Former Astronaut and KSC Director Bob Cabana Joining IBX As Senior Advisor

Former Astronaut and KSC Director Bob Cabana Joining IBX As Senior Advisor

April 1, 2024Posted inAxiom Space, KSC, NASA, Space News
Astronaut Robert D. Cabana, mission commander on Shuttle Orbiter
Endeavour’s flight deck, logs a note regarding operations with Unity in 1998.
Photo: NASA

Robert D. “Bob” Cabana, a former NASA astronaut, NASA Associate Administrator (the agency’s third highest-ranking executive) and Director of Kennedy Space Center, has joined IBX, a firm that invests in and fosters innovation in space-related companies. Founded by engineer and entrepreneur Kam Ghaffirian, IBX supports companies Ghaffirian helped found: Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, Quantum Space and X-energy along with other ventures. Cabana will serve as a Senior Advisor with the company.

Playalinda beachgoers watch a Falcon 9 lift off from Pad 39A. Photo: Charles Boyer/FMN

SpaceX Completes Cape Doubleheader Saturday

March 31, 2024Posted inSpace News, SpaceX, Starlink
SpaceX / Eutelsat 36 lifts off from LC-39A at KSC. This was the view from Playalinda Beach near Wilson’s Corner in Brevard County Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
SpaceX / Eutelsat 36 lifts off from LC-39A at KSC. This was the view from Playalinda Beach near Wilson’s Corner in Brevard County
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets to orbit Saturday: first, at 5:52 PM EDT Eutelsat 36D from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, then at 9:30 PM, Starlink 6-45 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — a three-hour, thirty-minute gap between launches. The mission marked the second of the company’s “doubleheader” launches this year.

Everything You Need To Know About Saturday Night’s Double Header Launch

Everything You Need To Know About Saturday Night’s Double Header Launch

March 29, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Space News, SpaceX
Spectators in the surf at Playalinda Beach watching a SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
Spectators in the surf at Playalinda Beach watching a SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

Opening Day in Major League Baseball was just a couple of days ago, so it’s fitting in a way that the Space Coast will get its own kind of double-header tomorrow: SpaceX is planning to launch Eutelsat 36D from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center between 5:52 PM and 8:00 PM EDT, and then between 9:00 PM and 10:31 PM EDT, another batch of Internet connectivity satellites with the Starlink 6-46 mission from their pad at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Starlink 6-42 Launches As Weather Finally Clears

March 24, 2024Posted inSpace News, SpaceX, Starlink
Starlink 6-42 Launches into Florida Sky
Space X Falcon 9, partial timelapse photo over the Indian River. Space Coast residents may recognize “Scruffy The Tug Boat” — an accidental landmark on the Indian River on FL 528 West. It’s an accidental landmark that’s been aground in the same spot for years.
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 booster carrying 23 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites to orbit Saturday night from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center after hours of weather delays. The launch finally came at 11:09 PM EDT, after two pushbacks on the planned L-0 time due to shifting weather on the Space Coast.

Soyuz MS-25 Launches Saturday Morning; On Its Way To ISS

Soyuz MS-25 Launches Saturday Morning; On Its Way To ISS

March 23, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, ISS, NASA, Space News
Soyuz MS-25 lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on March 23. 2024.
Photo: NASA

The Russian Federation’s Roscosmos launched a Soyuz capsule on the MS-25 mission to the International Space Station Saturday morning. Three crew members including NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson successfully launched at 8:36 a.m. EDT Saturday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

Boeing Starliner Launch Now NET May 1st

Boeing Starliner Launch Now NET May 1st

March 22, 2024Posted inAtlas V, Aviation and Space News, ISS, NASA, Space News, United Launch Alliance

Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner has pushed a little further to the right again and is now scheduled to launch no earlier than May 1st. That shift is not due to any concerns with the vehicle or its readiness, but instead, ISS scheduling, specifically docking port availability, when astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore arrive at the orbiting outpost.

Soyuz MS-25 Aborts At T-Minus 20 Seconds; Crew Safe

March 22, 2024Posted inISS, NASA, Space News
MS-25 sits on the pad in Russia
MS-25 sits on the pad Thursday at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Photo: Roscosmos

Yesterday’s planned launch of Soyuz M-25 to the International Space Station was aborted with twenty seconds left in the countdown. NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus are fine, and were evacuated from the Soyuz capsule shortly afterwards.

NASA Astro Tracy C. Dyson Headed To ISS Aboard Soyuz MS-25 Thursday

NASA Astro Tracy C. Dyson Headed To ISS Aboard Soyuz MS-25 Thursday

March 19, 2024Posted inISS, NASA, Space News
Soyuz MS-25 Crew Tracy Dyson

After an incredibly busy week for spaceflight last week, this week promises to be equally busy. We have two Starlink launches (one from Vandenberg, another from KSC), SpaceX/NASA CRS-30 from SLC-40 sending supplies to ISS, and a Rocket Lab launch from Wallops early on the 21st. Also, a NASA astronaut is heading to ISS aboard a Soyuz on Thursday as well.

Falcon 9 launching in 2022

SpaceX Planning To Launch Starlink 6-44 This Evening

March 14, 2024Posted inFalcon 9, KSC, Space News, SpaceX

Update: New Launch Window opens 3/14/24 7:04 PM EDT

A SpaceX Falcon 9 climbing to orbit in 2022.
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-44 mission tonight, Thursday, March 14, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to the company, “liftoff is targeted for 7:04 PM EDT, with backup opportunities available until 11:29 PM EDT.

Starlink 6-43 Slated for Sunday

Starlink 6-43 Slated for Sunday

March 9, 2024Posted inFalcon 9, Space News, SpaceX, Starlink
Booster B1077 prior to its last launch, North Grumman NG-20
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-43 mission Sunday, March 10 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. According to the company on Saturday, March 10th, “liftoff is targeted for 7:05 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:03 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, March 11 starting at 6:40 p.m. ET.”

Starship Environmental Impact Study Public Meetings Wrap Up

March 8, 2024Posted inSpace News, SpaceX, Uncategorized, US Space Force
SpaceX Starship Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX Starship Credit: SpaceX

On March 7, 2023, the US Space Force, along with the Department of the Air Force, held the third of three in-person meetings in the Cape Canaveral / Titusville area, The purpose of the meetings was to provide information about a proposed Environmental Impact Study that would ultimately see SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy rocket launch and land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.