Just thought I'd share these pics that I took of the exhaust plume from a Delta IV Heavy rocket that lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Ventura County, California earlier today. I shot these photos while I was at home in Pomona...which is located 189 miles southeast of Vandenberg AFB! The Delta IV Heavy rocket launched at 11:10 AM, Pacific Standard Time—while these images were obtained 9 minutes into the flight, with the payload and its second stage booster well in space, and the smoke trail from the 3 first stage boosters still visible for folks throughout Southern California to see. Nice. The Delta IV Heavy's flight was designated NROL-71, meaning that it was carrying a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. [The military is fully funded during the partial government shutdown...which is why the U.S. Air Force is still able to conduct rocket launches—as long as they aren't for NASA (which is affected by the government closure).] Carry on!
United Launch Alliance
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