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Tag: Jon Shaban

  • SpaceX’s Falcon 9 successfully launches and lands after Crew-12 liftoff

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — For the first time ever in Florida, SpaceX was able to land one of its Falcon 9 rockets just minutes after lifting off from an adjacent launch pad.

    It also means that NASA’s four Crew-12 members are on their long commute to the International Space Station.

    What You Need To Know

    • For the first time in Florida, a SpaceX rocket returned near the launch site
    • Learn more about the four astronauts as they will spend eight months on the ISS
    • They will be doing various experiments to learn more about the human body in space as well as moon-landing simulations


    During the early morning hours on Friday, NASA astronauts Cmdr. Jessica Meir and pilot Jack Hathaway, and mission specialists European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev climbed into the Falcon 9 to take off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to both NASA and SpaceX.

    The instantaneous launch took place at 5:15 a.m. ET.

    The Falcon 9 jumped off the launch pad and screamed into the early morning sky as space fans cheered and then were in awe as a jellyfish was seen.

    The jellyfish effect is when the Falcon 9 rocket’s (or any rocket’s) exhaust plume grows and creates a jellyfish-like “cloud” from the exhaust that has a glowing appearance if the launch is near dawn and dusk.

    After the launch, NASA officials held a press conference, where Spectrum News asked Admin. Jared Isaacman about his thoughts on seeing the first crewed launch as the U.S. space agency’s new administrator.

    The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 90% chance of favorable launch conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation.

    The forecast was higher than the original 85% the squadron gave for Friday’s launch. 

    If the launch was a scrub, the next attempt would have been Sunday, Feb. 15.

    Originally, the launch was set for Wednesday at 6:01 a.m. ET and then it was pushed to 5:38 a.m. ET, Thursday, until finally settled on Friday.

    The reason for this was due to the upper-level winds.

    The commute to the ISS and a historical landing

    This is the first crewed launch of 2026 and SpaceX’s Dragon capsule called Freedom was moving around 17,500 mph (28,164 kph) as it went into the black of space.

    Freedom has had an impressive resume, having been used for four crewed missions.

    For the first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster B1101, this will be its second mission. Its first mission was last month and it was the first launch of 2026: Starlink 6-88 mission.

    And it will be a long commute to work for them. The astronauts are expected to arrive at the International Space Station at around 3:15 p.m. ET on Valentine’s Day.

    And this was a historical landing for the Sunshine State. Because the Crew-12 mission has four people onboard, the first-stage booster must land at the brand new Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is adjacent to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40, as seen in this embedded Facebook post.

    A sonic boom cracked across the early morning sky as the Falcon 9 rocket came down for a landing.

    Landing Zone 40 is at the top right of the photo.  

    SpaceX’s lease on Landing Zone 1 and 2, located at Space Launch Complex (SLC) 13 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) ended in July 2025, after the Space Launch Delta (SLD) 45 decided to allow new, incoming Commercial Launch Service Providers (CLPS), to perform launch operations out at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station under their new Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS).

    Back in May 2023, Space Launch Delta 45 issued a press release, stating that Space Launch Complex (SLC) 15 would go to ABL Space Systems, SLC 14 to Stoke Space, and SLC 13 to Phantom Space and Vaya Space.

    The relocation of landing zone 1 & 2 from SLC 13 to Landing Zone 40 at SLC 40 allows SpaceX the opportunity to process and refurbish the returned flight proven Falcon 9 booster quicker to keep pace with their launch manifest. The move also maximizes the launch capacity along the Eastern Range, but also minimizing the impacts that CLSPs create for other CLSPs or government programs across CCSFS, because instead of the Falcon booster landing 7 miles to the south, it now returns only 1,000 feet away from where it launched from.

    “Commercial Launch Service Providers with landing operations can submit a request to SLD 45 for consideration of landing capability at their complex, which will then go through an extensive evaluation process” said Erin White, Delta planning specialist, stated in a press release in 2023.  “Requests for landing operations will be evaluated for safety implications and their impacts to other programs on CCSFS.”

    So, going forward, crewed SpaceX launches in Florida will see the first-stage rocket returning on a landing pad near the launch site, which does not pose a higher safety risk. 

    However, Landing Zone 2 will still be available for Falcon Heavy launches. Since a Falcon Heavy has three boosters, one would go on a droneship (or be expended), the next one would land on Landing Zone 40 and the third would land on Landing Zone 2, since each landing zone can only handle one booster at a time.

