Landsat liftoff
© NASA/Bill Ingalls
On 27 September 2021, Landsat 9 was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This image shows the immense force generated by the engine aboard an Atlas V rocket. The rocket’s main RD-180 engine burns liquid oxygen and kerosene to generate an initial thrust of about 390 tonnes. Once airborne, the Atlas V rocket accelerates at supersonic speeds of around 10,000 miles per hour.