Fwd: Orion launch photos

Sent from my iPad

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Date: December 6, 2014 2:11:55 PM CST
To: "Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)" <larry.j.moon@nasa.gov>
Subject: FW: Orion launch photos

Thanks to Gary and Gary's retired KSC friend-Joel Reynolds for sharing his spectacular photos of the Orion launch and his perspective on the launch.  Joel took these pictures from over 15 miles away with a very nice telephoto lens.

 

Enjoy.

 

Larry

 

From: usersg4282@aol.com [mailto:usersg4282@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, December 5, 2014 4:00 PM
To: Moon, Larry J. (JSC-EA411)

Subject: Orion launch photos

 

Larry,

Attached are some photos taken by Joel Reynolds (KSC retired) of the Orion launch (also see his comments pasted below).

Thought you might want to share them with your list.

I'm copying Joel on this e-mail in case you want to communicate with him directly.

Gary L. Bennett

 

 

 

Well, I wouldn't have given you 5 cents betting that Orion would have

launched this morning, much less on time at 7:05 AM.  At 4 minutes before

launch, we on US 1 in Titusville, on the Indian River got a heavy dose of

rain.  But the NASA commentators were saying T-5 then 4 minutes and

counting.  I couldn't even see across the river and wasn't getting out of my

car to set up my big 500 mm lens.  At about T-2 minutes, the rain stopped, I

could see across the river to Launch Complex 37, and set up my camera.

I expected to hear launch hold, but instead saw ignition across the way on

the complex - man was it bright!!!  I wondered if everything was okay

because I could see fire, but no Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.  Then the

vehicle rose up, very slowly, with an extremely long flame trailing -

characteristic of liquid propellant engines - wow!!!  It reminded me of the

Saturn V vehicle lift-offs years back.   And, after the vehicle entered the

clouds, the loud rumbling hit us - again reminding me of the big Saturn V. 

Now Orion has also landed in the Pacific and the launch vehicle,  the

spacecraft plus all the parts and pieces performed flawlessly!  And what

wonderful television coverage on the Delta rocket, Orion itself plus a UAV

circling the landing area in the Pacific.

America still has it!!!!

Joel