How SpaceX Captures Amazing Camera Shots of Its Rockets
SpaceX is known for its ambitious and innovative projects, such as reusable rockets, Starlink satellites, and Starship spacecraft. But it is also known for its stunning and spectacular camera shots of its rockets during launch, stage separation, and landing. How does SpaceX achieve such amazing footage of its rockets, and what is the purpose of these cameras?
SpaceX uses specialized tracking cameras that were originally designed for the military to track missiles and aircraft. These cameras are called kineto tracking mounts, or KTM, and they are mounted on towers or buildings near the launch facilities. The KTM can rotate and tilt to follow the rocket’s trajectory, and they can use various types of cameras, such as digital and film cameras, to capture high-speed and high-resolution footage of the rockets.
Some examples of the KTM can be seen at different launch facilities, such as Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, and Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. These facilities are used by SpaceX to launch its Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship rockets, and the KTM provide incredible views of the rockets’ liftoff, stage separation, and landing.
The current camera technology used by SpaceX is a significant improvement from the past, when the tracking cameras were manually operated by skilled operators who had to follow the rocket with a joystick. This was a challenging and risky task, as the operators had to anticipate the rocket’s speed and direction, and avoid losing sight of the rocket. The manual tracking cameras were also limited by the operator’s field of view and the camera’s zoom and focus capabilities.
The tracking cameras used by SpaceX are not only used for providing great coverage of the launches, but also for analyzing the rockets in detail during the most difficult parts of their missions. The footage captured by the cameras can help SpaceX engineers and scientists to monitor the rocket’s performance, identify any anomalies or issues, and improve the rocket’s design and reliability. The tracking cameras can also help SpaceX to verify the success of its missions, such as the deployment of satellites, the docking of the Dragon capsule, and the landing of the first stage.
