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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