Artemis Hardware Arrives At Kennedy Space Center

Artemis Hardware Arrives At Kennedy Space Center

September 5, 2024Posted inArtemis, Aviation and Space News, KSC, NASA, Space News
The Canopee transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis III mission arrives at Port Canaveral in Florida, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024,
The Canopee transport carrier containing the European Service Module for NASA’s Artemis III mission arrives at Port Canaveral in Florida, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, before completing the last leg of its journey to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center’s Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout via truck.
Photo: NASA

NASA’s spacecraft factory inside Kennedy Space Center’s Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building is set to become a very busy place in the coming months, as several pieces integral to the Artemis program, including parts for the SLS rocket, have arrived by boat and barge at the Florida facility. The new hardware will be assembled with other existing Artemis pieces already on site at KSC there and in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the coming months.

SpaceX Set To Launch Starlink 8-11 Thursday (Updated)

SpaceX Set To Launch Starlink 8-11 Thursday (Updated)

September 3, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Falcon 9, Space News, SpaceX, Starlink
Falcon 9 launching from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral
Falcon 9 launching from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Update: Wednesday’s Starlink launch attempt was called off with slightly more than two minutes left in the countdown due to weather in the booster landing zone. Florida is experiencing a rather stormy week, leading to a high degree of uncertainty in the week’s launch schedule.

SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 Thursday morning from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying another group of Starlink satellites. According to SpaceX, “Liftoff is targeted for 8:35 a.m. ET, with additional opportunities available until 12:31 p.m. ET.”

Polaris Dawn Delayed Until At Least Friday Due To Abort Zone Weather

Polaris Dawn Delayed Until At Least Friday Due To Abort Zone Weather

August 27, 2024Posted inAviation and Space News, Crewed, Falcon 9, Space News, SpaceX
Polaris Dawn sitting atop Falcon 9 and LC-39A on June 26.
Polaris Dawn sitting atop Falcon 9 and LC-39A on June 26.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Florida Media Now

SpaceX has called off the Polaris Dawn launch of Falcon 9 until at least Friday, August 29th. The company announced shortly after 10 PM EDT that it was standing down for the night, and stated on its website that the next launch attempt would be no earlier than the end of the week.

Florida State Park Public Meeting Plans Reshuffled After Scathing Public Outcry

Florida State Park Public Meeting Plans Reshuffled After Scathing Public Outcry

August 25, 2024Posted inFlorida News, Politics
Girl on bicycle at Florida State Parks
Jonathon Dickinson State Park
Photo: Florida DEP

The plan to develop some of Florida’s state parks with new amenities such as golf courses and pickleball courts has not yet been cancelled, but after overwhelmingly negative feedback from the public and pushback from Florida’s two US Senators, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has rescheduled public meetings and created a web page for the public to offer their feedback.

DeSantis Administration Plans To Add Golf Courses and Other Amenities To Some Florida State Parks Facing Heavy Opposition

DeSantis Administration Plans To Add Golf Courses and Other Amenities To Some Florida State Parks Facing Heavy Opposition

August 23, 2024Posted inFlorida News

Jonathon Dickinson State Park
Photo: Florida DEP

On Monday, the DeSantis administration announced the “Great Outdoors Initiative,” which includes plans to add golf courses and other resort-type amenities to some Florida state parks. That plan was immediately met with opposition from the general public and from environmentalists alike.

University of Florida Researchers Investigate Microgravity’s Effects on Fermentation

University of Florida Researchers Investigate Microgravity’s Effects on Fermentation

August 19, 2024Posted inISS, NASA, Space News

There’s nothing quite like a good, cold beer after a hot day’s work. Whether it’s mowing the lawn on a hot Florida morning or toiling deep in a mine in West Virginia, beer has been the beverage of choice for many — and it looks like that tradition will continue as travelers push into space. Researchers at The University of Florida in Gainesville have been looking into the process of brewing beer in the heavens, and have come up with some interesting results that will inform future brewers.

Florida Roadside Attractions: The Space Shuttle External Tank

Florida Roadside Attractions: The Space Shuttle External Tank

August 17, 2024Posted inAnother Roadside Attraction, Entertainment / Recreation, Travel
The Space Shuttle Test Article, parked near a dock in Green Cove Springs, Florida
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

Roughly thirty minutes west of Saint Augustine and I-95 in Florida, a Space Shuttle relic sits abandoned in Green Cove Springs near a dock on the Saint Johns River. While not technically a “Florida roadside attraction”, many view it as a pretty neat thing to see…after all, it is NASA history.