Posted on by Ken Kremer

SpaceX SES-8 Flawlessly Beautiful Dec. 3 Launch – Photo and Video Gallery

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – The flawless blastoff of SpaceX’s next generation Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday Dec. 3 put on a spectacular sky show along the Florida Space Coast that was both beautiful and unforgettable – besides being truly historic as the firms first ever delivery of a commercial space satellite to the lucrative market of geostationary orbit.

For your enjoyment here’s a collection of photos and videos from fellow space photojournalists of the 5:41 p.m. EST sunset launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.

Following a pair of launch scrubs last week on Nov. 25 and Thanksgiving Day Nov. 28 caused by issues with the powerful new Merlin 1-D first stage engines, the third time was fat last the charm as the Falcon 9 blasted precisely at the opening of the 86 minute launch window.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 V1.1 rocket vents oxygen following Thursday evenings first launch attempt from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first attempt was halted after computers showed that the engines had a slower than expected thrust rate upon startup. Credit: Walter Scriptunas II images
A SpaceX Falcon 9 V1.1 rocket vents oxygen following Thursday evenings first launch attempt from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first attempt was halted after computers showed that the engines had a slower than expected thrust rate upon startup. Credit: Walter Scriptunas II images
As the Falcon 9 begins to 'thread the needle' of the lightning wires, a shower of ice and flames and steam scatters, cascades and billows. Credit: nasatech.net
As the Falcon 9 begins to ‘thread the needle’ of the lightning wires, a shower of ice and flames and steam scatters, cascades and billows. Credit: nasatech.net
Clear of the catenary lightning wires, the Falcon 9/SES-8 mission streaks to orbit. Credit: nasatech.net
Clear of the catenary lightning wires, the Falcon 9/SES-8 mission streaks to orbit. Credit: nasatech.net
Beautiful streak shot of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch with SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: John Studwell
Beautiful streak shot of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch with SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: John Studwell
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with SES-8 communications satellite soars to orbit. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with SES-8 communications satellite soars to orbit. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com
Falcon 9/SES-8 streak to orbit on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Jeff Seibert
Falcon 9/SES-8 streak to orbit on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Jeff Seibert
Falcon 9/SES-8 streak to orbit on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Jeff Seibert
Falcon 9/SES-8 streak to orbit on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Jeff Seibert
Wispy exhaust plume from SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch with SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: John Studwell
Wispy exhaust plume from SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch with SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: John Studwell
Blastoff of Falcon 9/SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Julian Leek
Blastoff of Falcon 9/SES-8 satellite on Dec. 3, 2013. Credit: Julian Leek

Launch Video

Stay tuned here for continuing SpaceX & MAVEN news and Ken’s SpaceX and MAVEN launch reports from on site at Cape Canaveral & the Kennedy Space Center press site.

Ken Kremer

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10 Replies to “SpaceX SES-8 Flawlessly Beautiful Dec. 3 Launch – Photo and Video Gallery”

  1. SpaceX rocks. Love the way that they’re developing a methane oxygen engine 600,000 LBS thrust for manned Mars colonization.

    1. There’ll be a bunch of NASA employees over at the Stennis Space Center that are glad to have the work of helping to test these new engines too.

      There’s plenty of raw material (CO2, water ice) on Mars from which to produce methane fuel, and while no such plans have been announced to date, I’d love to see to the colonization missions preceded by robotic ones to pre-position a methane production station so colonists have fuel to get around or even send back return samples.

    2. Can you say a bit more about what you know? What do you love about it? I tried to find articles about what they’re working on but couldn’t find much.

    3. I look foreword to each Spacex flight as much as l did watching the mercury gemmi and Apollo flights. Each one of those early flights meant that something new was being learnedor tested.

      Progress again!!!!!

      1. Not long now until we see the Falcon Heavy climb into the sky.

        Won’t that be a bone-rattling jaw dropper! Can’t wait to see that.

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