ReportWire

Tag: Brevard County

  • SpaceX plans to launch nearly 30 Starlink satellites

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — For anyone hoping to see a morning launch, your Christmas wish has come true. SpaceX is planning to launch another batch of Starlink satellites Wednesday morning. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Starlink 6-99 mission will take off from Launch Complex 39A

    SpaceX stated it is going to send up its Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center for the Starlink 6-99 mission.

    The launch window opens at 7:19 a.m. ET and it is set to close at 11:19 a.m. ET. This means the California-based company has during that time frame to send up its Falcon 9 rocket.

    The 45th Weather Squadron has given a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions.

    The only concern against the launch is the cumulus cloud rule.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    Taking the fifth

    The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster for this mission, called B1094, has two crewed launches in its young career.

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket is expected to land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, which will be in the Atlantic Ocean..

    About the mission

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, which will see its 29 satellites go to low-Earth orbit.

    Once deployed and in their orbit with the thousands of other Starlinks, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been documenting Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 9,357 are in orbit
    • 8,026 are in operational orbit

    Anthony Leone

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  • Brevard pushes for public hearing on Blue Origin’s wastewater dumping permit

    MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — Brevard County is awaiting a response after sending a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection requesting to hold a public hearing about concerns over Blue Origin’s wastewater permit.

    The concerns revolve around the company’s plan to dump about 500,000 gallons of industrial wastewater daily into the Indian River Lagoon.

    What You Need To Know

    • Brevard County is pushing for a public hearing about Blue Origin’s wastewater permit

    • The permit, which has been in place for five years, allows the company to dump 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater daily into the Indian River Lagoon

    • An online petition against the permit extension has over 40,000 signatures

    Blue Origin officials are hoping to get an extension of the company’s existing permit to continue discharging the treated water, but it’s now in the hands of the Florida DEP whether that will happen.

    Meanwhile, concerns are growing about the health of the lagoon.

    Laurilee Thompson, a founding member of Indian River Lagoon Roundtable, said organization members were not aware Blue Origin was dumping treated wastewater into a ditch at its Merritt Island facility that runs to the waterway. The roundtable identifies itself as a group that looks into “environmental issues that may have an adverse effect on the Indian River Lagoon.”

    The permit was first granted by the Florida DEP in July 2020.

    “There’s a false perception that a healthy estuary can withstand large purges of fresh water,” Thompson said. “It changes the salinity regime. Too much fresh water makes it difficult for seagrass to thrive. It can survive, but we want it to thrive.”

    Over the past few weeks, an online petition against the agreement has received more than 40,000 signatures.

    “The Indian River Lagoon is already fighting for its life,” the petition stated about Blue Origin. “Decades of nutrient pollution, algae blooms, seagrass collapse, habitat loss, and record manatee deaths have pushed this fragile ecosystem to the edge. Now, it faces a NEW threat — and it’s one we cannot ignore.” 

    Blue Origin previously sent Spectrum News a statement saying the permit request is a renewal of an existing agreement that has been in place for more than five years. The spokesperson added that the company is “committed to maintaining responsible and compliant operations.”

    The deadline for public comment on the issue is Thursday, Dec. 18.

    Greg Pallone

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  • ULA is set to launch nearly 30 Amazon Leo satellites

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — United Launch Alliance is getting ready to launch 30 Amazon Leo internet satellites early Tuesday morning.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket

    Formerly known as Kuiper satellites, Amazon made the name change last month. In fact, this will be the first launch under the new name for the satellites.

    ULA’s Atlas V 551 rocket will leave Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated the Colorado-based company.

    The very short launch window will open at 3:28 a.m. ET and close at 3:57 a.m. ET.

    The LA-04 mission was originally set to launch on Monday morning, but it was pushed back due to poor weather conditions.

    At the moment, the 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 95% chance of good liftoff weather for the Tuesday morning mission, with the only concern being the cumulus cloud rule.

    The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, which is what the better known SpaceX rocket — the Falcon 9 — does. Instead, it will separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will get picked up.

    About the mission

    The Atlas V rocket sent up 27 of Amazon’s Leo satellites.

    Like the SpaceX-company Starlink and its satellites that orbit Earth, the Leo satellites will have their own low-Earth orbital satellite network.

    The Leo satellites will provide internet service to customers around the world.

