The nighttime launch of a Delta II Rocket
carrying the Phoenix Mars Lander to Mars
was a spectacular sight. You could see the
rocket arc up into the clear Florida skies
and follow it all of the way into orbit as
it disappeared over the horizon. The Phoenix
Mar Lander will be the first spacecraft to
land in the northern artic region of Mars.
A previous attempt to land the Mars Polar
Lander several years earlier ended unsuccessfully
when the spacecraft crashed during the attempted
landing. The Phoenix mission is being led
by the University of Arizona.
The early morning launch of the Phoenix Mars Mission left an exhause trail that created a man-made noctilucent cloud and produced a beautiful glowing display in the predawn sky. The launch took place at 5:26 a.m.
This image was taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel SLR camera and a 300mm lens. This image was published on the website for the Phoenix Mars Mission.
August 4, 2007
Image by Sid Leach
Cocoa Beach, Florida
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