Photographer’s Lens Destroyed Capturing Amazing Close-Up Rocket Launch Photo

May 08, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A rocket launches into the sky, surrounded by thick clouds of smoke and bright flames, with support structures visible against a dramatic, partly cloudy sky at sunset.

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy, whose fantastic work PetaPixel has featured many times, recently captured an incredible photo of a rocket launch from right near the launchpad. McCarthy’s lens was destroyed in the process, but the resulting image looks well worth the steep price.

McCarthy set up his Sony a7 II and Rokinon 14mm lens in a restricted specialized area near the launchpad for the April 28 launch of the Project Kuiper (KA-01). The Atlas V 551 launched at 7:01 PM EDT from Cape Canaveral, lighting up the evening sky.

“To trigger the shot, I used a MiOPS+ set to listen for the sound of the engines starting,” McCarthy explains. “While the camera body was fine, albeit dirty, the lens was destroyed.”

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A post shared by Andrew McCarthy (@cosmic_background)

“Unfortunately, for this type of shot, it’s not possible to protect the lens with any additional filters — like a UV or polarizing filter — so the optical element remains exposed to the hydrochloric acid that forms from the plume, which pits and destroys the lens.”

A camera covered in plastic is mounted on a tripod, which is secured with yellow straps and anchored to the ground with stakes and ropes in a grassy outdoor area. — McCarthy’s setup before the launch

A rocket stands upright on a launch pad against a blue sky, with fuel tanks nearby. In the foreground, a small tripod holds a camera covered by a plastic Best Buy bag.

McCarthy set up his camera in the restricted area after getting permission from the Space Force and United Launch Alliance (ULA), which required extensive background checks. Before the launch, he drove into the area with an escort to set up his gear.

A covered surveying instrument, possibly a total station or camera, is mounted on a tripod in a grassy outdoor area at dusk. The lens appears dirty or fogged, and yellow tape is visible nearby. — The destroyed Rokinon 14mm lens

This Kuiper 1 launch was the first time McCarthy set up his cameras so close to a rocket, but he says “it won’t be my last.”

McCarthy shared one of his RAW files with PetaPixel, showing that he intentionally underexposed the images in camera to ensure that the extremely bright rocket plume would not entirely wash out the scene or blow out the sensor.

A rocket launches into a dark sky, illuminating the scene with bright flames and thick clouds of smoke, surrounded by tall support towers. — One of McCarthy’s RAW images before editing

“To preserve dynamic range I shot in the lowest ISO and used a fast shutter speed, and since I was shooting in RAW I was able to bring back a lot of the shadows in Lightroom,” McCarthy tells PetaPixel. “The camera sensor I used was quite noisy with these settings, so I still have some experimentation to do before I’m fully satisfied with the results.”

A close-up view of a rocket launch with bright flames and thick smoke billowing from the engines, illuminated against a dark, cloudy sky.

Close-up view of a rocket launch, showing intense flames and exhaust from the engines, with a launch pad structure visible to the right against a dark sky.

A rocket launches into the sky, leaving a bright trail of flames and thick white smoke against a blue background. The scene captures the moment of liftoff, with the rocket ascending vertically.