2019 Aviation Week Photo Contest Finalists: Space Liftoff

December 25, 2019
medium launch rocket

Delta IV WGS-10 Medium

Credit: Michael Seeley/Melbourne, Florida
On Friday, March 15, 2019, United Launch Alliance overcame a number of technical issues to successfully launch the WGS-10 satellite atop a Delta IV Medium rocket. This is a close-up of the RS-68A rocket engine and two of the four solid rocket boosters, captured with a sound-activated camera placed at the launchpad.
abort test launch

Ascent Aborted

Credit: Michael Seeley/Melbourne, Florida
The Orion Ascent Abort-2 (AA2) test launch, as seen from the launchpad, launched at 7 a.m. (EST) Tuesday morning, July 2, 2019. The Orion got quite the ride, first atop a converted Peacekeeper ICBM, then pulled away by the AA2 Launch Abort System.
Dlta four space launch

Delta IV Raw Power

Credit: Ben Cooper/Orlando, Florida
Twin GEM-60 solid rocket motors and an RS-68A main engine power a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket into space with the latest GPS satellite.
Dlta four rocket liftoff

Delta IV Roars Off The Pad

Credit: Ben Cooper/Orlando, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket roars off Launchpad 37B at Cape Canaveral with the latest GPS satellite onboard.
beach liftoff

Delta IV From The Beach

Credit: Ben Cooper/Orlando, Florida
A ULA Delta IV rocket soars from a launchpad at Cape Canaveral.
morning minotaur launch

Morning Minotaur

Credit: Ben Cooper/Orlando, Florida
A modified Minotaur IV rocket launches the Orion abort test for NASA and Northrop Grumman just after sunrise on July 2.
minotaur liftoff

Minotaur Power

Credit: Ben Cooper/Orlando, Florida
A close-up of the Minotaur IV rocket as it launches the Orion abort test for NASA and Northrop Grumman.
dlta four medium liftoff

WGS-10 Launch

Credit: Mary Ellen Jelen/Merritt Island, Florida
A Delta IV Medium lifts the 10th Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-10) satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 37. Shot with a remote camera northwest of the launch site, the exhaust is reflected in the retention pond near the launchpad.
Arianne rocket launch

Lighting Up The Sky

Credit: Stephane Corvaja/Paris
A VA 245 Ariane 5 lifts off and lights up the sky in Kourou, French Guiana.
Arianne rocket launch

Engulfed In Flames

Credit: Stephane Corvaja/Paris
Exhaust flames engulf the launchpad as the VA 245 Ariane 5 heavy-lift rocket lifts off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.
rocket launch

Takeoff Blast

Credit: Stephane Corvaja/Paris
An alternative view of the VA245 Ariane 5 launch with the BepiColombo mission.
european launch

Too Close For Comfort

Credit: Stephane Corvaja/Paris
A close-up during liftoff of VA 245 Ariane 5 with the BepiColombo mission, from Europe's space port in Kourou, French Guiana.
sunrise beachside launch

Beachside Launch At Sunrise

Credit: John Kraus/Satellite Beach, Florida
A modified Northrop Grumman Peacekeeper first-stage booster launches NASA's Ascent Abort-2 mission on July 2, 2019. The flight, captured here from Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral, certified the Orion capsule's Launch Abort System ahead of future crewed missions.
furious liftoff

RD-180 And AJ-60A Show Fury

Credit: John Kraus/Satellite Beach, Florida
The fury of United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket is evident in this close-up photograph of the vehicle's single RD-180 engine and five Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket motors, which powered the AEHF-5 satellite to orbit on Aug. 8, 2019.
dlta four medium soars

Final Delta IV Medium Soars Into Space

Credit: John Kraus/Satellite Beach, Florida
This photograph captures the final launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium rocket, which delivered the second GPS III satellite to orbit on Aug. 22, 2019.
launch close-up

A Close Look At The Final Delta IV Launch

Credit: John Kraus/Satellite Beach, Florida
An RS-68A engine and two Northrop Grumman GEM-60 solid rocket motors power United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Medium rocket to orbit—for the final time—with the GPS III SV02 satellite on Aug. 22, 2019.

A selection of photos from the 2019 Aviation Week Photo Contest focusing on space liftoff.  

Space liftoff finalists include Delta IV launches, liftoffs of NASA missions, and Ariane 5 takeoffs from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.