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Has anyone seen a launch?

Athen

By Athen
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NSEP

NSEP

Posted
Posted

I saw firework rockets. Does that count?

I live in Western Europe, the last time an actual 'rocket' launch took place here in WW2. V-2 rocket, never saw that thing fly, because you know, that was like 75 years ago or something.

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XB-70A

XB-70A

Posted
Posted

Some since the last autumn:

I.    2017-08-14 (16:31) - Dragon CRS-12 - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SCL-39A

Spoiler

 

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(Awful resolution)

 

 


II.    2017-10-11 (22 :53) - SES 11/Echostar 105 - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-39A

Spoiler

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III.    2017-12-15 (15:36) - Dragon CRS-13 - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

RoCBys1.jpg?1

amNwBJS.jpg

 

 

IV.    2018-01-08 (01:00) - Zuma (USA-280) - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

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V.    2018-01-20 (00:48) - SBIRS GEO-4 (USA-282) - Atlas V 411 - SLC-41

(I held the camcorder at full concentration for about 2 minutes until I noticed that the recording mode was off...)

 


VI.    2018-01-31 (21:25) - SES 16/GovSat 1 - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

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VII.    2018-02-06 (20:45) - Tesla Roadster - Falcon Heavy - SLC-39A

Spoiler

 

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VIII.    2018-03-01 (22:02:00) - GOES-17 (GOES-S) - Atlas V 541 - SLC-41

Spoiler

 

FdDbJbA.png

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(This launch was the hardiest to follow due to its impressive acceleration)

 

 


IX.    2018-03-06 (05:33) - Hispasat 30W6 ( + PODSAT) - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

jUPlv9W.png

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(The sole averagely good pictures from this launch, all the others are terrible)

 

 


X.    2018-04-02 (20:30) - Dragon CRS-14 ( + RemoveDEBRIS / Overview 1A / UBAKUSAT / 1KUN-PF / Irazu) - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

Wp3MOD8.jpg

a47ieC7.jpg

A lot of dust and sand from the Sahara made all the images blurrier than usual that day.

 

 


XI.    2018-04-14 (23:13) - AFSPC-11 ( + EAGLE) - Atlas V 551 - SLC-41

Spoiler

 

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XII.    2018-04-18 (22:51) – T.E.S.S. (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) - Falcon 9 v1.2 - SLC-40

Spoiler

 

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XIII.    2018-05-11 (20:14) - Bangabandhu-1 - Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5 - SLC-39A

Spoiler

 

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I recently missed SES-12 due to a professional travel, but considering the others I was lucky to see I will not complain at all, it's already wonderful. I just hope to attend Parker in early August, it's really the launch I'm waiting for.

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XB-70A

XB-70A

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, StrandedonEarth said:

zip

I'm realizing what a huge chance it is. It amazes me when I'm talking with some people who lived around here for more than 20 years and telling me they never went to see a single launch since.

But, weren't you present for the Falcon Heavy launch? I (falsely?) remember you were mentioning to attend the launch from Playalinda Beach in late January.

 

Since the Dragon 13th flight in last December there is something I'm thinking about: I would like to create some kind of a group or an association to give the opportunity to people to see a launch in their life. I know that one assoc' is already acting over here, but it's reserved to U.S. veterans. Some don't have the means or the time to afford a trip here, I guess it could be nice to help them complete a dream. I found a way to bring each of my parents to attend a launch when they came to visit me (CRS-13 and T.E.S.S.), and both of them told me they will never forget what they saw and heard these days.

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StrandedonEarth

StrandedonEarth

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Posted
43 minutes ago, XB-70A said:

But, weren't you present for the Falcon Heavy launch? I (falsely?) remember you were mentioning to attend the launch from Playalinda Beach in late January.