    Before this launch, there were 153 Kuiper satellites in orbit, with Amazon planning more than 3,200, once all is said and done.

    Watch the launch here

    [ad_2] Anthony Leone
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  • NASA switches to Boeing for Artemis transport vans after Canoo goes bankrupt

    NATIONWIDE — A company that was contracted to give a fleet of electric vehicle vans so NASA could use them for its Artemis astronauts has filed for bankruptcy.

    What You Need To Know

    • The three EV vans were supposed to transport Artemis astronauts to the launch pad before going to the moon
    • Canoo Technologies Inc. filed for bankruptcy earlier this year
    • NASA tells Spectrum News the company was “no longer able to meet our mission” needs
    • The space agency will use another transport vehicle, which was built by Boeing and Airstream

    In 2022, Canoo Technologies Inc. was contracted to supply three EV vans, listed as “Artemis Crew Transportation Vehicles.”

    These fully electric vans were supposed to be environmentally friendly and would not produce emissions as they would take Artemis astronauts to the Space Launch Systems rocket to the moon.

    According to the contract, it cost NASA $147,855 for the three vehicles.

    However, the California-based company filed for bankruptcy at the start of 2025.

    In 2023, Canoo Technologies delivered three EVs to NASA, which the U.S. space agency called Artemis astronauts’ “… final Earth-bound leg of their journey to the Moon before boarding their rocket and spacecraft,” in a press release.

    NASA has stated that it will be going with Boeing’s Astrovan instead.

    “As of October, NASA is leasing Boeing’s Astrovan to transport crew to the launch pad for the agency’s associated training exercises and Artemis II launch. This change in providers was necessary as Canoo Technologies was no longer able to meet our mission requirements. NASA will evaluate future transportation options,” Artemis Public Affairs specialist Tiffany Fairley stated to Spectrum News in an email.

    The Astrovan was built in partnership with Airstream and Boeing, and was used for the NASA-Boeing Starliner mission in 2024.

    The Airstream-Boeing Astrovan is seen taking the Starliner crew to the launch pad during the second launch attempt in 2024. (Spectrum News file photo/Anthony Leone)

    Spectrum News reached out to Boeing, Airstream and Canoo for comment, with Boeing being the only one who replied, but stated any questions about the Artemis mission should go to NASA.

    Anthony Leone, Jon Shaban

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  • Weather looking clear for SpaceX’s Starlink launch Thursday afternoon

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The weather is looking favorable as SpaceX prepares again for another Starlink launch Thursday afternoon.

    The company will launch its Falcon 9 rocket, carrying over two dozen Starlink satellites.

    SpaceX is targeting 3:26 p.m. for liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    The 45th Weather Squadron shows clear skies over the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday with no weather concerns.

    Sweet Sixteen

    The company said the Starlink Group 6-90 mission will be the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched:

    Following stage separation, the first stage booster will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas on Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    Spectrum News Staff

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  • SpaceX successfully launches U.S. security satellite into orbit

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX successfully launched the NROL-77 mission from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 Tuesday afternoon.

    Rocket lovers may have heard a sonic boom, which was expected during SpaceX’s launch of a U.S. national security satellite.

    What You Need To Know

    • The takeoff took place at Space Launch Complex 40
    • This is a top-secret mission for the National Reconnaissance Office and U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command

     

    Going up

    This was the fourth mission for B1096, the name of this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster.

    After the first-stage separation, it landed at Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    And many may have heard it.

    “There is the possibility that residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” explained SpaceX in an email to the media.

    How the first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster lands at Landing Zone 2. (SpaceX)

    About the mission

    There is not much about the mission that can be released since it is a launch for national security.

    “The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) are partnering to launch NROL-77 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket through the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. This mission carries a national security payload designed, built, and operated by NRO,” stated the National Reconnaissance Office in a media release.

    This is SpaceX’s second NRO mission, with the first one being in 2017.

    The mission patch is of a flying squirrel, which the NRO has stated is a symbol of hard work and endurance.

    Anthony Leone

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  • Jared Isaacman back before the Senate seeking NASA’s top job

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Billionaire spacewalker Jared Isaacman urged senators on Wednesday to take swift action on his bid to lead NASA, after being yanked and then renominated by President Donald Trump.


