When SpaceX launched a new Starlink fleet into orbit last week, the rocket wasn’t the only star.
Like SpaceX Ground tracking cameras set up early in the morning Falcon 9 . rocket Launched from Florida on May 18, its operators captured a stunning view of the nearly full moon. Minutes later, a Falcon 9 53 Starlink satellites launched into space From Pad 39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
“What you’re seeing on your screen is this amazing live shot of a beincg object captured by one of our tracking cameras in the Cape,” Jesse Anderson, Production Director of SpaceX, said during a live broadcast. “Now, these are the same cameras we use to track the Falcon 9 during launch, and today we get an additional view of the moon, which looks great on your screen.” Anderson said the scene was captured with the help of a SpaceX launch engineer named John.
Related: Starlink megaconstellation from SpaceX is launched in pictures
The stunning solar system sightings didn’t stop there.
When SpaceX launched the Starlink mission at 6:54 a.m. EDT (2254 GMT), one of the company’s photographers captured stunning views of Falcon 9 as the sun rose.
In one image, the Falcon 9 flies through space as a silhouette as the morning sun shines with a warm yellow-orange light. A second image captures the moment Falcon 9 crosses in front of the Sun, as seen by the photographer.
SpaceX’s upcoming rocket launch will be a Transporter 5 rideshare mission carrying a variety of small satellites for customers. This flight is scheduled for no later than May 25 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Station.
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