Richard P Gallagher, residing in Merritt Island, Florida, boasts a multifaceted background that enriches his role as a photographer. His eight years of service in the Army, including combat deployments and hurricane response missions, instilled discipline and adaptability. Equipped with a Digital Photography certificate from Eastern Florida State College and a Bachelor's degree from Akron University, Richard has a strong educational foundation. As an active member of the Professional Photographers of America, he's dedicated to continuous improvement through workshops and conferences. Richard's talent shines in capturing the drama of rocket launches.
IFT-2 Launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, TX on November 18th, 2023. Photo: Richard Gallagher / FMN
SpaceX’s Starship represents an unpresented leap in space transportation technology. Starship flight tests have been characterized by rapid iteration and ambitious testing schedules.
A pelican, oblivious to ULA’s new Vulcan rocket being fueled during a wet dress rehearsal, continues its flight plan undisturbed. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Cape Canaveral, FL. Yesterday’s wet dress rehearsal of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket was a significant event in the lead-up to its inaugural launch. The Vulcan rocket was rolled out to Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on December 6, 2023, in preparation for this extensive practice countdown.
Starship25 and Booster9 Aiming for the Stars. Images by Richard P Gallagher/FMN
A second Starship launch soon? All indications suggest–maybe. The closest thing to a tentative date from SpaceX was a tweet that stated, “No Earlier Than” (NET) Friday 11-17-23. Other clues like road closures, NOTAMs and maritime restriction have tantalize space enthusiast and photographers but each has come and gone with a series of expiration dates. Maybe the strongest indication of an impending launch was an email to press and photographers to apply for remote camera setup on Thursday 11-16-23. But even this has to be taken with a grain of salt because of still pending regulatory approvals by the Federal Aviation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Administrations.
Yesterday evening at 8:28pm SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Cargo Dragon capsule to the ISS. It was loaded with about 6500 pounds of food and water and research experiments to be carried out over the next six months. Lift off occurred from LC39A at KSC in Florida.
Falcon9 rocket on LC40 during the pre-launch vent. 8-31-23 Photo: Richard Gallagher / FMN
Update
Launch occurred at 12:05am on 11-8-23 from LC40 at CCASA in Florida. SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon9 rocket caring 23 Starlink satellites. The first stage booster B1073 which has made 11 other launches and landings again successfully landed at sea on the barge Just Read the Instruction.
Image highlights of Starlink Group 6-27 launch on 11-8-23. Photos by Richard Gallagher / FMNVideo by Richard Gallagher / FMN
Join other Space Coast spectators tonight under the stars as SpaceX marks its 81st rocket launch this year with the launch of Starlink 6-27. Tonight’s mission (11/7/23) will add more Starlink satellites to the growing global satellite constellation. SpaceX is targeting a launch window between 11:01pm and 3:00am. Launch updates and photographs of this launch attempt will be added to this article when available.
A Dragon Capsule atop a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket on LC39A at KSC in Florida will deliver supplies to ISS. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Launch Alert with Sonic BOOM!
Something new! SpaceX will launch a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Dragon cargo capsule. The mission, labeled CRS-2 SpX-29 (Commercial Resupply Service), is filled with supplies going to the International Space Station (ISS). It is scheduled for lift-off on November 9, 2023. The launch window is from 8:28pm to 1:28am Friday morning. It will launch from LC39A at KSC in Florida. The first stage booster will perform a boost back maneuver and return to land zone 1 at CCAFS in Florida. A sonic boom will be heard about 8 minutes after launch, depending on how far the viewing location is from LZ1.
