A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that launched to space from Florida this morning left behind a spectacular show for people lucky enough to watch it back on Earth.
The Atlas V successfully carried the MORELOS-3 communication satellite for Mexico to orbit this morning after launching from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 6:28 a.m. ET.
The rocket left a beautiful contrail in the pre-dawn sky, and skywatchers on the ground managed to snap some great images of the rocket heading to orbit.
Great photo from this morning's #AtlasV launch via #TreasureCoast local @TCPalmSamWolfe pic.twitter.com/alF1175dbh— Connors Wealth (@ConnorsWealth) October 2, 2015
#BREAKING: What the #AtlasV rocket launch looked like in southwest Miami-Dade for Rosie Mann. http://t.co/3cU9BX2bQ2 pic.twitter.com/nnqaxPlVSy— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) October 2, 2015
Pre-dawn #AtlasV satellite launch puts on stunning show in sky http://t.co/CKIWxjUlXQ pic.twitter.com/39HSwfADR7— Fox 9 (@MyFOX9) October 2, 2015
#atlasv did it again! The delay paid off pic.twitter.com/JWH0v83Kqg— TimFerrari34 (@TIm_Ferrari34) October 2, 2015
Looks like @ulalaunch @USCG and @45thSpaceWing were showing off blowing smoke rings #Morelos3 #MexSat pic.twitter.com/GEvZlbmFnF— Per (@hansepe) October 2, 2015
My brother snapped this a little while ago...from the rocket launch this morning #AtlasV pic.twitter.com/BFGNoPymx3— Keisha Cook (@k18c79) October 2, 2015
The Atlas V rocket wasn't the only launch to orbit this week.
China launched a navigations satellite to space Wednesday, according to state-run news agency Xinhua, and Europe's Ariane 5 rocket brought another satellite to space that same day from a launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.
On Thursday, a Russian rocket carried a cargo ship to the International Space Station.
An uncrewed Soyuz rocket carrying a Progress spaceship with tons of supplies for the ISS crew successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, docking with the orbiting outpost later that day.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly captured a great photo of the Soyuz launch as he saw it from space.
#Progress lights up the night sky, as seen from @space_station! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/sg8UIWWmke— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) October 1, 2015