On April 30 at 8:26 p.m., SpaceX launched its second Falcon Heavy mission this year. On this flight were two satellites, one weighing in at 300 kg. (~660 lb.) and the other a whopping 6,400 kg. (~14,100 lb.)! Both communication satellites will reside in a geostationary orbit, meaning they will essentially hover over one location, around 36,000 km (~22,400 miles) above Earth, providing services for a specific region.
The evening of the launch provided us with remarkably clear weather. We, therefore, decided to shoot the ViaSat-3 Americas mission from right here in Lake Nona. Even in the relatively bright twilight skies, Falcon Heavy’s 27 Merlin engines shined brightly from over 70 km (~43 miles) away. The beautiful ambient light during this hour also greatly contributed to the scene – as seen in both launch streak shots.
