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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 16/09/2026

Here's all 13 released engineering film shots from the Artemis II launch played back at full speed and synced!

Derek Newsome @derek.space · 16/09/2026

NASA released a bunch of 16 and 35mm film engineering footage of the Artemis II launch today. Naturally I knew what I had to do with it.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 13/09/2026

You’d better believe we’re back! Never Tell Me The Odds began its trip back to Launch Complex 36 last night as the New Glenn teams start preparing for a return to flight. 📸 Blue Origin/Derek Newsome

New Glenn Booster “Never Tell Me The Odds” rolling down a road. The road is surrounded by large buildings with a large blue one in front of it. A lit up Blue Origin sign is on the top of the building.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 09/09/2026

Fun photoshoot last night of us loading GS2 onto Pegasus for the first time. This stage is heading to the Stennis Space Center is Mississippi to be tested on the B2 test stand. That stand was historically used for Saturn V, The Space Shuttle, Delta IV, and the SLS rockets.

A view of Pegasus showing the GS2 upper stage inside of the barge’s main hangar.

A side view of GS2 at night as it leaves Rocket Park

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 30/08/2026

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope begins its journey to space, lifting off from Historic Launch Complex 39B.

A remote camera photo showing a Falcon Heavy launch. The rocket is in the middle of the frame with some of its exhaust visible below it. A water tower is to the left of the rocket and the fixed service structure is to its right. Foliage is on the bottom of the frame.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 30/08/2026

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope soars through the morning clouds on its way to space.

A Falcon Heavy rocket with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in front of clouds ahile flying in the sky.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 30/08/2026

Liftoff of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope! NASA’s next great observatory is on it’s way to showing us the stars

The launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The Falcon Heavy rocket is in the middle of the frame with its orange exhaust down the middle. A smoke plume goes to the left of the pad. A lake in the bottom half of the frame reflects the rocket’s exhaust.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 29/08/2026

Anything is doable with enough speed

An photo of Niagara Falls with a cargo ship edited over top with a motion blur trail

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 18/08/2026

Sometimes the world is best seen with the lens by your side

A view of the Swiss Alps from atop Stoos. A sings person stands in frame with a red backpack and a camera held by their side.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 18/08/2026

Yeah so Switzerland is ridiculously pretty…

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 12/08/2026

The color and vibrance of the eclipse as it was setting into smokey skies was unbelievable. I’m not sure I’ll ever experience one like this again.

A close up of the 2026 Solar Eclipse with a large prominince visible on the left of the eclipse

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 12/08/2026

Wow. Just wow. Today’s Eclipse was absolutely stunning. I remember how incredible 2017 had been, but this was another level.

The 2026 Solar Eclipse over Peñafiel Castle in Spain

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 07/08/2026

Well that was a fun way to fly this morning

A view out the window on the top deck of a Boeing 747-8

A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 parked at Frankfurt Airport

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 04/08/2026

I’ve always been a bit unlucky when flying out if Florida to never get a good view of Kennedy Space Center… until today that is

An aerial view of the Kennedy Space Center with the VAB complex visible on the left, with launch pads 39B, 39A, 41 and 40 visible top to bottom on the right. A plane wing is in the upper middle frame

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 20/07/2026

Fun weekend at North Wilkesboro!

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 02/07/2026

Take another look at last nights launch of LA-08 and the final Atlas V 551! This was my first time successfully using my 360 camera for a launch remote, so still a few adjustments to make but overall really happy with it!

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 02/07/2026

Atlas V is an incredible rocket, and one I will miss dearly. Last night the final Atlas V 551 put on a show that can only be described as breathtaking. I have had one shot in mind for this variant for years, and not only did I finally get it on my last chance, it might be my best work yet.

A close up view of an Atlas V launch showing the detailed engine exhaust under the aft of the rocket. Smoke obscures most of the bottom of the frame with the launch mast barely visible behind the rocket at the top of the frame

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 24/06/2026

To say this is going to be an incredible museum is an understatement. I am blown away by all of the incredible work done by the team behind the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to give Endeavour a home worthy of her.

A ground level shot of the full Space Shuttle Endeavour stack inside of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 12/06/2026

Interesting launch out of Japan coming up this evening! The debut flight of the H3-30 rocket, the first fully liquid fueled orbital rocket Japan has ever flown! It features a modified H3 core with 3 LE-9 engines instead of 2, allowing it to fly without any addition thrust from SRB-3. 📸JAXA/MHI

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 05/06/2026

This record, like its prior, is expected to be relatively short lived, with ULA gearing up for the LV-01 launch for Amazon later this summer. That flight is anticipated to carry at least 40 satellites, weighing in at 23,200kg.