    Isaacman appeared before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in Washington eight months after his first nomination hearing. The tech entrepreneur who’s rocketed into orbit twice with SpaceX stressed the need for “full-time leadership” at NASA as the space agency prepares to send astronauts back to the moon early next year.

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been filling in as NASA’s acting administrator since summer.

    Returning astronauts to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years will be “a challenging endeavor to say the least,” Isaacman told the committee led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

    NASA is targeting early next year for a lunar flyaround by four astronauts. They won’t land on the moon; that would happen in another mission. The goal is to beat the Chinese there by the end of the decade.

    “This is not the time for delay but a time for action because if we fall behind — if we make a mistake — we may never catch up, and the consequences could shift the balance of power here on Earth,” Isaacman told the committee.

    Cruz agreed. “NASA cannot take its eyes off the ball,” he said, referring to China’s looming moon plans. “The United States must remain the unquestioned leader in space exploration.”

    Isaacman was within days of being confirmed by the Senate as NASA’s 15th administrator when Trump pulled his nomination in May. The move came soon after Trump’s falling out with SpaceX’s Elon Musk. The president renominated Isaacman last month.

    Cruz said Isaacman’s second appearance “feels a bit like Groundhog Day” and hopes to have him confirmed by the end of the year.

    In response to questioning by senators, Issacman described both the moon and Mars as priorities for exploration by U.S. crews, with parallel efforts underway. He said he supports Duffy’s recent move to reopen the contract for the lunar lander needed for the first touchdown by astronauts under NASA’s Artemis program.

    Elon Musk’s SpaceX won the original crew lunar lander contract with Starship, but the mega rocket remains in flight testing. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is hustling to gain the lead with its Blue Moon landers; a prototype is due to launch early next year.

    Isaacman assured the senators that NASA will go with the first company capable of delivering U.S. astronauts to the lunar surface.

    “The best thing for SpaceX is a Blue Origin right on their heels, and vice versa,” he said. He also supports competition among world powers — “just as long as we don’t lose.”

    The 42-year-old founder of the payment processing company Shift4 performed the world’s first private spacewalk last fall. He bankrolled both of his spaceflights. Several astronauts were present for the hearing, including some of Isaacman’s own crewmates.

    Associated Press

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  • Air Force clears SpaceX to build Starship launch pad at Cape Canaveral

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The U.S. Department of the Air Force gave SpaceX approval to build a launch and landing pad for its Starship at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX is one step closer to bringing Starship launches from Texas to Brevard County
    • Starship could launch up to 76 missions annually and conduct up to 152 booster landings
    • Super Heavy is the rocket booster part of the vehicle; the spacecraft is called Starship
    • When they are joined together, they are called Starship

    After months of input from the community, the decision was posted on the Air Force’s website, and it is the official green light SpaceX needed to bring its Starship to Brevard County.

    The rocket booster is called Super Heavy and the spacecraft is called Starship. When they are joined together, they are collectively called Starship.

    SpaceX confirmed on X that construction for the launch pad is already underway for Starship, which will return humans to the moon in NASA’s Artemis missions.

    Once that work is complete, the plan is for SpaceX to have three launch pads on the Space Coast.

    The company said the goal is to conduct both national security and future missions under the Artemis banner.

    There was some concern about Starship coming to Florida, with public meetings being held that included discussions on environmental impacts.

    The Department of the Air Force says it plans on implementing mitigation measures to account for environmental impacts associated with these new plans.

    In this case, mitigation requires habitat restoration.

    This decision still requires an additional analysis of the impact that Starship could have on aviation in Florida.

    Pending that analysis, Starship could launch up to 76 missions annually and conduct up to 152 booster landings.

    Space Launch Complex 37’s history

    The Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station has a long history, with the original plan being to support the Apollo program.

    Originally named Launch Complex 37, it was built during the Apollo era where Launch Pad 37A was never used, but it was Launch Pad 37B that saw all the action: From Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B launches to Delta IV and Delta IV Heavy takeoffs from 2002 to 2024.

    For more than 20 years, Space Launch Complex 37 was also home to Boeing’s Delta rockets until about six months ago.

    In June 2025, the blockhouse where the Delta rockets were stored at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station came tumbling down.

    At the time, Emre Kelly, media operations chief for Space Launch Delta 45, explained that once United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) lease of Space Launch Complex 37 expired, the infrastructure at the launch site was turned over to the U.S. Air Force.

