Dairy Aire Night Launch

My first night launch was on a Cesaroni Aerospace H120 Redline with the neon red of Strontium Nitrate mixed in the AP propellant. In the hot plasma of the burn, the Ammonium Perchlorate oxidizer in the propellant provides the Chlorine to form the metal salt Strontium Chloride, and then the metal ions combine with electrons in the flame, and the Strontium atoms are raised to excited states because of the high flame temperature. Upon returning to the ground state, it gives off light characteristic of the metal. In this case, neon red.

The virtual sunset on the right is a brilliant burn bag of reject propellant, best disposed of in a burn.

At the top of the frame is the wispy blue-green light of the nose cone with LED sequencer under chute. I was shooting 16mm wide angle, so it’s up in the night sky. A perfect flight.