1. Home
  2. Space
  3. News

Cool footage shot from a helicopter shows SpaceX’s latest rocket launch

By

SpaceX successfully launched another Falcon 9 rocket for the International Space Station (ISS) on the morning of Sunday, December 6.

Recommended Videos

The rocket and upgraded Cargo Dragon spacecraft lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:17 a.m. ET.

The uncrewed Cargo Dragon is carrying supplies for the ISS crew and is set to dock with the orbiting outpost on Monday, December 7.

Later in the day, the commercial space company led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk posted stunning footage of the launch, shot from a nearby helicopter (below).

Tracking footage from a helicopter of today’s Falcon 9 launch off LC-39A pic.twitter.com/7rYVZRTS18

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 7, 2020

SpaceX’s 21st resupply mission to the ISS also marks the debut outing of its revamped Cargo Dragon spacecraft. The updated model can dock autonomously with the ISS, unlike its recently retired predecessor which had to be “captured” by the station’s robot arm as part of the docking process.

The spacecraft’s launch on Sunday means the current mission will see the ISS host two Dragon spacecraft for the very first time — the Crew Dragon, which docked at the ISS in November carrying four astronauts on the spacecraft’s first operational mission, and the newly designed Cargo Dragon, which, unlike the astronaut-carrying version, contains no seats, leaving more room for supplies.

As usual, SpaceX’s first-stage Falcon 9 booster made a safe return to Earth, landing upright on its droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, which was waiting in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. The footage of this event, however, was less impressive …

Falcon 9 booster has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/cNL6t0LQ0g

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 6, 2020

SpaceX also posted footage of the moment the Cargo Dragon separated from the second stage to begin its solo journey to the space station. The spacecraft is carrying around 6,400 pounds of cargo that includes food, clothing, and science experiments.

Dragon separation confirmed; the spacecraft is on its way to the @space_station. Autonomous docking tomorrow at approximately 1:30 p.m. EST pic.twitter.com/NJhm7q7PP7

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 6, 2020

Last month NASA and its international partners celebrated 20 years of continuous human aboard the space station. Check out these videos showing how astronauts work, rest, and play on the ISS.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
SpaceX already has a date in mind for next Starship launch

SpaceX launched the mighty Starship for the first time in April last year, but it took a full seven months before it became airborne again.

Following the second test flight in November, SpaceX managed to get the Starship off the launchpad again just four months later in a spectacular flight that took place last week.

Read more
Take a high-speed ride on SpaceX’s emergency escape chute

SpaceX has put a Crew Dragon on Pad 40 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time. This means that going forward, SpaceX will have two pads to choose from when sending astronauts to space.

Up to now, crews launching on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft lift off from Pad 39A at Kennedy, but having another launch site available gives NASA and SpaceX greater flexibility when planning missions by easing pressure on teams if scheduling issues and traffic conflicts arise.

Read more
SpaceX shares awesome rocket imagery from Starship flight

SpaceX’s third Starship test flight last Thursday was its best yet, far exceeding the first two missions, which took place last year and ended in huge fireballs just a few minutes in.

This time, the Starship -- comprising the first-stage Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft -- kept on flying, with both parts reaching their destination points before breaking up on descent.

Read more