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SpaceX Falcon 9 Iridium NEXT (flight 4) launch
Vandenberg SLC4E : December 22, 2017

At Lompoc Airport, about 9 miles from SLC-4E

Aerial view of Falcon 9

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Lompoc Airport

Top of the SLC-3E gantry

01:27:42Z (L+00:08)

01:27:47Z (L+00:13)

01:27:57Z (L+00:23)

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01:28:17Z (L+00:43)

01:28:42Z (L+01:08)

01:28:43Z (L+01:09)
Through a thin cloud band

01:29:20Z (L+01:46)

01:29:35Z (L+02:01)

01:29:39Z (L+02:05)

01:29:41Z (L+02:07)

01:29:45Z (L+02:11)

01:29:48Z (L+02:14)

01:29:57Z (L+02:23)
Exhaust plume starting to get sunlit

01:29:59Z (L+02:25)

01:30:02Z (L+02:28)

01:30:06Z (L+02:32)
MECO

01:30:12Z (L+02:38)
Staging

01:30:20Z (L+02:46)

01:30:21Z (L+02:47)

01:30:22Z (L+02:48)

01:30:23Z (L+02:49)

01:30:23Z (L+02:49)

01:30:24Z (L+02:50)

01:30:30Z (L+02:56)

01:30:41Z (L+03:07)

01:30:42Z (L+03:08)

01:30:44Z (L+03:10)

01:30:44Z (L+03:10)

01:30:45Z (L+03:11)
Fairing separation

01:30:45Z (L+03:11)

01:30:46Z (L+03:12)
2nd stage and fairings

01:31:06Z (L+03:32)

01:31:09Z (L+03:35)
1st stage thrusters

01:31:16Z (L+03:42)

01:31:23Z (L+03:47)

01:32:37Z (L+05:03)

01:32:55Z (L+05:21)

01:32:59Z (L+05:25)

01:33:06Z (L+05:32)

01:34:28Z (L+06:54)
1st stage reentry

01:34:41Z (L+07:07)

Unfortunately, the launch trail exposure got clipped. It was also a bit too early in the evening to get the entire trail without overexposing the sky.

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Launch time exposure

Followup time exposure

01:32:32Z (L+04:58)

01:33:28Z (L+05:54)

01:35:19Z (L+07:45)

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