Aerospace Photography

Artemis 1 is NASA's first test launch of the SLS rocket system. She launched on November 16, 2022 in the early hours of the morning. It was a beautiful launch to see. VERY bright, VERY loud! The launch was plagued by several hydrogen leaks, 2 hurricanes, and a few loose bolts that were repaired on the pad. I was able to setup 3 remote cameras, 2 failed but my camera that was nearest to the pad worked. The views from the Press Site were amazing!

STS-135 was the last and final mission of the American Space Shuttle Program. STS-135 flew on the Space Shuttle Atlantis and launched on July 8, 2011. The primary cargo was the ISS Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. I went down to NASA for several events including the final Rollout from the VAB, as well as I got a tour of the shuttle on the pad. For the launch I had 6 cameras setup all around the pad and at strategic locations. No all remotes worked as designed but I did get some great shots!

STS-134 was the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. STS-134 was to be the final flight of the US Space Shuttle Program however ultimately Congress did approve one additional mission, STS-135. This flights mission was to deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as Mission Commander. The launch of 134 was delayed due to a problem with the APU's but did finally launch on May 16, 2011.

STS-133 was the final mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery. During the mission, Space Shuttle Discovery docked with the International Space Station. The mission launched on 24 February 2011, and landed on 9 March 2011. STS-133 was commanded by Steven Lindsey. The mission was to transport the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo and the third of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers to the ISS. This was my first credentialed launch. Thanks to Sky and Telescope Magazine for sponsoring me. My remote camera trigger failed but I did manage to get a nice shot from the Press Site

STS-132 launched on May 14, 2010. STS-132 was scheduled to be the final flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, however NASA later opted to use Atlantis for one final mission, STS-135. STS-132's mission was to fly to the International Space Station with its primary payload being the Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module, along with an Integrated Cargo Carrier-Vertical Light Deployable (ICC-VLD). I was invited to photograph this mission from the VIP site by a friend of mine.

STS-128, Discovery, launched on August 28, 2009. Discovery;s mission was to fly to the International Space Station and deliver the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. Leonardo is a scientific packet of instruments for studying physics and specifically microgravity. Three spacewalks were also carried out during the mission. The mission's first launch attempt was delayed due to weather concerns, including multiple weather violations in NASA's launch rules, beginning over two hours before the scheduled launch. The second launch attempt was called off the previous evening due to an anomaly in one of the orbiter's fuel valves. The launch finally took place on 28 August 2009 at 23:59 EDT. I shot this launch from the NASA Causeway.

STS-125, Space Shuttle Atlantis, was the fifth and final space shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. After the tragic loss of Space Shuttle Columbia NASA's leadership cancelled any future servicing missions to the HST. However public pressure resulted in rescheduling this mission and repairing the failing HST. The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis occurred on May 11 2009.

Space Shuttle Atlantis carried two new instruments to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Wide Field Camera 3. The mission also replaced a Fine Guidance Sensor, six gyroscopes, and two battery unit modules to allow the telescope to continue to function at least through 2014. The mission also carried an IMAX camera with which the crew documented the progress of the mission for the Hubble IMAX movie. I photographed this launch from the NASA Causeway.

In September 2012 I attended the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, this time on top of a 747 (SCA) on its way to its final resting place in the California Science Center in LA. On its way from KSC to LA, the flight crew of the SCA performed several low level flyovers across the country to give site seers something special to see. I photographed the takeoff and flyby's from atop the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building).

In June of 2012 I attended the launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral. The mission payload was a classified Orion 8 / Mentor 6 satellite (USA-237 / NROL-15) . Remote were setup around the pad and I shot this launch from the NASA Causeway.

Photographing aircraft in flight can be quite challenging. A telephoto lens is a must but also a detailed understanding of autofocus modes and desired shutter speeds is very important when shooting these beautiful machines.