Falcon Heavy Returns.
On 4/29/26 at 10:13 AM, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy lifted off from pad 39A of Kennedy Space Center carrying ViaSat F3. This marks the first Falcon Heavy Launch since Europa Clipper in 2024.
Falcon Heavy uses 3 Falcon boosters that give it a total of 27 Merlin engines and 5.13 million lbs of thrust. Here are all those engines on full display.
I’ve had this shot on my mind since I knew engine shots were a thing, and I am absolutely thrilled that it worked out exactly how I envisioned it. So proud and thankful for the opportunity to be out there and do this.
🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @wearespacescout
Remote camera captures from Artemis II’s ascent.
On 4/1/26, Artemis II left our pale blue dot to go further away than humans ever have before. Four astronauts took flight aboard NASA’s beautiful SLS rocket under a perfectly clear sky and are set to return home in around a week after an incredible trip around the moon.
Artemis II is the most important spaceflight mission in over 50 years and will test the critical systems required to return humans to the lunar environment once again. Another test is planned to occur in 2027, with hopes of two moon landings in 2028. Keep your eye on the Artemis program in the coming years, it will be the Apollo of our generation!
In the days approaching launch, NASA allowed myself and other media representatives to set out remote cameras by the launch pad to capture this historic mission. I set down a total of 9 cameras, with 6 successfully triggering a capturing footage/images. This post includes captures from 5 of those cameras. Extremely happy with how these shots came out. A huge thank you to NASA PAO for getting us these incredible spots.
I took on more than I ever have this launch, and I’m so proud that so much of it turned out. I will be forever grateful for the guidance of my fellow photographers and for this beautiful launch on such a beautiful day. I can’t overstate just how special this entire Artemis campaign was to me. I greatly look forward to the days ahead and hope there is so much more to come from me.
📸 & 🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @thelaunchpadnetwork
Starlink 12-17 transits the moon.
My first moon transit. Been saving the holy grail of space movie soundtracks for a special occasion like this :)
📸 Me for @thelaunchpadnetwork
Stills on @sonyalpha A7RIV with a @sigmaphoto 150-600
Video on Sony A7Siii with a Sony 200-600
Falcon Heavy x ViaSat-3 F3 from the press site and loop road
On 4/29/26 at 10:13, ViaSat-3 F3 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. This marked the first time since late 2024 that the Falcon Heavy flew a mission!
ViaSat-3 is an internet satellite constellation that operates from geostationary orbit, offering high speed internet to certain regions continuously. Congratulations to the team at ViaSat! Wishing you guys a healthy upstart of your newly in space satellite!
I always save as many cameras as I can for the press site. It’s tucked in such a pretty spot where you’re looking at the pad over the water. The vast majority of my launch memories are tied to the press site lawn and it is such a privilege to witness history from it time and time again, especially with the group of people I get to do it with.
The last slide of this post is my first time viewing a launch from Kennedy: Falcon Heavy carrying GOES-U. The first launch I ever saw was USSF-52, which was also a Falcon Heavy! This rocket has a special place in my heart, and it was great to be reunited briefly before it took to the stars again.
📸 & 🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @wearespacescout
Falcon Heavy’s 27 Engines.
In 4/29/26, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launched ViaSat-3 F3 to geostationary orbit from LC-39A of Kennedy Space Center.
Falcon Heavy is essentially 3 Falcon 9 boosters stacked together with a second stage on top, with one of them acting as an expendable core stage and 2 of them as recoverable boosters. In total, the rocket produces over 5 million lbs of thrust.
A few days before launch, I had the opportunity to place 5 cameras near the pad, 3 of which were focused on capturing these engine shots. Can’t believe how the video came out.
Grateful that we got a daytime launch so that we could capture shots like these. Always a pleasure being out there and coming home with a big haul. Till next time Falcon Heavy! Press site shots tomorrow.
📸 & 🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @wearespacescout
UCF aerospace engineering student Cameron Schwartz didn’t just go to a launch — he locked in.
He treated photography like engineering — testing, asking questions and adjusting. One connection turned into another until he was on-site, photographing and filming Artemis II at the launchpad.
Sometimes the thing you keep showing up for takes you further than you planned🚀
Hey there Mr Blue! Never Tell Me The Odds returns to port Canaveral after a successful reflight and landing!
On 4/19/26, NG-3 carrying AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite lifted off from SLC-36 of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. After completely its boosterly duties, Never Tell Me The Odds descended from the skies and landed, for the second time, on Blue Origin’s drone ship Jacklyn.
