Covering All Things Florida
Royal Caribbean has started promoting the arrival of the world’s second-largest cruise ship, Utopia of the Seas, to its new home in Port Canaveral. It all kicks off with an online contest for fans of pop singer Meghan Trainor to join her and a small group of other fans on the ship’s initial cruise before it enters into regular service later this month.
Those who plan to cruise over the 4th of July holiday weekend and into next week might not get what they signed up for. Hurricane Beryl, the first major storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, has wreaked havoc on Florida-based cruise lines, forcing significant itinerary changes and posing operational challenges.
SpaceX successfully launched another group of Starlink satellites into orbit this morning from its Space Launch Complex 40 facility to open the second half of the year. Liftoff was at 4:55 AM EDT.
SpaceX plans to add more satellites to their Starlink constellation in the wee hours Wednesday morning with the Starlink 8-9 mission set to depart Space Launch Complex 40. Liftoff is currently targeted for 02:57 AM EDT with a launch window extending to 06:01:00 AM EDT the same day. If weather or technical reasons cause a scrub, an additional opportunities are also available on Sunday, July 7 starting at 12:28 AM EDT.
The booster used for the mission is Booster B1073, the same one that experienced an abort-at-ignition on its last launch attempt. After completing its boost cycle, B1073 on the company’s automated landing barge ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ which is stationed at sea in the Atlantic Ocean offshore of the Carolinas. Since the booster will not be returning to the launch site, there will be no sonic booms on the Space Coast.
A Florida man has been arrested and charged after allegedly shooting down a Walmart delivery drone. The incident occurred in Clermont, a city approximately 25 miles west of Orlando.