    Kelly said the demolition of Space Launch Complex 37 was authorized by the U.S. Air Force “as being in the best interest of the government.”

    Sasha Teman, Anthony Leone

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  • SpaceX skirts the weather to launch 29 Starlink satellites

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX found a window to launch nearly 30 Starlink satellites on Tuesday afternoon, despite some winds trying to change those plans.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX sent off Starlink 6-95 mission on Tuesday at 5:18 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
    • The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed

    The Falcon 9 rocket sent up the Starlink 6-95 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5:18 p.m.

    The launch window ran from 3:16 p.m. ET to 7:16 p.m. ET, meaning the California-based company had during this time slot to send up its Falcon 9 rocket.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 70% chance at the start of the window and up to an 80% chance of good liftoff conditions near the end.

    The concerns against the launch included cumulus cloud, disturbed weather and thick cloud layers rules.

    Besides showers and a possible isolated thunderstorm, winds were another concern, according to the squadron.

    “Breezy winds are expected in stronger storms, with gusts near 30 mph possible. Weather conditions currently look worse at the beginning of the primary launch window, then improve towards the end of the window as the front shifts south of the area,” the squadron stated.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    The 25th launch

    This will be the 25th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1077.

    Its previous missions included a crew launch and a boatload of Starlink ones.

    1. Crew-5
    2. GPS III Space Vehicle 06
    3. Inmarsat I-6 F2
    4. CRS-28
    5. Intelsat G-37
    6. NG-20
    7. Optus-X
    8. Starlink 5-10 mission
    9. Starlink 6-13 mission
    10. Starlink 6-25 mission
    11. Starlink 6-33 mission
    12. Starlink 6-43 mission
    13. Starlink 6-51 mission
    14. Starlink 6-63 mission
    15. Starlink 10-4 mission
    16. Starlink 8-11 mission
    17. Starlink 6-71 mission
    18. Starlink 12-8 mission

    19. Starlink 12-25 mission
    20. Starlink 12-23 mission
    21. Starlink 12-19 mission
    22. Starlink 10-28 mission
    23. Starlink 10-14 mission
    24. Starlink 10-21 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket should land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that should be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas of the round Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    • 9,093 are in orbit
    • 7,867 are in operational orbit

    Anthony Leone

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  • Blue Origin renews permit to dump 500k gallons of wastewater into Indian River

    FLORIDA — Blue Origin is renewing an agreement with Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to be allowed to dump about 500,000 gallons of industrial wastewater into the Indian River.

    This has caused environmentalists to petition the agreement.

    What You Need To Know

    • Half a million gallons of wastewater will go into the Indian River
    • A Blue Origin spokesperson said this is a renewal of an existing permit
    • Environmentalists are looking to get 200 signatures

    In a public notice, the DEP stated that the permit would allow Blue Origin, which recently had a successful launch of its New Glenn rocket, to dump 500,000 gallons daily of both processed and non-processed wastewater.

    The DEP stated “0.49 MGD (million gallons per day) of process wastewater and discharge 0.015 MGD of non-process wastewater” would go into a large onsite stormwater pond and then into the Indian River.  

    A Blue Origin spokesperson said this is a renewal of an existing permit.

    “This is a renewal of an existing agreement that has been in place for more than five years. We are committed to maintaining responsible and compliant operations,” stated the spokesperson to Spectrum News.

    However, environmentalists took to Change.org to petition the agreement.

    “The Indian River Lagoon is already fighting for its life. Decades of nutrient pollution, algae blooms, seagrass collapse, habitat loss, and record manatee deaths have pushed this fragile ecosystem to the edge. Now, it faces a NEW threat — and it’s one we cannot ignore,” the petition stated about Blue Origin.

    Environmentalists are looking to get 200 signatures.

    The petition stated that rocket launches (from the loud noise to heavy metals and chemicals) are impacting the plant and wildlife of the lagoon.

    Last week, Brevard County commissioners talked about the funding needs for restoration efforts of the Indian River Lagoon.