A few days later on 4/22/26, Never Tell Me The Odds returned to Port Canaveral. @realmaxq@asherbphotos and I decided to capture this moment from the sky aboard @cocoa_beach_helicopters ! I could not be more thrilled with how the pics came out!
Welcome home again Never Tell Me The Odds and congratulations to the @blueorigin teams on their successful reflight and landing of this booster. Keep your chins up!
Can’t wait for our next encounter.
📸 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @wearespacescout
The ups and downs of New Glenn 3.
On 4/19/26, Blue Origin’s third mission utilizing their New Glenn rocket and second mission utilizing their previously landed booster “Never Tell Me The Odds”, lifted off under murky Cape Canaveral skies.
The rocket crept off the pad but ultimately, Never Tell Me The Odds fulfilled its purpose as a booster and achieved the incredible feat of not only being reflown, but also of landing and being recovered for the second time. That is where the good news surrounding this mission comes to an end.
After stage separation, one of Blue Origin’s second stage BE-3U vacuum engines failed to produce adequate thrust. Upon attempting to troubleshoot and relight it, it is said to have experienced a catastrophic failure leading to a loss of attitude control. The AST Space Mobile Blue Bird 7 satellite being carried by New Glenn was jettisoned in an attempt to save it, but the troubles with the engine lead to it being deposited in an unusable orbit. AST Space Mobile went on to deorbit the satellite and end the mission, citing that their losses were covered by insurance.
While this is certainly a step back for New Glenn, its success with the previous ESCAPADES mission makes it easy to forget that it is still practically a brand new vehicle. Mishaps are an inevitability in this industry. It’s unfortunate that AST SpaceMobile lost a satellite in the process. I have no doubt this will bounce off Blue Origin and they will return New Glenn to flight soon.
Until next time New Glenn! You have only just started to bloom. Hope to see you again soon.
📸 & 🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @wearespacescout
Cygnus to the ISS.
On 4/11/26 at 7:41 AM, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo resupply mission launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from pad 40 of Cape Canaveral. Shortly after launch, the Falcon 9’s booster would land back at LZ-40, marking the second ever landing performed at that landing zone (the first being for crew 12). Cygnus is bringing over 11000 lbs of cargo to the ISS and resupplies like this are essential for station and astronaut upkeep.
It was a beautiful morning and the vapor action on display was incredible during Falcon 9’s ascent transonic phase and the booster’s descent transonic phase. Quite a relaxing day at the office compared to the recent hustle and bustle of Artemis. Back to business as usual.
Go Cygnus! Go SpaceX!
🎥 me for @thelaunchpadnetwork
The crew of Artemis II returns tonight at around 8 PM!
After spending 10 days going to the moon and back, the crew of Artemis II is set to splashdown in the pacific tonight after their historic mission.
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 10 days since their departure, and even harder to believe that they spent 10 days in space making history and taking some of the most incredible photos we’ve ever seen. Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen have traveled further from Earth than any humans ever before, and although they didn’t step foot on the moon, their mission was a critical step in bringing us back.
As this historic mission comes to a close, I am humbled and grateful to have played a part in covering it. Thank you to everyone who has joined along the way!
Godspeed Artemis crew. Safe flight!
🎥 me for @thelaunchpadnetwork
Humanity is going back to the moon.
On April 1st 2026, humanity’s return to the moon began with the launch of Artemis II. As I post this, humans are on their way to the moon for the first time in over 50 years.
It’s easy to understate the importance of this mission and how critical it is to the path ahead. With NASA’s SLS rocket performing absolutely perfectly this launch, we now have a crew capable rocket able to launch humans to the moon. With future missions planned for the next two years (and potentially two landing missions in 2028), the future of the Artemis program has never been brighter or more real.
This was an incredible launch, and I’m so grateful to have witnessed history up close with my brothers and sisters in the press pool. I will never forget this experience. I will forever be humbled that I witnessed it and was able to document it. Safe travels to our brave astronauts, who will be further from Earth than any human ever has been in just a few days.
📸 & 🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @thelaunchpadnetwork
Artemis II lifts off of pad 39B, as seen from right outside the fence.
On April 1st 2026, NASA’s SLS rocket flew off the pad at 6:35 PM. Perfect light and not a cloud in the sky. The greatest launch I have ever seen by far. Four astronauts are now in low earth orbit, bound for the moon and to travel further than any human ever has.
A big thank you to the hardworking employees at NASA who got this beautiful rocket off the ground. I know this moment was even more special for them than it was for me.
Good luck to the crew on the rest of their journey!
This video was shot on a remotely triggered video camera placed less than half a mile from the rocket. I am so so proud of it and ecstatic that it came out.
🎥 me (@nyoom.tm ) for @thelaunchpadnetwork
