On 6 December 2013, at 2314 hrs. local time, an Atlas V rocket carried a classified payload, known simply as NROL-39, and a host of small, student built CubeSats into orbit from Space Launch Complex-3E (SLC-3E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. These are shots from my vantage point approximately 2.75 miles from the launch site. It was a frigid night (by California standards) for a launch. So cold in fact that, as temperatures dipped below freezing at some points, there were concerns that it would be too cold to proceed with the fueling process. The pre-launch forecast actually called for a 60% chance of no-go for that reason. Thankfully that didn't happen, and it was definitely a show well worth standing out and freezing for, though.
Click on the thumbnail to view the photos, and enjoy!
James :-)