    Understanding the Crew-12 mission

    The quartet is not going to the International Space Station empty-handed and checking out the views of Earth from space.

    They will be busy little beavers as they conduct medical experiments during their eight-month stay.

    “The experiments, led by NASA’s Human Research Program, include astronauts performing ultrasounds of their blood vessels to study altered circulation and completing simulated lunar landings to assess disorientation during gravitational transitions, among other tasks,” NASA stated.

    NASA Public Affairs specialist Steven Siceloff shared about some of the experiments that the Crew-12 will be doing. 

    Another experiment is called Venous Flow, which will look at how time on the floating laboratory may increase the chance of astronauts developing blood clots.

    “In weightlessness, blood and other bodily fluids can move toward the head, potentially altering circulation. Any resulting blood clots could pose serious health risks, including strokes,” the U.S. space agency explained.

    For the experiment, the astronauts will undergo preflight and postflight MRIs, ultrasound scans, blood draws and blood pressure readings so scientists can compare the findings.

    But it is not all medical experiments. During the Manual Piloting study, certain crew members will conduct simulated moon landings before, during and after this mission.

    “Designed to assess their piloting and decision-making skills, participants attempt to fly a virtual spacecraft toward the lunar South Pole region — the same area future Artemis crews plan to explore,” NASA explained.

    Other experiments will be conducted.

    Meet Crew-12

    Crew-12 will not have a traditional welcome

    Usually, a crewed mission will have a welcome party, where the previous mission (in this case, Crew-11), welcomes the new arrivals.

    Pleasantries and workload are exchanged during this transition. 

    However, Crew-11 was cut short after one of its members suffered a medical episode.

    The crewmember has not been named and his or her medical issue was not disclosed.

    The event happened days before a planned spacewalk for NASA astronauts Cmdr. Zena Cardman and pilot Michael Fincke.

    NASA officials decided to cut the mission short and return Cardman, Fincke and mission specialists Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to Earth.

    It was the first medical evacuation in the space station’s 25 years of full service. Originally, the mission was going to end in February.

    NASA officials stressed that the person was in stable condition and the four Crew-11 members appeared together in a press conference nearly a week after returning to Earth in a splashdown.

    [ad_2] Anthony Leone, Jon Shaban
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  • Crew-12 will see first landing of Falcon 9 at Space Coast launch site

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — As NASA and SpaceX prepare for the Crew-12 mission, it will mark the first time a SpaceX rocket will land near its launch site in Florida.

    What You Need To Know

    • For the first time in Florida, a SpaceX rocket will return near the launch site
    • Learn more about the four astronauts as they will spend eight months on the ISS
    • They will be doing various experiments to learn more about the human body in space as well as moon-landing simulations

    During the early morning hours on Friday, NASA astronauts Cmdr. Jessica Meir and pilot Jack Hathaway, and mission specialists European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev will climb into the Falcon 9 to take off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated both NASA and SpaceX.

    The instantaneous launch is set to take place at 5:15 a.m. ET.

    The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 90% chance of favorable launch conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule and flight through precipitation.

    The forecast is an increase compared to the original 85% the squadron gave for Friday’s launch. 

    If the launch is a scrub, the next attempt will be Sunday, Feb. 15.

    Originally, the launch was set for Wednesday at 6:01 a.m. ET and then it was pushed to 5:38 a.m. ET, Thursday, until finally settling on Friday.

    The reason for this was due to the upper-level winds.

    The commute to the ISS and a historical landing

    This is the first crewed launch of 2026 and SpaceX’s Dragon capsule called Freedom is expected to be screaming at about 17,500 mph (28,164 kph) as it goes into the black of space.

    Freedom has had an impressive resume, having been used for four crewed missions.

    For the first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster B1101, this will be its second mission. Its first mission was last month and it was the first launch of 2026: Starlink 6-88 mission.

    And it will be a long commute to work for them. The astronauts are expected to arrive at the International Space Station at around 3:15 p.m. ET on Valentine’s Day.

    And this is going to be a historical landing for the Sunshine State. Because the Crew-12 mission will have four people onboard, the first-stage booster must land at Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is adjacent to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40, as seen in this embedded Facebook post. Landing Zone 40 is at the top right of the photo. 

    This will be the first time a Falcon 9 rocket will land near its launch site in Florida. The first-stage boosters usually land on a droneship out in the Atlantic Ocean or at a landing zone on land but away from the launch site.