    Anthony Leone

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  • SpaceX’s Starlink launch will be 100th for Florida this year

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — SpaceX’s launch of nearly 30 Starlink satellites on Thursday night will be the 100th mission that has taken off from Florida this year, breaking last year’s 93. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Last year’s record of 93 was already been broken with the Blue Origin launch of NASA’s Mars mission
    • There are now more than 9,000 Starlink satellites in orbit

    SpaceX’s launch of nearly 30 Starlink satellites on Thursday night will be the 100th mission that has taken off from Florida this year, breaking last year’s 93.

    Last year’s record of 93, which broke the previous year’s record of 74, was already been broken with the Blue Origin launch of NASA’s ESCAPADE Mars mission last week. That was the 94th launch of the year.

    On Thursday morning, Col. Brian L. Chatman, who is the Space Launch Delta 45 installation commander, said the Sunshine State is “breaking records”.

    “We are breaking records across the board. One hundred launches is a complete game changer on the Space Coast. We’re identifying efficiencies, getting additional mass to orbit. It couldn’t be a more exciting time to be out here. … When you look at the total launch count across the world, we have launched more off the Space Coast than the entire world combined. If you take Vandenberg out of the count, it’s an amazing time to be here,” he told Spectrum News.

    Chatman is also the director of the Eastern Range at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    The 100th launch

    The Falcon 9 rocket will send up Starlink 6-78 mission from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, stated SpaceX. 

    The launch window is currently set at 10:21 p.m. ET and will close at 2:01 a.m. ET, Friday.

    The 45th Weather Squadron is giving about a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions with no weather concerns.

    Going up

    This marks the 23rd mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1080.

    While most of its missions are Starlink ones, it has launched two crewed missions.

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket should land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 30 satellites from the Starlink company — that is owned by SpaceX — will be heading to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.

    Their purpose is to provide internet service to many parts of Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell logged the following:

    • 9,021 are in orbit
    • 7,778 are in operational orbit

    Jon Shaban, Anthony Leone

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  • Falcon 9’s first-stage booster for Starlink launch has impressive history

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — At the moment, Mother Nature is giving SpaceX a pretty nice forecast for its Starlink launch on Tuesday evening.

    And that is good news for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, which has a very impressive launch resume.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Starlink 6-94 mission will take off from Space Launch Complex 40
    • This Falcon 9’s first-stage booster has an impressive history

    SpaceX stated it will send up its Falcon 9 rocket with the Starlink 6-94 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:12 p.m. ET. 

    The launch window will open from 6:29 p.m. ET to 10:29 p.m. ET, meaning the California-based company has during this time slot to send up its Falcon 9 rocket.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    A solid dozen?

    If all goes well, this will be the 12th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster called B1085.  

    It has an impressive resume, from first launching the Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station, to sending up two commercial companies’ lunar landers — with Firefly Aerospace being the first company to successfully land on the moon — to taking up four people in the civilian Fram2 mission to explore Earth’s polar regions.

    1. Crew-9 mission
    2. Starlink 6-77 mission
    3. Starlink 10-5 mission
    4. RRT-1
    5. Blue Ghost and HAKUTO-R
    6. Fram2 mission
    7. Starlink 6-93 mission
    8. SXM-10 mission
    9. Eumetsat MTG-S1 mission
    10. Starlink 10-20 mission
    11. Starlink 10-27 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket should land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there once deployed.

    SpaceX owns the Starlink company, where the satellites provide internet service to many areas of the round Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell documented the following:

    • 8,994 are in orbit
    • 7,716 are in operational orbit

    Anthony Leone

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  • FAA ends commercial space launch-limit times

    Daytime and early-evening launches resume nationwide.

    Anthony Leone

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  • DOUBLE LAUNCH: SpaceX to send up two Falcon 9 rockets during same launch window

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Hang on to your seats, because this will be a rare treat and a first: SpaceX is attempting to launch two Falcon 9 rockets at the same time on Friday night.

    What a way to kick off the weekend.

    What You Need To Know

    • If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-85 mission at the same time
    • A total of 58 Starlink satellites could be launched between the two missions

    One is the Starlink 6-89 mission, which will leave Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX stated.

    The launch window will open at 10:01 p.m. ET until 2:01 a.m. ET, Saturday.

    So, it means the California-based company needs to launch its Falcon 9 rocket during that time frame.

    The 45th Weather Squadron has given about a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with no forecast concerns.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-85 mission at the same time, with the same number of satellites: 29.

