Powerful rocket, powerful shot: Photo of the Week, April 28-May 5, 2024

FLORIDA TODAY Photojournalist Craig Bailey has been capturing shots of life on the Space Coast for decades.

One part of his job never gets old, he said: shooting rocket launches. Bailey says he puts in a lot of hours "that I probably don't need to because it's so much fun, and always different."

The result? Images like FLORIDA TODAY's Photo of the Week, taken April 28. It is powerful, showing the strength of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as it breaks through the sound barrier after launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

More: SpaceX completes weekend launch doubleheader with Sunday Starlink liftoff from Cape Canaveral

Every launch is a little different because all of the parameters are different, said Bailey — and that's the challenge for a photographer.

"I'll phrase it this way: A lot of this depends on the atmospheric conditions; the direction the rocket is traveling, the time of day," he said.

"So the idea is to be observant, because if you really watch the rocket as it flies, you'll notice the changes ... the color of the exhaust tends to change; as it gets further down range, it starts to do different things. With this particular vehicle, when it gets near the speed of sound, it tends to have a vapor cone develop around its nose. And if you're not prepared to record those things, to see those things, if you turn away? You might miss something."

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'Every launch is different': Photo of the Week, April 28-May 5