Rocket Silhouette at Dawn

Most launch sites sit on a coast with open ocean to the east. Rockets fly eastward to borrow speed from the spin of the Earth. Over water, any dropped stage or failed flight comes down far from towns. Before dawn a slender rocket stands ready beside its steel tower, with marsh and a still lagoon reflecting the pad lights. As a rocket jigsaw puzzle it is mostly sky, streaked orange under a lid of gray cloud. Launch watchers know this hour well.