    However, it would not be uncommon for one of these missions to be pushed back to later in the launch window or a different day entirely.

    So, space lovers better cross their fingers for this one.

    Going up

    This will be the eighth mission for this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster called B1092.

    Its previous missions include the following:

    1. Starlink 12-13 mission
    2. NROL-69 mission
    3. Bandwagon-3 mission
    4. GPS III-7 mission
    5. Starlink 10-34 mission
    6. USSF-36 mission
    7. Starlink 10-61 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket will land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The SpaceX-owned Starlink company will see 29 of its satellites go to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.

    They will provide internet service to many parts of Earth, once they are deployed and in their orbit.

    Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’s Dr. Jonathan McDowell has been documenting Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 8,942 are in orbit
    • 7,716 are in operational orbit

    Anthony Leone

    Source link

  • DOUBLE LAUNCH: SpaceX to send up two Falcon 9 rockets during same launch window

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER — Hang on to your seats, because this will be a rare treat and a first: SpaceX is attempting to launch two Falcon 9 rockets at the same time on Friday night.

    What a way to kick off the weekend.

    What You Need To Know

    • If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-85 mission at the same time
    • A total of 58 Starlink satellites could be launched between the two missions

    One is the Starlink 6-89 mission, which will leave Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX stated.

    The launch window will open at 10:01 p.m. ET until 2:01 a.m. ET, Saturday.

    So, it means the California-based company needs to launch its Falcon 9 rocket during that time frame.

    The 45th Weather Squadron has given about a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with no forecast concerns.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-85 mission at the same time, with the same number of satellites: 29.

    However, it would not be uncommon for one of these missions to be pushed back to later in the launch window or a different day entirely.

    So, space lovers better cross their fingers for this one.

    Going up

    This will be the eighth mission for this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster called B1092.

    Its previous missions include the following:

    1. Starlink 12-13 mission
    2. NROL-69 mission
    3. Bandwagon-3 mission
    4. GPS III-7 mission
    5. Starlink 10-34 mission
    6. USSF-36 mission
    7. Starlink 10-61 mission

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket will land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The SpaceX-owned Starlink company will see 29 of its satellites go to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.

    They will provide internet service to many parts of Earth, once they are deployed and in their orbit.

    Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’s Dr. Jonathan McDowell has been documenting Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 8,942 are in orbit
    • 7,716 are in operational orbit

    Anthony Leone

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  • DOUBLE LAUNCH: SpaceX to launch nearly 30 Starlink satellites

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — This might be an extremely rare treat for space lovers: SpaceX plans to send up two Falcon 9 rockets at the same launch time on Friday night. 

    What You Need To Know

    • If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-89 mission at the same time
    • A total of 58 Starlink satellites could be launched between the two missions

    One is the Starlink 6-85 mission, which will leave from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX. 

    The launch window will open at 10:01 p.m. ET until 2:01 a.m. ET, Saturday.

    That means SpaceX needs to launch its Falcon 9 rocket during that time frame.

    The 45th Weather Squadron has given about a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with no forecast concerns.

    Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

    If all goes well, SpaceX will also launch the Starlink 6-89 mission at the same time, with the same number of satellites: 29.

    However, it would not be uncommon for one of these missions to be pushed back to later in the launch window or a different day entirely.

    Going up

    This will be the 24th mission for the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1078. It has had 23 missions under its wide belt, including a crewed one:

    1. Crew-6
    2. SES O3b mPOWER
    3. USSF-124 mission
    4. Bluebird
    5. Starlink 6-4
    6. Starlink 6-8
    7. Starlink 6-16
    8. Starlink 6-31
    9. Starlink 6-46
    10. Starlink 6-53
    11. Starlink 6-60
    12. Starlink 10-2
    13. Starlink 10-6
    14. Starlink 10-13
    15. Starlink 6-76
    16. Starlink 12-6
    17. Starlink 12-9
    18. Starlink 12-16
    19. Starlink 6-72
    20. Starlink 6-84
    21. Starlink 12-26
    22. Starlink 10-26
    23. Nusantara Lima

    After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket will land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.

    About the mission

    The 29 satellites from the Starlink company, owned by SpaceX, will be heading to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands already there.

    Once deployed and in their orbit, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth.

    Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

    Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

    • 8,942 are in orbit
    • 7,716 are in operational orbit

     

    Anthony Leone

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  • Amazon changes name of its Project Kuiper satellites to Amazon Leo

    NATIONWIDE — What’s in a name? Amazon has changed the name of its Project Kuiper satellites to Amazon Leo.

    What You Need To Know

    • It is a nice play on words for low-Earth orbit and the Zodiac constellation Leo

    “Project Kuiper” was actually a temporary name for the low-Earth satellites, which were named after the Kuiper Belt, a region in the outer solar system that has a ring of asteroids.

    But as Amazon revealed, it always had plans to change that name.

    “Now, we’re ready to share our permanent brand for the program: Amazon Leo, a simple nod to the low Earth orbit satellite constellation that powers our network,” the Washington-state company stated.

    And Amazon “Leo” is a nice play on words. Low-Earth orbit is known as LEO and then there is the Zodiac constellation Leo, which is the “Lion”.

    Like the SpaceX-company Starlink and its satellites that orbit Earth, Amazon’s Leo will have its own low-Earth orbital satellite network.

    The Leo satellites provide internet service to customers around the little globed Earth.

    Anthony Leone

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  • ULA tries again to launch ViaSat 3 mission after valve issue

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — United Launch Alliance will once again attempt to send up its Atlas V rocket that will carry a ViaSat communications satellite on Thursday night after a faulty oxygen valve issue scrubbed the first two attempts.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to ULA, the faulty liquid oxygen tank vent valve that scrubbed the first two launch attempts have been replaced

    According to ULA, crews on Wednesday and Thursday of last week faced an issue with the Atlas V booster’s liquid oxygen tank vent valve, which resulted in the two launch attempts being scrubbed.

    However, ULA stated the problem as been resolved.

    “Following the scrub last week due to a faulty booster liquid oxygen tank vent valve, the team at the Cape removed and replaced it with a new valve in preparation for this launch attempt,” stated the Colorado-based company.

    The ViaSat-3 Flight 2 mission is set to take off on the Atlas V 551 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated ULA.

    A launch window for Thursday night is set for 10:04 p.m. ET and it will close at 10:48 p.m. ET. This means that ULA has only 44 minutes to launch its famed 205-foot-tall (62.5-meter) Atlas V rocket.

    The 45th Weather Squadron has given about a 95% chance of good launch conditions with no weather concerns reported.

    The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, which is what the more familiar SpaceX rocket, the Falcon 9, does.

    Instead, it will separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be picked up.


    About the mission

    Global communications company ViaSat’s broadband communications ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite will be sent to a geostationary orbit.

    In fact, the California-based company stated that it will take a couple of months for it to travel to its destinated orbit. But once there at an orbital slot located at 79 degrees west longitude, the satellite will run a series of in-orbit testing before going into service.

    “The ViaSat-3 satellites are each designed to provide coverage over nearly one-third of the Earth and ViaSat-3 F2 is expected to provide services over the Americas to address increasing customer demand. Launched in 2023, the ViaSat-3 F1 satellite will also continue to provide coverage over North America to meet user demand,” ViaSat stated.

    The satellite will provide communications services like free Wi-Fi for commercial aircraft, home internet, and connectivity for government and defense mission operations.

    Watch the launch here

    Anthony Leone

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  • ULA launches ViaSat-3 mission after valve issue

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — United Launch Alliance successfully launched its Atlas V rocket that will carry a ViaSat communications satellite on Thursday night after a faulty oxygen valve issue scrubbed the first two attempts.

    What You Need To Know

    • According to ULA, the faulty liquid oxygen tank vent valve that scrubbed the first two launch attempts have been replaced

    According to ULA, crews on Wednesday and Thursday of last week faced an issue with the Atlas V booster’s liquid oxygen tank vent valve, which resulted in the two launch attempts being scrubbed.

    However, ULA stated the problem as been resolved.

    “Following the scrub last week due to a faulty booster liquid oxygen tank vent valve, the team at the Cape removed and replaced it with a new valve in preparation for this launch attempt,” stated the Colorado-based company.

    The ViaSat-3 Flight 2 mission was set to take off on the Atlas V 551 rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated ULA.

    A launch window for Thursday night was set for 10:04 p.m. ET. 

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave about a 95% chance of good launch conditions with no weather concerns reported.

