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You are here: Home / Entertainment / To Nona & Beyond: SpaceX ViaSat-3 Launch

To Nona & Beyond: SpaceX ViaSat-3 Launch

June 1, 2023 by Emerson & Ethan Walsh

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.

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Filed Under: Entertainment Tagged With: Lake Nona Community, Nona Connect, Nonahood News, SpaceX

About Emerson & Ethan Walsh

Emerson Walsh is a photographer, model and entrepreneur. She started her portrait photography business “Eleventh House” at 15! When she is not behind the camera, you can find Emerson traveling, practicing Pilates, and chasing rockets with her brother, Ethan. Keep up with current work on Instagram @earth.to.emerson and on her website: https://eleventhhousephotography.com/.

Ethan Walsh is a rocket photographer, freelance game developer, and college student who loves to share his extensive knowledge of rocketry and space with people. From a young age, he has marveled at the wonders of space flight and has witnessed over a dozen Space Shuttle flights and 70+ commercial rocket launches. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @EthanWalshPhoto or visit his website: https://www.ethanwalshphotos.com/.

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