The Vulcan Centaur rocket for LV-01 being stacked inside of VIF-A at Cape Canaveral.

The rocket is surrounded by support structures and trusses while the upper stage is lowered onto it via a crane out of view.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 05/06/2026

Prior to this flight the largest commercial payloads flown were prior Ariane 6 Amazon flights at ~18,900kg, and a few Falcon 9 Starlink missions at 17,500kg. 📸 Arianespace

The first Ariane 64 launching with the LE-01 payload for Amazon.

The rocket is in the center of the frame with a firey exhaust below it. Smoke partially obscures the pad from the base. It is a partly cloudy sky.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 28/05/2026

Spacecraft are cool. Spacecraft that are going to land on the Moon are cooler. Definitely one of the more fun photoshoots of my career so far!

Blue Moon Mk1 in a processing facility with a large American flag behind it

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 26/05/2026

As rough as this conference was to watch for the actual planning bits of it... It was really freaking cool to see a photo I took in a NASA press conference today.

A screenshot of the NASA Moon Base News Conference with Jared Isaacman at the podium. Lori Glaze and Carlos García-Galán are sat under a screen with a photo of Blue Moon Mk1

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 15/05/2026

Back to work at LC-36 this week and let me tell you it is a sight to see! For the first time two New Glenn rockets are in flow simultaneously, "Never Tell Me The Odds" is undergoing refurbishment for its third mission, with "No, It's Necessary" being prepared for its maiden flight!

New Glenn is horizontally positioned during mate. An American flag hangs on the wall in the background.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 09/05/2026

Scott here fails to mention one major part of this drop. There are some photos from Apollo landings that show amazing finds like dust on the camera lens, light refraction, or minor imperfections in the film! Clearly a major news item

Photo from Apollo 12s surface EVA with small blemishes in the photo enlarged. The Astronauts shadow is visible in the bottom right.

Photo from Apollo 12s surface EVA with small blemishes in the photo enlarged. The Astronauts shadow is visible in the middle elongated through a crater

Photo from Apollo 12s surface EVA with small blemishes in the photo enlarged. A large shadow is visible in the bottom of the frame presumably from one of the astronauts

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 07/05/2026

The third SLS rocket was delivered to Kennedy Space Center just a few weeks after the Artemis II mission launched. The stage has been mated to its engine section for final outfitting ahead of stacking later this year for the Artemis III mission. 📸 NASA/Frank Michaux

A ground floor view of the Vertical Integration Center inside of the VAB at Kennedy Space Center. The SLS rocket core stage is visible inside of the massive tooling as it is worked on.

An upper level view of the SLS core stage inside the Vertical Integration Center. The top of the stage is covered by a lifting cap.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 06/05/2026

No its still very likely to be light reflecting off of solar panels. It just in general looks a lot bigger than it is. It's similar to signal mirroring just on a MUCH larger scale. Solar panels on satellites like Starlink are still quite large, so when they angle just right its a big flash.

Signal Mirror Flash at 19 miles – Author: signal mirror- CC BY 2.0

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 03/05/2026

Whilst browsing my phone on a bus ride back from FRC Worlds, I have stumbled onto an old abomination I made. Behold, the Meatcube

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 27/04/2026

Blue posted an update on Endurance's progress. Still work left to do but she's getting close!

A Blue Origin Twitter/X post showing a photo of the Endurance lunar lander and an information update:

Endurance is going through a variety of tests ahead of launch in Florida. First one complete: modal testing ✅

We used sensors to measure how our lunar lander will respond to launch conditions. The test was performed with Endurance mounted on both the New Glenn flight Launch Vehicle Separation System (LVSS) and a GS2 payload adapter.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 27/04/2026

Got to play around with a lunar lander this week 😎

The Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander "Endurance" mounted atop a payload adapter inside Blue Origin's TCAT facility during modal testing.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 23/04/2026

And wow... to say this was one of the most special things I have ever had the pleasure of doing would be an understatement. My part in this is small, but the way I was welcomed by those who build and fly this machine was unbelievable.

New Glenn lifting off from Launch Complex 36 as spectators view the launch from Jetty Park

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 23/04/2026

With NG-3 coming to a close for my work, I'm left reflecting on how this ultimately went for me. This was the first time I was one of the primary photographers for a spaceflight mission. Throughout every step of integration I was there documenting and capturing moments of it.

New Glenn horizontal on top of its Transport Erector as it rolls out to Launch Complex 36

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 23/04/2026

Back Home, Missing A Friend

New Glenn booster "Never Tell Me The Odds" on top of the Jacklyn recovery vessel. The rocket is amongst a cloudy sky

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 21/04/2026

After much debate from certain people over whether or not the people working on Artemis II knew what they were doing when they said they understood why the heat shield on Artemis I wore unevenly, I think it's safe to say that the scientists and engineers got this one right.

