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Tag: space news

  • WATCH LIVE: SpaceX launch could spark sonic booms in Central Florida

    WATCH LIVE: SpaceX launch could spark sonic booms in Central Florida

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Much of Central Florida could hear sonic booms on Thursday morning amid another SpaceX launch.

    SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, taking the Maxar 2 mission into orbit, according to company officials.

    Thursday’s launch window runs from 9-10 a.m., with a backup opportunity available on Friday at 9 a.m.

    When the launch does happen, Falcon 9′s first-stage booster is expected to land on SpaceX’s landing zone at the Space Force station about eight minutes after liftoff, a release from SpaceX states.

    As a result, residents in the following counties could hear one or more sonic booms during the landing:

    • Brevard County

    • Indian River County

    • Okeechobee County

    • Orange County

    • Osceola County

    • Polk County

    • Seminole County

    • St. Lucie County

    • Volusia County

    “What residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX said.

    This won’t be the first time that a space launch prompted sonic booms in the region.

    When the Ax-3 crew returned back in February, many Central Florida residents reported hearing a sonic boom as the crew plummeted down toward Earth.

    As boosters and spacecraft fall through the atmosphere at supersonic speeds, they spark shockwaves that travel through the air — sometimes heard by people on the ground as a sonic boom.

    For Thursday’s launch, the 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting a mere 20% chance of weather getting in the way. That falls to only 10% if pushed to Friday.

    Either way, News 6 will stream the launch live at the top of this story when it happens.

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    Anthony Talcott

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  • WATCH LIVE at 1:01 a.m.: SpaceX rocket launch from Florida’s coast

    WATCH LIVE at 1:01 a.m.: SpaceX rocket launch from Florida’s coast

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    BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX is planning yet another launch of its Falcon 9 rocket this week from Florida’s Space Coast, according to the company.

    SpaceX posted online that the launch is scheduled for early Friday from Kennedy Space Center. The rocket will carry another batch of the company’s Starlink communications satellites into orbit.

    The window for Friday’s launch now opens at 1:01 a.m., pushed back from 12:19 a.m., although backup opportunities will run through 4:19 a.m.

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    More launch opportunities will be available starting at 12:19 a.m. Saturday if needed.

    The 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast shows only a 5% chance of weather getting in the way of Friday morning’s launch attempt. But that chance grows to 20% if pushed to Saturday.

    Regardless, News 6 will stream the launch live at the top of this story when it happens.

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    Anthony Talcott

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  • WATCH LIVE: Crewed Starliner mission attempts takeoff from Florida’s Space Coast

    WATCH LIVE: Crewed Starliner mission attempts takeoff from Florida’s Space Coast

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Boeing, NASA and United Launch Alliance are aiming for a Wednesday launch of the oft-delayed first crewed flight for the Starliner mission.

    NASA confirmed over the weekend that the launch is scheduled for 10:52 a.m. from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    According to a news release, the ground power supply — which scrubbed Saturday’s launch attempt — was fixed overnight and into Sunday.

    “The chassis containing the faulty ground power unit was replaced and ULA confirmed all hardware is performing normally,” the release read.

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    NASA officials announced on Monday that the Atlas V rocket being used in the Starliner launch is now “healthy” and ready to launch.

    The U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 10% chance of weather getting in the way of Wednesday’s launch attempt.

    Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remain in quarantine at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

    Starliner has been plagued with issues. Its initial unpiloted test flight in 2019 was derailed by software problems and communications glitches. A second uncrewed test flight was generally successful, but more problems were discovered after its return to Earth, CBS reported.

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    Jacob Langston, Anthony Talcott

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  • WATCH LIVE: SpaceX sends rocket up hours before Starliner lifts off

    WATCH LIVE: SpaceX sends rocket up hours before Starliner lifts off

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Go, SpaceX, go!

    SpaceX on Monday plans to send 23 more Starlink satellites into orbit via a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast.

    Liftoff was pushed to 2:14 p.m., almost two hours from its original time, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Backup launch opportunities are available until 2:48 p.m.

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

    The launch will mark the 15th flight for the first-stage booster supporting the mission.

    Later Monday, Boeing is poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA.

    The 10:34 p.m. launch is the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station.

