Weekly Photo: July 28 – August 3, 2024

For those who like to sleep in and have seen numerous launches, the idea of heading to the beach before dawn might seem redundant.

However, for early birds like Malcolm Denemark, a Florida TODAY senior photographer, the launch on July 30 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was a perfect way to kick-start his workday.

“Sunrise was set for 6:44 a.m. on Tuesday morning and the launch was scheduled just a minute later,” he stated. “The cosmic alignment of these two events was likely to create an astounding photo.”

Those who joined him at Lori Wilson Park and other vantage points across the county witnessed the spectacle of a ULA Atlas V rocket lifting off at 6:45 a.m. from Launch Complex 41. The launch, designated as Mission USSF-51, was a secret mission for the United States Space Force.

With the frequency of launches this year, Denemark noted that the crowds have occasionally thinned out.

He was pleasantly surprised, though, by the number of people present so early to catch a glimpse of the event.

It was undeniably worth the early wake-up call.

“The Atlas V rocket features boosters, creating a continuous contrail from the launch pad to the sky,” Denemark said. “This makes Atlas launches even more visual and picturesque.”

Source: Florida TODAY