SpaceX's 9th Starlink mission lifted off about an hour before sunrise at 5:21am on June 13, 2020. When this circumstance arises, rocket watchers get giddy, because we know what's going to happen. While it's still dark on the ground, the rocket will rise up into sunlight, causing the exhaust plume to be back-lit against the dark sky. Some call the the twilight effect, and IT. IS. INCREDIBLE! It's impossible to capture just how beautiful it is, or how large it appears in the sky. It's one of those things you really should see for yourself.
This is the 6th launch of SpaceX's Starlink satellites. The best thing I can say about this shot is what fellow photographer, Adam Bernstein said about it - "That's a minefield of shrubbery!" And it's true. It took me a while to line up this shot, making sure Falcon 9 would rise right into the gap between these to palm trees.
Atlas V lifts off with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency 6 (AEHF-6) satellite. The first flight in service to the newly created US Space Force. She's a total beast.