You must be thinking of someone else, the closest I've come to planning to be at a launch is hoping that by some fluke (better chance of winning the lottery) there'd be a VandyLaunch when I was at DisneyLand last year. But seeing a launch is on my bucket list; our current aspirational travel goal is for DisneyWorld in 2020 with a KSC tour. We'll try to plan it for when a launch is scheduled, but the usual likelihood of schedule slip will make that a faint hope.

1 hour ago, Bill Phil said:

Didn't Rush see that one? I seem to recall that Countdown was inspired by STS-1.

Yup

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MDZhB

MDZhB

Posted
Posted

I saw the Falcon Heavy launch from a distance. It was amazing even seeing it from far away, because of how huge it was. I saw a GPS satellite launch at KSC (the real one), as well as the last Space Shuttle launch (not from KSC though).

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razark

razark

Posted
Posted

I watched something launch in the early '90s from a beach in Florida.  On the same trip, I got to see a shuttle stack being rolled out of the VAB.

 

My father got tickets for a whole group of family for the last shuttle launch before his retirement.  The launch was delayed due to hail damage to the ET, so we never ended up going.  One of the great sadnesses of my life.

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Jeb1969

Jeb1969

Posted
Posted

I personally have not seen a launch of any spacecraft the closest I have gotten to them is watching the replays on YouTube. Although I have always wanted to see one at either Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg AFB , Baikonur Cosmodrome, or sometimes I wish I could view one at Kourou (It is a shame ESA only allows the press and personnel to view the launches.) (Last time I checked), because I would bet that they allowed the public to view the launches at Kourou, French Guiana could make some serious tourist revenue. 

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razark

razark

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Posted
1 hour ago, kerbiloid said:

In NASA underground bunker on Canaveral.

My father told me once that while he had been present at a number of launches, he had never actually seen a launch, since the room he was in didn't have a window directly facing the pad, and the shuttle only came into view once it had risen to a decent altitude. 

So one day, he figured how long it would take him to get out of the room, down the stairs, and out of the building.  Shortly before the launch, he excuses himself and manages to actually watch the launch.

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XB-70A

XB-70A

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Posted (edited)
10 hours ago, Jeb1969 said:

I wish I could view one at Kourou (It is a shame ESA only allows the press and personnel to view the launches.) (Last time I checked), because I would bet that they allowed the public to view the launches at Kourou, French Guiana could make some serious tourist revenue. 

Agree with this. Locally, many people are going on a famous beach near Cayenne, or are stopping on roads shoulders to look every time there is a launch happening. Alas, the tourism industry is extremely "quiet" in French Guiana, far away from most of the Caribbean islands, the economy relying mainly on the the primary and secondary sectors here. Many people are still considering this land as the "Green Hell", maybe a space-related tourism attraction could help to fight this image.

About it and more personally, one of my uncles used to work for the C.N.E.S. for about 40 years, frequently being sent to different launch locations between the 80's and the 90's for common programs between the E.S.A, the N.A.S.A., and at the time the Soviets for the Interkosmos program. One day he told me, "I could take you to see a launch everywhere, but in Kourou" Even the closest relatives being forbidden to approach the spaceport.

Edited by XB-70A
Aurhtaugraf
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TheSaint

TheSaint

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Posted

Close, but no cigar. My sub was pulled in to Port Canaveral, which is about 13 miles from LC-39. The shuttle was launching the morning we were getting underway, so everyone was mustering up on the pier to watch the launch. But, since we were getting underway, someone had to start up the engine room, and I was one of the guys who drew the short straw. So while everyone else was up watching the launch, I was down starting up engine room upper level. :mad:

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HerobrineLiu

HerobrineLiu

Posted
Posted
On 6/17/2018 at 10:24 AM, StrandedonEarth said:

Does this count?

D2zCXzQ.jpg

To all those who have seen an orbital-class rocket launch, I'm jealous. @XB-70A, you're very lucky to be able to see all of those. @linuxgurugamer (also a lucky bum), was that the first or second shuttle launch?

It's technically a rocket, so it counts! Also, all of my attempts in model rockets have ended in fizzing on the launcher or melting.

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