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    Daniel Dahm

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  • SpaceX plans 2 launches from Florida’s Space Coast over weekend

    SpaceX plans 2 launches from Florida’s Space Coast over weekend

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    BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX is gearing up for two launches off of Florida’s Space Coast on Saturday, according to the company’s website.

    The first launch — a EUTELSAT 36D mission — is scheduled to take place at the Kennedy Space Center.

    A nearly four-hour launch window opens at 5:52 p.m., though a backup opportunity will be available on Sunday in the same window.

    Meanwhile, another launch is planned to take place at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    This second launch is expected to send a batch of 23 Starlink satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, with the launch time targeting 9:02 p.m. Backup opportunities will extend to 10 p.m. on the same night.

    If needed, additional backup opportunities will be available on Sunday starting at 7 p.m., SpaceX says.

    According to the 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast, the chance of weather interfering with either launch is less than 5%.

    News 6 will stream both launches live at the top of this story when they happen.

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    Anthony Talcott

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  • WATCH LIVE: SpaceX readies Falcon 9 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center

    WATCH LIVE: SpaceX readies Falcon 9 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center

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    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – SpaceX put its Falcon 9 launch from Florida’s Space Coast on hold Wednesday night, but it’s not known why.

    The launch was expected to send another batch of 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The launch was moved to Thursday starting at 7:04 p.m., which was the backup opportunity.

    Shortly before Thursday’s scheduled launch time, the company placed the launch on another hold. No information has yet been provided about why that is.

    SpaceX was counting down to launch at 9:39 p.m. on Wednesday when it suddenly went into a countdown hold. Then the live feed went to a SpaceX screen. No word on why the countdown hold happened then, either.

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    The weather is actually better for a launch on Thursday, according to the forecast for the 45th Space Wing. The forecast is 95% go for launch.

    This is set to be the 19th flight for the first-stage booster used in this mission. It has previously been used to launch GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 11 other Starlink missions.

    When the rocket launches, the first stage is expected to separate and return to Earth, landing on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

    It’s not the only launch attempt happening for SpaceX Thursday. The company will also attempt a test launch of its Starship super-heavy rocket in Texas.

    News 6 will stream the launch live at the top of this story when it happens.

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    Anthony Talcott

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  • WATCH LIVE at 8:30 a.m.: SpaceX test launch No. 3 for Starship

    WATCH LIVE at 8:30 a.m.: SpaceX test launch No. 3 for Starship

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    Starship will try to fly again Thursday morning, SpaceX says.

    The company will attempt the third launch of its super-heavy rocket at 8:30 a.m. ET from Boca Chica, Texas. News 6 will stream the attempt live when it happens.

    There will be a 110-minute launch window for the test.

    SpaceX has made two attempts to successfully launch Starship into space which ended in explosions, but SpaceX says both tests completed major milestones and led to invaluable data.

    “Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test. They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximize learning,” SpaceX officials say on the company’s website.

    During the second test in November, the rocket ignited all engines successfully and completed stage separation, but the test was not completed and the rocket was destroyed.

    The third flight attempt for Starship hopes to include several objectives, including opening and closing Starship’s payload door, re-lighting a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry for the spacecraft, which would splashdown in the Indian Ocean if successful.

    Starship is the vehicle that is expected to land astronauts on the moon as part of the Artemis program. That mission is expected to happen no earlier than September 2026.

    However, a Government Accounting Office report last year said delays in Starship’s development are hampering the launch of the Artemis III mission. The report said 2027 was a more likely scenario for launch.

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    Christie Zizo

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  • Dungeons & Dragons & Satellites? NASA releases free role-playing game

    Dungeons & Dragons & Satellites? NASA releases free role-playing game

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    What if the Hubble Space Telescope never existed?

    NASA asks you to ponder the question and solve a space mystery in a new tabletop role-playing game that combines the adventure and fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons with space, science and history.

    The Lost Universe, a game for four to seven players, is now free to download on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope website.

    Your party is a group of scientists for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where you work in a world where the Hubble never existed, and neither do the scientific advances that stem from the telescope.

    Then, suddenly, you’re pulled to the rogue planet Exlaris, transferred into the bodies of characters you create for the game, and you are tasked with figuring out why this planet’s greatest minds are disappearing — and what really happened to the Hubble Telescope.

