( Read more about this mission click here)
 
 
The next photos show MST rollback Monday July 12 at 6:30pm.

Delta II/Aura launches at 3:01:59am PDT.

This camera enclosure captured the above launch photo but suffered
damage and a broken tripod from some type of impact!

One of my cameras is mounted in the round enclosure just to the left of the #3 SRB.
It also suffered some damage during launch but was expected being only 75 feet from the Delta II.
The next two photos below are from that camera with a 28mm lens.

Main engine ignition!

SRB ignition!

Liftoff!

This photo was taken 80 miles to the ESE of SLC-2 from just below the Ventura Pier
with my Canon A2 with a 35mm lens, 2:07 minute exposure and 100asa film.

A 600mm lens captures liftoff from the Press Site 3.3 miles away.

This first streak photo was taken with a Canon D10 28mm lens
at f16 and about a 20 second exposure and was still overexposed.

Another streak with a Minolta 7xi with a 28mm and about 45 seconds
set at f22, 100asa from the Press Site.

After the above streak photo I started another one that lasted about 3 minutes.
The weather this morning  was wet with patchy fog but you could see stars.
 Everyday during the previous week and at least the next several days after launch Vandenberg AFB
had 100-500 ft overcast skies with visibility ranging from .25- 5 miles.

The Delta II pitches over and starts heading down range.

Even though at times the wet and foggy weather conditions looked like this,
the above photo and the one below were taken through the remote box plexi door that
did not open due to a malfunction.

Another 28mm lens shot where you can barely make out the railing where my other camera is mounted.

At far left is the camera box where the door did not open and
to the far right is the camera box that got the shots but suffered major damage!

After the scrub on July 14th Boeing Photographer Thom Baur and NASA photographer Bill Ingalls
give me a wave from the top of the MST during remote camera servicing!

Everyone was smiling after launch with many delays not to mention the 3:01am T-0
this was one of the most challenging launches on personal and equipment.