    The Atlas V 551 rocket’s first-stage booster does not land on a droneship or landing zone, which is what the more familiar SpaceX rocket, the Falcon 9, does.

    Instead, it will separate and fall into the Atlantic Ocean, where it will be picked up.


    About the mission

    Global communications company ViaSat’s broadband communications ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite will be sent to a geostationary orbit.

    In fact, the California-based company stated that it will take a couple of months for it to travel to its destinated orbit. But once there at an orbital slot located at 79 degrees west longitude, the satellite will run a series of in-orbit testing before going into service.

    “The ViaSat-3 satellites are each designed to provide coverage over nearly one-third of the Earth and ViaSat-3 F2 is expected to provide services over the Americas to address increasing customer demand. Launched in 2023, the ViaSat-3 F1 satellite will also continue to provide coverage over North America to meet user demand,” ViaSat stated.

    The satellite will provide communications services like free Wi-Fi for commercial aircraft, home internet, and connectivity for government and defense mission operations.

    Watch the launch here

    Anthony Leone

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  • Weather looking good for Blue Origin launch of NASA’s Mars mission

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — On Wednesday afternoon, Blue Origin is attempting again to launch NASA’s ESCAPADE mission to Mars after having to scrub it due to poor weather on Sunday.

    NASA’s ESCAPADE mission will see two satellites head to Mars, which will benefit future astronauts when they go to the Red Planet.


    Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will take off with the NG-2 mission from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Blue Origin stated.

    The launch window opens at 2:50 p.m. ET to 4:17 p.m. ET, which means Blue Origin has during that time frame to send its rocket up into the deep black.

    The 45th Weather Squadron is giving about a 95% good weather forecast, with no concerns.

    After the stage separation, the reusable first-stage booster called Never Tell Me The Odds will attempt to land on Blue Origin’s cargo ship Jacklyn.

    First launch attempt

    On Sunday, Blue Origin tried to launch the ESCAPADE mission a couple of times.

    It was supposed to go up at 2:45 p.m. ET and then it was pushed to 3:18 p.m. ET, and finally, it was given a launch attempt at 4:12 p.m. ET before being scrubbed.

    At 4 minutes and 33 seconds during the third and final launch attempt on Sunday, Blue Origin put a hold on the launch due to poor weather, specifically citing the cumulus clouds being the culprit.

    The launch window opened at 2:45 p.m. ET and closed at 4:13 p.m. ET, which means Blue Origin has during that time frame to launch the mission.

    On Friday, the 45th Weather Squadron gave a 65% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the concerns being the cumulus cloud and surface electric fields rules.

    However, the squadron on Saturday gave a different forecast of between 65% to 55% of good launch conditions, with the following concerns: Cumulus cloud, surface electric fields and anvil cloud rules.

    At one point, the weather was clear, however, Blue Origin stated that the launch team was looking at an issue with a ground-support equipment at the launch pad. No further information was provided.

    New Glenn’s maiden flight

    The first time the New Glenn launched was January of this year, when it sent up Blue Origin’s Blue Ring Pathfinder, which tested and collected data on its flight, ground systems, and operational capabilities.

    While it was a successful takeoff, the first-stage booster called So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance failed to stick the landing on Jacklyn.

     

     

    Understanding the mission

    The New Glenn will be sending up two payloads: NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission, which will study Mars’ magnetosphere and how solar winds impact the Red Planet.

    The mission’s principal investigator Dr. Rob Lillis shared a bit more about ESCAPADE and how it will help humans once they get to Mars.

    He said that two satellites — called Blue and Gold in honor of the University of California, Berkeley’s colors — will study Mars’ magnetosphere and space weather.

    “The two spacecraft … will be characterizing the magnetic and space weather (i.e. plasma, radiation) environment on their way to Mars, then after they achieve Mars orbit, they’ll be measuring this environment in the solar wind and within Mars’ upper atmosphere, including rates of atmospheric escape,” Lillis explained to Spectrum News.

    The second payload is from global communications company ViaSat. Called the Viasat HaloNet Technology Demonstrator, the satellite will help with better communications between Earth and space.

    “Whether supporting Earth observation, scientific payloads, defense missions, or launch operations, HaloNet helps close the space-to-ground connectivity gap through a modular set of capabilities designed for resilience, reach, and responsiveness,” stated Viasat.

    Anthony Leone

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