Astonishing Photo of Russian Rocket Booster Explosion!

In summary, an astrophotographer in Perth captured an unbelievable shot of a Russian rocket booster exploding and falling to earth. This single 30 minute exposure photo has been featured on APOD and received recognition from NASA. It is a once in a lifetime event and can be viewed in the Feb 21, 2007 archive on spaceweather.com and antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070222.html.
  • #1
russ_watters
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I know it isn't generally kosher to link other forums, but this is just too crazy to pass up. An astrophotographer in Perth happened to be out taking a wide-angle picture of just the right part of the sky when a Russian rocket booster exploded and fell to earth. The pic is a single 30 minute exposure (film) and the booster exploded near the beginning and fell in a bright, expanding cloud for an hour. Unbelievable shot. He's been featured on APOD and has gotten emails from NASA, among others.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthre...page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1/vc/1
 
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  • #2
Incredible shot.
 
  • #3
Evo, you mean a very lucky shot.

This guy was very lucky. This is a once in a lifetime thing.
 

Related to Astonishing Photo of Russian Rocket Booster Explosion!

1. What caused the Russian rocket booster explosion?

The explosion of the Russian rocket booster was caused by a malfunction in the rocket's engine, which resulted in the rocket veering off course and ultimately exploding.

2. Was anyone injured in the explosion?

No, fortunately no one was injured in the explosion. The launch site was evacuated prior to the explosion and all personnel were at a safe distance.

3. What type of rocket was being launched?

The rocket that exploded was a Soyuz-2.1b rocket, which is a medium-lift launch vehicle commonly used by Russia for both commercial and government satellite launches.

4. Has this type of explosion happened before during a rocket launch?

Yes, unfortunately rocket launch failures and explosions are not uncommon in the space industry. However, this was the first time that a Russian rocket has exploded on the launch pad since 2015.

5. What impact does this explosion have on the future of space exploration?

The explosion may result in delays for future launches and could have financial implications for the space industry. However, failures and setbacks are a normal part of the process and will not stop the progress of space exploration.

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