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.
It was a good day to have a good day here in Florida, and that’s exactly what NASA, SpaceX and Crew-10 had today at Kennedy Space Center. Falcon 9 lifted off carrying three astronauts and one cosmonaut towards orbit and the International Space Station just as the sun was starting to set in the west. Some seven and a half minutes later, SpaceX booster B1090 completed its duty for the day by landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, 8.8 miles south of LC-39A.
Here we go again—Boeing’s Starliner coughs up a helium leak and some dodgy thrusters, and suddenly the media’s got its collective knickers in a twist, painting astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as castaways on some cosmic Gilligan’s Island.
SS United States moored in Mobile Alabama. Image by Richard P Gallagher | FMN
March 11, 2025
I met George last week in front of the SS United States, that grand old dame of the seas. It had just completed its last voyage, being towed out of its longtime berth at Pier 82 on 2201 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, in the South Philadelphia. I found George at the end of Charleston Street in Mobile, Alabama.
Starship 34 is de-stacked from Booster 15 to evaluate cause of low pressure. Image by Richard P Gallagher | FMN
SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program encountered yet another hurdle this week as the eighth integrated flight test (IFT-8) was scrubbed just moments before liftoff on March 3, 2025.
Starship 34 rolls out of the SpaceX high bay facility to join booster 15. Image by Richard P Gallagher | FMN
Boca Chica, Texas – March 3, 2025 – SpaceX’s highly anticipated eighth Integrated Flight Test (IFT-8) of its Starship rocket was scrubbed on Monday afternoon, just seconds before its scheduled liftoff from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas.
SpaceX technicians install the Hot Ring segment atop booster 15. Image by Richard P Gallagher | FMN
Boca Chica, Texas – March 1, 2025 – SpaceX is gearing up for the eighth integrated flight test (IFT-8) of its ambitious Starship program, tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 3, 2025, from its Starbase facility in South Texas.
Starbase construction, a 24/7 operation. Image by Richard P Gallagher/FMN
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Long before Elon Musk’s SpaceX sets its sights on terraforming Mars, the aerospace titan is laying the groundwork to reshape a corner of South Texas.
Artemis II core stage arrives at KSC’s VAB on July 23, 2024. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Washington, D.C. – On February 26, 2025, the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.), will hold a pivotal hearing to assess NASA’s Artemis program.
Liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Cape Canaveral, FL – February 21, 2025 – SpaceX moved another step closer to completing its ambitious Starlink constellation project today with the successful launch of the Starlink Group 12-14 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch, which occurred at 10:19 a.m. EST (1519 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), deployed 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), further expanding the company’s global internet coverage network. This mission underscored SpaceX’s ongoing commitment to reusable rocket technology and its goal of providing high-speed internet access worldwide.
Starliner astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. Image by Richard P Gallagher
February 21, 2025
NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, now in their 261st day aboard the International Space Station (ISS), remain at the center of a prolonged mission saga sparked by Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft. Their extended stay, originally planned as an eight-day test flight, has escalated into a public spectacle, fueled by technical setbacks, political rhetoric, and a fiery online spat between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former ISS commander Andreas Mogensen on February 20, 2025.
