AeroSpace | Range Tracking

Earthshine

2019/08/29 by terranovabay

No, this is not an eclipse. Earthshine is a fun phenomena that mimics the bright light from the full Moon illuminated the Earth but in reverse. In this case, a crescent Moon waxing or waning near the time of a new Moon has the shadowed part of the Moon lit up by the reflected light from the Earth, which in the lunar sky is bright and almost full. An extraterrestrial interchange from what Earthbound observers are used to seeing with […]

Categories: Astrophotography • Tags: Crescent Moon, Earthshine, Full Moon, Moon, New Moon

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History on view from a distance

2019/08/27 by terranovabay

A high elevation reveals a few historic structures rising above the trees out on the expanse of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. At left is Launch Complex 5/6 where a Mercury-Redstone rocket stands on the old launch pad commemorating the first Mercury flights carrying American astronauts into space. Rising in the center is Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. The original Cape Canaveral Lighthouse was an iron tower built in 1868 that operated until shoreline erosion in the mid 1890s forced it to […]

Categories: Space Age Bulletins • Tags: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, Hanger C, Launch Complex 5/6, Mercury-Redstone, Wernher Von Braun

GPS III SV02

2019/08/25 by terranovabay

The Solid Rocket Motors separate at 1 minute 40 seconds into the flight of the last single-core Delta IV rocket on 22 August 2019 delivering the second Global Positioning System (GPS) III spacecraft, “Magellan,” into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Click to view the gallery of launch images.

Categories: Rocket Launch • Tags: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Delta IV, Global Positioning System, GPS III SV02, Kennedy Space Center, Magellan, SLC 37, ULA, United Launch Alliance

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Launching the Artemis Generation

2019/08/23 by terranovabay

The second phase, or extension, if you will, of the Apollo Program is coming to light 50 years after it should have been initiated. Better late than never, I guess. Plans to return astronauts to the Moon, this time to build a small space station called Gateway in lunar orbit, with astronauts visiting the surface for longer periods of exploration, are starting to come together under the name of Artemis. According to NASA, “Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo and […]

Categories: Space Age Bulletins • Tags: Artemis, Kennedy Space Center, Mobile Launch Tower, Mobile Launcher, Moon, SLS, Space Launch System

GPS III SV02 Magellan Preview

2019/08/22 by terranovabay

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket launches GPS III SV02 “Magellan” from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as seen from the LC-39 Observation Gantry at Kennedy Space Center at 9:06AM on 22 August 2019. More images of the launch to follow. Probably this weekend when I can find the time to work them.

Categories: Rocket Launch • Tags: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Delta IV, Global Positioning System, GPS III SV02, Kennedy Space Center, Magellan, SLC 37, ULA, United Launch Alliance

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Counting down to Delta IV GPS III Magellan

2019/08/21 by terranovabay

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) rocket will deliver the second GPS III spacecraft, “Magellan,” to a medium earth orbit (MEO) for the U.S. Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center. Liftoff is planned to occur from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 22 August 2019. SLC-37 is seen a couple of weeks before the launch with the Delta IV launch vehicle safely tucked away inside the Mobile Service Tower as seen from […]

Categories: Space Age Bulletins • Tags: ASOC, Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Delta IV, Delta IV rocket, Global Positioning System, GPS, GPS III SV02, Magellan, SLC 37, Space Launch Complex 37, ULA, United Launch Alliance

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Lost In Space 50th Anniversary, Again

2019/08/20 by terranovabay

Revisiting the Lost in Space 50th Anniversary exhibit at the Air Force Space & Missle Center: The Air Force Space & Missile History Center, next to the SpaceX Launch Control Center, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is hosting two exhibits on fabulous Pop TV culture from the 1960s. The first exhibit features Lost in Space, a science fiction TV series created by Irwin Allen airing from September 1965 to March 1968 for 83 episodes on CBS. They produced 84 […]

Categories: Space Age Bulletins • Tags: Air Force Space and Missile History Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, CBS, Dr. Smith, I Dream of Jeannie, Irwin Allen, Jupiter 2, Lost in Space, NBC, Space Pod, The Robot

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Launch Weather Impacts

2019/08/18 by terranovabay

An interesting graphic showing how weather impacts rocket launches from Cape Canaveral via a display by the 45th Weather Squadron.

Categories: Space Age Bulletins • Tags: 45th Weather Squadron, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

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AEHF-5 Streak Shot

2019/08/12 by terranovabay

A parting shot of AEHF-5 carried by its Atlas V rocket streaking off into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the early morning hours of 8 August 2019. Click to view the launch gallery.

Categories: Rocket Launch • Tags: Advanced Extremely High Frequency, AEHF-5, Air Force, Atlas V, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, ULA, ULA Social, United Launch Alliance

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AEHF-5

2019/08/11 by terranovabay

I participated in the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Social Media event featuring tours of ULA and Air Force facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station culminating in the launch of an Atlas V rocket carrying AEHF-5, an advanced military communications satellite, into orbit on 8 August 2019. Click to view two pages of selected photos from the event.

Categories: Rocket Launch • Tags: Advanced Extremely High Frequency, AEHF-5, Air Force, Atlas V, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, ULA, ULA Social, United Launch Alliance

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Range Tracking

Photography by Bob Montanaro

Category Archives: AeroSpace

Earthshine

History on view from a distance

GPS III SV02

Launching the Artemis Generation

GPS III SV02 Magellan Preview

Counting down to Delta IV GPS III Magellan

Lost In Space 50th Anniversary, Again

Launch Weather Impacts

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