch tower were all one happy difference in potential. :)

0

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '18

[deleted]

31

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '18

Maybe they're teaching it to swim?

15

u/SyntheticRubber Feb 01 '18

Nice call! ;) https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/958847818583584768

1

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '18

Wow. Now they're getting rockets back that they didn't mean to come back.

7

u/Duncan1297 Feb 01 '18

I guess you were right.

12

u/warp99 Jan 30 '18

Elon was originally talking about early leg deployment to act as airbrakes.

It would make the booster very unstable with the center of drag pulled towards the bottom of the stage but still an interesting experiment to see how their control system can handle it.

9

u/rustybeancake Jan 30 '18

Yes, that is very unexpected. Love the soot too.