    However, SpaceX’s lease on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ended in July 2025.

    Back in May 2023, Space Launch Delta 45 issued a press release, stating, “SLC 13, currently Landing Zone 1 and 2, is also moving forward with Phantom Space and Vaya Space.”

    It means that the existing launch complex property agreements for landing operations were discontinued after the agreements expired.

    So, going forward, crewed SpaceX launches in Florida will see the first-stage rocket returning on a landing pad near the launch site.

    Understanding the Crew-12 mission

    The quartet is not going to the International Space Station empty-handed and checking out the views of Earth from space.

    They will be busy little beavers as they will be conducting medical experiments during their eight-month stay.

    “The experiments, led by NASA’s Human Research Program, include astronauts performing ultrasounds of their blood vessels to study altered circulation and completing simulated lunar landings to assess disorientation during gravitational transitions, among other tasks,” NASA stated.

    Another experiment is called Venous Flow, which will look at how time on the floating laboratory may increase the chance of astronauts developing blood clots.

    “In weightlessness, blood and other bodily fluids can move toward the head, potentially altering circulation. Any resulting blood clots could pose serious health risks, including strokes,” the U.S. space agency explained.

    For the experiment, the astronauts will undergo preflight and postflight MRIs, ultrasound scans, blood draws and blood pressure readings so scientists can compare the findings.

    But it is not all medical experiments. During the Manual Piloting study, certain crew members will be conducting simulated moon landings before, during and after this mission.

    “Designed to assess their piloting and decision-making skills, participants attempt to fly a virtual spacecraft toward the lunar South Pole region — the same area future Artemis crews plan to explore,” NASA explained.

    Other experiments will be conducted.

    Meet Crew-12

    Crew-12 will not have a traditional welcome

    Usually, a crewed mission will have a welcome party, where the previous mission (in this case, Crew-11), welcomes the new arrivals.

    Pleasantries and workload are exchanged during this transition.

    However, Crew-11 was cut short after one of its members suffered a medical episode.

    The crewmember has not been named and his or her medical issue was not disclosed.

    The event happened days before a planned spacewalk for NASA astronauts Cmdr. Zena Cardman and pilot Michael Fincke.

    NASA officials decided to cut the mission short and return Cardman, Fincke and mission specialists Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov to Earth.

    It was the first medical evacuation in the space station’s 25 years of full service. Originally, the mission was going to end in February.

    NASA officials stressed that the person was in stable condition and the four Crew-11 members appeared together in a press conference nearly a week after returning to Earth in a splashdown.

    [ad_2] Anthony Leone, Jon Shaban
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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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  • 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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  • SpaceX may see first-stage boosters land at launch pad

    CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — Last week’s Axiom 4 launch featured the return of SpaceX’s first stage Falcon 9 booster back at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

    This return is significant because the SpaceX lease on LZ-1 is coming to an end in July 2025.

    And it means that SpaceX’s famed Falcon 9 first-stage booster may be returning on a launch pad instead of LZ-1 during crewed missions.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX’s Falcon 9 first-stage booster may be returning on a launch pad

    • SpaceX is currently seeking a launch license modification for its Falcon 9 operations at Space Launch Complex 40 

    • The request would increase the number of permitted launches from 50 to 120 per year

    • Space Launch Delta 45 stated existing launch complex property agreements for landing operations will be discontinued come July 2025

    • Get more space coverage here  ▶

    Back in May 2023, Space Launch Delta 45 issued a press release, stating, “SLC 13, currently Landing Zone 1 and 2, is also moving forward with Phantom Space and Vaya Space.”

    It means that the existing launch complex property agreements for landing operations will be discontinued once the agreements expire.

    “Commercial Launch Service Providers (CLSP) with landing operations can submit a request to SLD 45 for consideration of landing capability at their complex, which will then go through an extensive evaluation process,” said Erin White, Delta planning specialist. “Requests for landing operations will be evaluated for safety implications and their impacts to other programs on CCSFS.”

    So, for any CLSP, like SpaceX, that want to land a rocket will also have the choice to do it offshore on a ship, barge, or platform.

