Stage 2 Ignites!

This 15 second exposure starts around 4 minutes, 35 seconds into the NASA OCO-2 satellite launch last week, as the Delta's first stage cuts off and the second stage ignites:

3:01 a.m.
– T+plus 4 minutes, 39 seconds. MECO. The first stage main engine cutoff is confirmed and the spent stage has been jettisoned.
– T+plus 4 minutes, 44 seconds. The Delta's second stage has ignited! The engine is up and running.
– T+plus 4 minutes, 51 seconds. The rocket's nose cone enclosing the satellite payload has been jettisoned.

I was actually just about to reposition the camera to get the trees out of the way as OCO-2 flew towards them, and I decided to grab one quick shot including +Lori Hibbett in the foreground before I did.

I've created a new album of sequential detail photos from the launch on G+ here: https://plus.google.com/photos/+JeffreySullivan/albums/6034450980809636577
Google+ created a GIF in the new album animating the Stage 1 to Stage 2 transition as well.

I've also associated the photos with the launch sequence in a blog post here:
http://activesole.blogspot.com/2014/07/NASA-oco2-launch-sequence-NASASocial.html
#space   #science   #news   #NASA   #OCO2   #NASAsocial  

This 15 second exposure starts around 4 minutes, 40 seconds into the OCO-2 satellite launch last week, as the Delta’s first stage cuts off and the second stage ignites:

*3:01 a.m. local (6:01 a.m. EDT; 1001 GMT)*
T+plus 4 minutes, 39 seconds. MECO. The first stage main engine cutoff is confirmed and the spent stage has been jettisoned.

T+plus 4 minutes, 44 seconds. The Delta’s second stage has ignited! The engine is up and running.

T+plus 4 minutes, 51 seconds. The rocket’s nose cone enclosing the satellite payload has been jettisoned.

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