SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch, South Korea's first lunar mission: Best tweets, photos from social
Just after 7 p.m. EDT, Floridians were treated to a second rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. This time, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket to fly South Korea's first lunar mission.
The Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, or KPLO, is a satellite designed to orbit the moon with a suite of South Korean experiments and one U.S.-built instrument, according to NASA. It will study the lunar environment and topography, identify potential landing sites for future missions, and demonstrate "space internet" capabilities.
Falcon 9 flew to the east and then dropped off its first stage booster for a drone ship landing in the Atlantic Ocean. It should sail into Port Canaveral for checkouts and refurbishment before the end of the weekend.
Blue Origin launches Shepard rocket: Astronaut! Brevard's Steve Young flies into space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket
At 6:29 this morning, United Launch Alliance launched an Atlas V rocket and Space Force payload from Florida.
The 194-foot Atlas V rocket took a ballistic missile warning satellite, known as SBIRS GEO-6, on an eastern trajectory after its liftoff from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Two space launches in one day: Florida set to host two back-to-back ULA and SpaceX launches on same day this week
Updates: Watch as SpaceX launches a South Korean mission to the moon from Florida
Dual space launches caught on social media
Social media captured the evening launch with some of the most beautiful photographs and videos. Below is a photo gallery of the early morning ULA Atlas V rocket launch and the best tweets and photos from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 4, 2022
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/dAQGvpcOCX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 4, 2022
Go #SpaceX! KPLO is on its way! 😍 pic.twitter.com/NYVrDqZlpX
— Marcus House (@MarcusHouse) August 4, 2022
🚀Backyard rocket launch SpaceX Falcon 9 KPLO mission to the Moon~🌕 pic.twitter.com/8LzEaOX6R0
— Panthfelis〜🐆 (@panthfelis) August 4, 2022
The #SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch outside my house pic.twitter.com/peFZRuI1lk
— Bobby Cantwell (@BobbyCwell) August 4, 2022
Typical, you wait ages for a rocket launch and then you see two in one day 😉
This was a SpaceX Falcon 9 at Kennedy Space Center. pic.twitter.com/8upTltoIt0— Ian May (@ThatIanMay) August 4, 2022
And finished the day with another Rocket launch - SpaceX this time pic.twitter.com/tzkb56h5Nx
— Bill Prange (@prange_bill) August 4, 2022
Best tweets, photos of ULA Atlas V launch: Cape Canaveral, Vero Beach, West Palm Beach, DeLand
Please consider subscribing to a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper at offers.usatodaynetwork.com/network-regional-florida.
- DOT producer Matthew Sokol contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Photos: SpaceX rocket launch from Florida for S. Korean satellite, KPLO