    “Vaya and Phantom are committed to making the best possible use of limited launch real estate on the Space Coast. We’ve agreed among the three of us to extend SpaceX’s use of SLC-13 through the end of the year while we are doing off-site preparations for adapting the site to our use, but that is still under review by SLD 45. By supporting SpaceX landings during our transition phase, we’re maximizing operational efficiency and ensuring this site continues to serve the broader launch community while we set the stage for our future use,” said Vaya Space COO Robert Fabian to Spectrum News.

    Signed new lease agreements with four CLSPs

    SpaceX is currently seeking a launch license modification for its Falcon 9 operations at Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida.

    The request would increase the number of permitted launches from 50 to 120 per year—an additional 70 launches annually.

    Additionally, SpaceX plans to build a new landing zone at SLC-40 due to recent lease agreements with Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD-45).

    The proposed plans call SpaceX to “… construct a single LZ east of SLC-40 for the landing of Falcon first-stage boosters. The LZ would be made up of a 280-foot-diameter concrete pad surrounded by a 60-foot-wide gravel apron, with a total LZ diameter of 400 feet. Rocket Road would remain paved and traversable outside of landing events. SpaceX would construct a new nitrogen gas line from the existing metering station at SLC-40 to a fluids bay at the LZ. A 30-foot by 30-foot pedestal would be constructed adjacent to the landing pad to support post-landing vehicle processing. Crane storage is proposed along the existing SLC-40 fence line. The proposed lease boundary is approximately 10 acres.”

    The proposed LZ for SLC-40 is attached to the post.

    SpaceX also has plans to construct a landing zone at Launch Complex 39A, just north of the current pad at Kennedy Space Center.

    These plans are in part due to the future development plans from Space Launch Delta 45, where Commercial Launch Service Providers must meet the new requirements landing capabilities occurring back the CLSP’s launch site to minimizing impacts and evacuations at nearby CLSP complexes at nearby facilities at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.

    Jon Shaban

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  • Elon Musk explains how he plans to use Starship to get to Mars

    STARBASE, Texas — During a presentation, SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk shared how he plans to use Starship to reach the planet Mars, and how in a few short years, there is a chance humans could step foot on the red planet.

    What You Need To Know

    • SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk says he hopes to send the Starship spacecraft to Mars in 2026
    • Eventually, he said he plans to have thousands of Starships flying to the red planet
    • In 2027, Musk said the company hopes to send a Tesla Optimus robot to Mars
    • Musk says he expects the first humans to land on Mars by 2028

    The company’s future goal is to build two Gigabay manufacturing facilities — one in Starbase Texas and the other at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center — where engineers could potentially build 1,000 Starships at each site, Musk said during an X presentation last

    “(Starbase) is named that because it is where we’re going to develop the technology necessary to take humanity and civilization and and life as we know it to another planet for the first time in the 4-and-a-half billion year history of Earth,” Musk said.

    There have been nine tests of Starship — the upper stage is called Starship and the lower stage is known the Super Heavy booster, and combined they are called Starship — with a variety of degrees of success and failures.

    Most recently, a test launch on May 27 resulted in the loss of both the booster and Starship spacecraft.

    Starship is expected to be used for the Artemis III crewed moon mission, and the eventually trek to Mars.

    Once fully operational, the plan is for the Super Heavy boosters to be launched and caught back at the Orbital Launch Integration Tower, where they will be repositioned and re-flown within an hour, Musk said.

    Musk explained that the current goal is for Starship to be caught in two to three months by the tower, also known as “Chopsticks” or “Mechazilla”.

    A Starship-to-Starship in-orbit propellant transfer test is expected to take place some time in 2026.

    Version 3 of Starship and Super Heavy Booster is expected to take flight later this year.

    The next version of Starship will increase the number of engines to 42 from 33, with Musk joking that the meaning to life is 42, as told in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.

    The first uncrewed Starship launch to Mars is expected to happen in 2026 and the first humans should land on Mars by 2028, says SpaceX founder Elon Musk. (SpaceX)

    The Mars transfer window takes place every 26 months, so the next opportunity to head to Mars is November through December 2026. There is a 50/50 chance on hitting this target because SpaceX still needs to figure out orbital refilling, Musk said.

    He said the Mars landing zone that is being considered is in the Arcadia region.

    “So, we’re looking at different locations. The lead candidate right now is the Arcadia region,” Musk said, while sharing that one of his daughters is named Arcadia. “So, now Mars has a lot of real estate, but when you combine all of the factors and say, ‘OK, we need — we can’t be too close to the poles. We need to be near ice … to get water and (it) can’t be too mountainous for the rockets.’ Then you — it narrows down to a smaller region, so Arcadia … is one of the the options.”