    The Lost Universe is a module, which you can adapt to play with any tabletop role-playing game system, such as Dungeons and Dragons. You explore the cities of Exlaris, accomplish tasks, talk to the planet’s residents to uncover information, fight enemies and along the way learn about the science of studying the stars.

    The game is designed to fit in a single 3 to 4-hour campaign session.

    You can download an instruction booklet and a map on the NASA website.

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    Christie Zizo

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  • WATCH LIVE at 10:53 p.m.: NASA, SpaceX to attempt Crew-8 launch after days of delays

    WATCH LIVE at 10:53 p.m.: NASA, SpaceX to attempt Crew-8 launch after days of delays

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    BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – SpaceX and NASA’s Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station will attempt to launch Sunday night after being scrubbed on Saturday.

    The launch had originally been set for early Friday and was delayed to Saturday due to high winds forecast in the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent corridor, or trajectory, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39. Saturday’s launch was scrubbed for the same reason, officials said.

    NASA and SpaceX said they will now try to launch Sunday at 10:53 p.m. with a 75% chance for favorable weather.

    A backup opportunity is available at 10:31 p.m. Monday if needed. According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the chance for favorable weather at launch time would increase to 80% in the event of a 24-hour delay.

    [EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

    NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and Jeanette Epps, mission specialist, will join Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, also a mission specialist, in the same SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule that was used for the Demo-2, Crew-2 and Crew-6 flights, as well as Axiom Mission 1.

    The four will focus on more than 200 science experiments at the space station, including studies of motion sickness and human movement in microgravity, according to NASA.

    After stage separation, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage will attempt to touch down at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

    ClickOrlando.com will stream the launch live at the top of this story when coverage begins.

    Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:

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    Brandon Hogan, Jacob Langston

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  • The US is set to return to the moon. Here’s when the lunar landing is expected

    The US is set to return to the moon. Here’s when the lunar landing is expected

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    Back to the moon we go!

    The first private American spacecraft is set to land on the moon on Thursday, Feb. 22, after launching atop SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center. This will mark the first U.S. lunar landing, albeit without astronauts, in more than 50 years, if successful.

    The NOVA-C lander from Intuitive Machines is the second private lander to attempt landing on the moon. Last month, Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lander developed a fuel leak that forced the company to abandon its landing attempt.

    [WATCH THE LAUNCH AGAIN BELOW]

    NASA project scientist Sue Lederer described in a teleconference how these landers lay the groundwork for NASA’s long-term goals of science and exploration on the moon.

    “The goal here is for us to investigate the moon in preparation for Artemis,” Lederer said. “These commercial companies will be bringing our instruments along for the ride enabling our investigations.”

    Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, spoke with News 6′s James Sparvero about the experiments onboard, like a payload that films dust ejecting from the lunar surface.

    “So we get a really good understanding of how that dust plume moves without an atmosphere so that when designing systems like habitats and landing pads, we can understand what the detrimental effects of that dust impinging on them might be,” Altemus said.

    The spacecraft is expected to land on the moon at 5:49 p.m. EST.

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    Brenda Argueta

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  • Skyscraper-size asteroid will buzz Earth on Friday, safely passing within 1.7M miles

    Skyscraper-size asteroid will buzz Earth on Friday, safely passing within 1.7M miles

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    CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — An asteroid as big as a skyscraper will pass within 1.7 million miles of Earth on Friday.

    Don’t worry: There’s no chance of it hitting us since it will pass seven times the distance from Earth to the moon.

    NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies estimates the space rock is between 690 feet and 1,575 feet (210 meters and 480 meters) across. That means the asteroid could be similar in size to New York City’s Empire State Building or Chicago’s Willis Tower.

    Discovered in 2008, the asteroid is designated as 2008 OS7. It won’t be back our way again until 2032, but it will be a much more distant encounter, staying 45 million miles (72 million kilometers) away.

    The harmless flyby is one of several encounters this week. Three much smaller asteroids also will harmlessly buzz Earth on Friday, no more than tens of yards (meters) across, with another two on Saturday.

    On Sunday, an asteroid roughly half the size of 2008 0S7 will swing by, staying 4.5 million miles (7.3 million kilometers) away.

    This image provided by Virtual Telescope Project out of Italy shows a single 180-second exposure asteroid that was approaching Earth, about 4 million kilometers.

    Virtual Telescope Project via AP

    Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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    AP

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