A US Navy Diver photo of the Artemis II Heat Shield underwater showing a near perfectly even wear pattern across the spacecraft.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 18/04/2026

I wasn’t joking when I said that. I literally got called in to take a photo of a lunar lander in its shipping container.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

And if you cared about outcomes, you'd take a look at the programs that were actually delivering and find how to leverage them, rather than just decimate their long term upgrades that would make them better.

Above all else, I care about outcomes, and so does the hardworking team at NASA, focused on delivering for the American people and everyone around the world who eagerly await the headlines we all experienced this past weekend.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

If you werent there to favor companies then you wouldn't be the one doing everything you can to stop any part of the program that isn't privately owned or operated.

I am not here to favor companies or perpetuate underperforming programs. I do not want to throw away billions of taxpayer dollars, and time we do not have, on a flavor of a rocket that is not necessary to return astronauts to the moon. Those billions could go toward more Artemis missions or more science and discovery. Our focus must be on the immensely hard task of sending astronauts to the Moon with frequency and safely so we can land and stay.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

Mobile Launcher 2 was moving into Functional testing, and was not only structurally complete but approximately 90% complete for internal outfitting. And for EUS every major structure for the STA was completed and ready to be assembled together with flight hardware already in welding.

You cannot point to the ML-2 structure and a single EUS tank and say it was “pretty much done" and you certainly have no specifics as to the suitability of stage adapter. The Government Accountability Office has been clear on the timing and remaining costs for both ML-2 and EUS, based on a history of OIG oversight reports. Simply put, we would be committing billions more to troubled programs when we can work cooperatively with the OEM and its joint venture to leverage an in-production upper stage with decades of flight heritage and get very good at turning ML-1. Of course, we retain the option of working with industry on ML-2, converting it to the SLS standard, or harvesting parts.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

In his third paragraph he talks about how waiting until 2028 to fly for a lunar landing is not acceptable, however he then says that this is a trade against funding programs over budget and behind schedule when this is adding another flight to support HLS, which is overbudget and behind schedule.

Even with as clean of a mission as Artemis II, it is hard to imagine waiting until 2028 to fly again and jump right to a lunar landing. SLS and Orion must launch with a reasonable cadence, and we need every opportunity to learn. That is why we added Artemis III, an easy trade against funding programs overbudget and behind schedule, in advance of a landing on Artemis IV.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

However in his second paragraph he claims that NASA would not have kept the Artemis II Heat Shield had they known the mission would not launch until April 2026. Notably NASA targeted the mission to April 2026 publicly during that very press conference: www.nasa.gov/news-release...

The idea that Artemis II was only held up by the heat shield is not correct. Administrator Bill Nelson stated in December 2024, two years after Artemis I flew, that we would refly the same heat shield design on Artemis II, yet the mission did not fly until April 2026. On a side note, if leadership knew at the time that Artemis II would not launch until April 2026, it probably would have made sense to replace the heat shield altogether.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

The first paragraph is pretty much nothing though it does highlight how Isaacman directly aims to reduce the usefulness of SLS outside of Orion launches, something which a few science missions had been eyeing as a possibility to reduce transit times to certain destinations.

I understand some in the community have an affinity for specific hardware, but the focus should be on outcomes. With respect to SLS, the desired outcome is launching crewed Orion spacecraft at a reasonable cadence, rebuilding muscle memory, and buying down risk so we can land astronauts on the Moon. This is until such time as there are multiple crewed pathways that allow us to undertake lunar missions with even greater frequency and at lower cost, so that Artemis can live on for decades into the future.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 17/04/2026

Jared Isaacman posted this yesterday defending his plans to cut out in development hardware on the SLS program. However it is filled with incorrect statements and a massive lack of awareness of the actual program he currently has the reigns of.

An X Post from Jared Isaacman. Due to the length each paragraph will be posted in the rest of the thread with their individual alt text.

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 12/04/2026

That building is where the rocket is prepared horizontally before rolling out to the pad. It is raised vertically by the structure below it once at the launch pad itself!

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 12/04/2026

New Glenn makes the trek up Launch Complex 36 ahead of the NG-3 mission.

The New Glenn rocket on the ramp at Launch Complex 36. A large hangar is in the background, with the ocean visible in the upper left. A cruise ship is departing Port Canaveral

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Derek Newsome @derek.space · 11/04/2026

NASA's Artemis II continuous coverage concludes with a whopping 78 million views over the 10 day mission

A screenshot of Youtube with the Artemis II Live Mission Coverage broadcast and its viewcount

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