    The first uncrewed launch to Mars is expected to happen in 2026, and Musk said a Tesla Optimus robot is expected to arrive in 2027.

    Musk said the first humans should land on Mars by 2028.

    “Just to be safe, and we might just do two landing episodes with the Optimus and do the third one with humans,” he said. “We’ll see.”

    The mission will also carry its own orbital communications equipment, he added.

    “Then for communications on Mars, we’ll be using a version of Starlink to provide internet on Mars,” Musk said.

    SpaceX could potentially have 1,000 to 2,000 Starships traveling between Earth and Mars during the transfer windows, due to 26 months between opportunities, but Musk said the details of how that would work, including landing pads, are still being worked on.

    Musk said he expects to eventually establish a city on Mars.

    “This is this is like an incredible thing to have like this amazing city on Mars,” he said. “The first city on another planet and a new world. And it’s also an opportunity to, I think, for the Martians to to rethink how they want civilization to be.

    “So, you can maybe rethink like what kind of form of government do you want, what new rules do you want to have. There’s a lot of freedom and opportunity in Mars to do a recompile on civilization.”

    Jon Shaban

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  • Titusville company tests balloon that will send tourists to space

    Titusville company tests balloon that will send tourists to space

    BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Titusville company Space Perspective had a successful first flight of its Neptune capsule (and its second uncrewed test) recently. It is designed to be attached to a huge balloon where tourists can get a view of Earth that only astronauts get to see.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Neptune capsule will be attached to a space balloon
    • It will be launched from the company’s Marine Spaceport Voyager ship
    • The first crewed test flight is geared toward the end of 2025

    Space Perspective’s Marine Spaceport Voyager ship sailed into Port Canaveral earlier this week with the Neptune aboard, showcasing the capsule’s ability to launch and be recovered from anywhere in the world.

    The Neptune, named Excelsior, is a test capsule that was used to gather data from its flight, which will then be analyzed and used to build its next human-rated capsule.

    Each flight lasts approximately six to seven hours, and you will be launched from Voyager. There is a two-hour ascent period into the atmosphere traveling at 12 mph (19 kph) until you reach your apogee at 100,000 feet (30,480 meters), where you will stay for two hours, before the two-hour descent stage where you will splash down and be recovered by the Marine Spaceport Voyager.

    The space balloon that is used to raise the capsules is 550 feet (168 meters) long, with roughly 150 feet (46 meters) of deck space on board the Voyager. Space Perspective utilizes large rollers to string the balloon back and forth. As it prepares for launch, teams fill just the tip of the balloon by 1%, allowing it to become unfurled as it raises straight up in the air.

    “The SpaceBalloon is a well-tested technology that has been flown by NASA and other governments over 1,000 times so it is inherently safe,” the company stated.

    Following this test flight, Space Perspective will analyze the collected data to refine its next human-rated spaceship capsule.

    And when that does happen, the company promises it will be an amazing sight for tourists who can afford the $125,000 price tag.

    “You will ascend into a night sky full of stars, look down at our planet, and watch the sun rise over its curved horizon, illuminating the thin, bright blue line of our atmosphere. You will be able to see about 450 miles in all directions through the almost 360-degree panoramic windows,” the company stated.

    And while you will get to see the curve of Earth, you will not be floating around like an astronaut, as the company explained, “People experience it on orbit because the spacecraft is going at 17,500 mph and is literally falling around the planet – the speed counteracts gravity. Neptune goes to space at 12mph so you will not experience weightlessness.”

    Co-founders and CEOs Jane Poynter and Taber MacCallum plan to fly on that mission, set for late 2025, with the first customers expected to follow in the late 2025 to early 2026 timeframe.

    “This is incredibly exciting. This is when we demonstrate that we take people to the edge of space under a space balloon, validate the technology and, demonstrate the whole operation. The whole crew is very excited, it is amazing teamwork. From the people who built the balloon, to the people who designed and built the capsule, to the ship and the launch system and the ship’s crew. There’s so many teams working together as one big team, it’s incredible,” said MacCallum.

    Space Perspective is headquartered in Titusville at the Space Coast Regional Airport where it also has its balloon factory. As for the capsule, the carbon composite manufacturing facility is located in Melbourne which is then shipped to Titusville for the assembly and system integration.

    Jon Shaban

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