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Falcon Heavy
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Apr 12, 2019 07:24:14   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
Headed to the Cape yesterday to observe and attempt to photograph the second ever Falcon Heavy Launch, the worlds most powerful rocket with an Arabsat Communications Satellite. It was scheduled to go on Wednesday evening but upper level winds cancelled the launch. We, along with thousands of other, were on the Titusville causeway near the entrance to the Canaveral NWR, which was totally closed for the launch. Launch pad 39 is one of the more northerly pads and we were about 10 miles away from the launch site. Liftoff was 1836 and the countdown went according to plan, perfect.

SPECS; Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. With the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lb), a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel....first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit.

What was really amazing is the last picture, two of the three boosters from the Falcon Heavy landing back at Cape Canaveral on specified pads (about 13 miles for my position). The center booster landed on its pad further down range....All in all, a beautiful launch and recovery.

Leaving Gantry
Leaving Gantry...
(Download)

Clearing Gantry
Clearing Gantry...
(Download)

Falcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy...
(Download)

Falcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy...
(Download)

Falcon Heavy
Falcon Heavy...
(Download)

Falcon Heavy Boosters
Falcon Heavy Boosters...
(Download)

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Apr 12, 2019 07:46:13   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
Absolutely amazing, thank you!

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Apr 12, 2019 07:55:05   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
tommy2 wrote:
Absolutely amazing, thank you!


You're more than welcome Tommy, photos aren't great (distance and ability got in the way)... but the experience was fantastic.

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Apr 12, 2019 07:55:45   #
alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ
 
Someday I'll get to see one of these.

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Apr 12, 2019 08:01:08   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
alberio wrote:
Someday I'll get to see one of these.


I hope you do alberio, its always great in person....when an event like this is scheduled, prepare to fight the exiting traffic. On Wed evening when it was cancelled, it took us over an hour to just get off the causeway...However, its always worth it, make a party out of it...

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Apr 12, 2019 08:02:54   #
Feiertag Loc: British Columbia, Canada
 
Good show, Blaster.

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Apr 12, 2019 08:05:04   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
Thanks Harold, it was an beautiful day, warm (82 degrees) with a 10-12 mph breeze, another great day for a launch.

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Apr 12, 2019 08:09:35   #
jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana
 
Excellent!

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Apr 12, 2019 08:15:59   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
jaymatt wrote:
Excellent!


Thank you jaymatt

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Apr 12, 2019 12:40:30   #
gwr Loc: South Dartmouth, Ma.
 
Outstanding set!! Gary

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Apr 12, 2019 14:30:43   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
gwr wrote:
Outstanding set!! Gary


Thanks Gary, appreciate the comment.

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Apr 12, 2019 22:06:23   #
Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV
 
Really nice photos. I took some of the heavy lift from Vandenberg AFB a couple months ago. Yours are better.

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Apr 13, 2019 06:02:20   #
Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast
 
Retired CPO wrote:
Really nice photos. I took some of the heavy lift from Vandenberg AFB a couple months ago. Yours are better.


Thanks Chief appreciate the comments. Getting close to one of these launches is difficult even if you take the Cape Tour and purchase seats, you're still miles from the launch site. The causeway where we were was probably about as close as anyone could get w/out being on the complex...still I'm sure many got better photos than I did, I saw some HUGE Fixed lenses out there...

Cheers!

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Apr 13, 2019 07:59:43   #
jbk224 Loc: Long Island, NY
 
Very cool. And I do love the last with the two coming back home. The story makes your photo better!

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Apr 13, 2019 08:51:51   #
Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida
 
GOOD JOB

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