Sunday, July 1, 2018

Fabulous 'Space Jellyfish' Floods Florida Space Coast Twilight Skies as SpaceX Falcon 9 Soars to Space Station: Gallery

Long exposure streak shot of spectacularly beautiful and successful launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before dawn at 5:42 a.m. on June 29, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force, as it arcs over and disappears near the horizon on the way to orbit.  It is carrying the Dragon CRS-15 cargo ship loaded with 3 tons of science for NASA to the ISS.  Captured from the roof of NASA’s iconic VAB at the Kennedy Space Center.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Ken Kremer  --   SpaceUpClose.com  --   30 June 2018

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL –  A fabulous looking ‘space jellyfish’ flooded the Florida Space Coast twilight skies early Friday morning – created as a by-product of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soaring off the Cape launch pad bound for the International Space Station on a resupply mission for NASA. 
The recycled SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida’s Spaceport June 29 and put on an absolutely stunning sky show in the first minutes of its critical mission carrying nearly 6000 pounds of research and gear aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for NASA. 
Check out our expanding Space UpClose gallery of photos from myself and space journalist colleagues.  Click back as the gallery grows.
Long exposure streak shot of spectacularly beautiful and successful launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before dawn at 5:42 a.m. on June 29, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force.  It is carrying the Dragon CRS-15 cargo ship loaded with 3 tons of science for NASA  to the ISS  - captured from roof of NASA’s iconic VAB at the Kennedy Space Center.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
The reused SpaceX Falcon 9 and recycled Dragon CRS-15 commercial cargo freighter lifted off into nearly cloudy free pristine twilight skies precisely on time Friday June 29 at 5:42 a.m. EDT (0942 GMT) from seaside Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The phenomena that created the ‘space jellyfish’ is known as the twilight phenomena. 


Spectacular ‘Space Jellyfish’ like exhaust plume from the June 29, 2018 predawn launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 in the first minutes after liftoff Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:42 a.m. EDT on Dragon CRS-15 cargo delivery run for NASA to the ISS.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com













As the 2 stage rocket rose to the heavens sunlight glistened on the expanding exhaust plume creating a giant moving jellyfish-like figure bathed in a mesmerizing and spectacularly wide range of pastel colors painting the heavens above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida as it moved through the skies in the first minutes after liftoff, arcing over on a northeasterly trajectory as it accelerated skywards delivering the Dragon CRS-15 cargo freighter to low Earth orbit. 



The sun is illuminating the exhaust plume from the rocket rising to space in this case creating a ‘space jellyfish.’ 

"These pre-sunrise or post-sunset launches give for a spectacular show in the sky," Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management for SpaceX, said at the CRS-15 briefing for reporters at the Kennedy Space Center. 
"Basically, what's happening is, it's still dark outside, but you have the sun illuminating the plume as it's in space. I like to refer to it as the ‘space jellyfish’ that's coming down after us." 

Many observers including myself felt this was one of the most beautiful and psychedelic looking launches ever from the Cape.
This was the 15th SpaceX resupply mission launched to the International Space Station under the original Commercial Resupply Services contract (CRS-1) with NASA.
Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 on Dragon CRS-15 mission on June 29, 2018 from pad 40 on Cape Canaveral, FL that created giant ‘space jellyfish’ over the Space Coast after liftoff. Credit: Dawn Leek Taylor
The Dragon CRS-15 spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the ISS Monday morning, July 2. 
NASA TV will broadcast live coverage of the arrival with capture by the Canadian built robotic arm expected around 7 a.m. EDT.
Giant ‘space jellyfish’ exhaust plume created over the Florida Space Coast skies after launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before dawn at 5:42 a.m. on June 29, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Giant ‘space jellyfish’ exhaust plume created over the Florida Space Coast skies after launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before dawn at 5:42 a.m. on June 29, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com


Giant ‘space jellyfish’ exhaust plume created over the Florida Space Coast skies after launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket before dawn at 5:42 a.m. on June 29, 2018 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Read our detailed articles about the mission.  
Among the cargo is the AI artificial intelligence imbued free flying robot named CIMON provided by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the ECOSTRESS water monitoring platform from JPL, cancer and human health research experiments and a new hand for the Canadian built robotic arm.
CRS-15 marks the 12th flight overall for SpaceX in 2018 and the 2nd ISS resupply mission for NASA in 2018.
Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 on Dragon CRS-15 mission on June 29, 2018 from pad 40 on Cape Canaveral, FL. Credit: Julian Leek

Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 on Dragon CRS-15 mission on June 29, 2018 from pad 40 on Cape Canaveral, FL. Credit: Julian Leek
SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:42 a.m. EDT on Dragon CRS-15 cargo delivery run for NASA to the ISS.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com 

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:42 a.m. EDT on Dragon CRS-15 cargo delivery run for NASA to the ISS.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com




Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital ATK and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.


Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Falcon 9 flies past 98.5% illuminated Moon after launching Dragon cargo craft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:42 a.m. EDT June 29, 2018.  Dragon dazzles with CRS-15 cargo ship delivering 3 tons of science & CIMON AI astronaut assistant to International Space Station by SpaceX for NASA.  Eerie LOX cloud spreads out and envelopes pad surface. From my remote camera at pad 40. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Post launch briefing for SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon CRS-15 mission at NASA Kennedy Space Center press site on June 28, 2018 with Kirk Shireman, NASA ISS Program manager, Jessica Jensen, SpaceX Dragon mission development director, and NASA PAO Stephanie Schierholz. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Falcon 9 flies past 98.5% illuminated Moon after launching Dragon cargo craft from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:42 a.m. EDT June 29, 2018.  Dragon dazzles with CRS-15 cargo ship delivering 3 tons of science & CIMON AI astronaut assistant to International Space Station by SpaceX for NASA.  Eerie LOX cloud spreads out and envelopes pad surface. From my remote camera at pad 40. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com 


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