I'm a NASA kid originally from Cocoa Beach, FL, born of Project Apollo. My family worked for NASA and/or their contractors, and I watched it all as a kid. And what kid doesn't like rockets?
Currently, I am an IT engineer, a recovered R&D scientist that spent time in laser metrology, fiber optic applications and also lightning protection. I'm also a photographer, a writer and a bad musician.
My favorite things are space, boating, sports, music and traveling. You can find me on Twitter as @TheOldManPar.
Jacksonville, Fla. – February 7, 2025 – In a surprising move that promises to reshape the grocery industry in the Southeast, a consortium of private investors, led by C&S Wholesale Grocers and Southeastern Grocers’ (SEG) longtime CEO Anthony Hucker, has officially acquired the Winn-Dixie brand and remaining stores from ALDI U.S.
Starlink 11-4 at liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base Photo: from SpaceX livestream
Third Stage-2 Problem In The Last Six Months
SpaceX seems to have experienced an issue with the second stage of the Falcon 9 used for the recent Starlink 11-4 launch. After lifting off on February 1st with no problems, Falcon 9 delivered its payload of Starlink satellites into their intended orbit after a brief circularization burn of the second stage, as planned. What apparently has not gone to plan is the de-orbit burn of the second stage, as it is still in orbit five days after the active part of the mission was completed.
The cascade will come from people already living in the Sunshine State
Florida has long offered some of the best places to retire, offering warmer winters, tax advantages, and an abundance of recreational activities for people. However, with a significant portion of the population in certain Florida cities on the cusp of retirement, the state is poised for substantial demographic shifts.
According to recent data from SmartAsset, Pembroke Pines and Cape Coral top the list of cities in the state with the highest percentage of residents nearing retirement. More than 17% of the population in Pembroke Pines is approaching retirement age, while Cape Coral follows closely behind at 16.69%. Many other Florida cities will see a large percentage of their populations taking the gold watch and calling it a day on their careers as well.
Shrimp boats in the harbor of Pass Christian, Miss. Steve Wilson | The Center Square
(By Mark Stone/FMN and Nolan McKendry/The Center Square) Tampa and St. Petersburg are facing a startling revelation with only two out of 44 sampled restaurants serving authentic, wild-caught Gulf shrimp.
Remote camera image taken of Starship clearing the tower. Image by Richard P Gallagher
Spaceflight aficionados, like many sports fans, love memorabilia. Space-related apparel, books, mission patches, stickers and other items sell at a brisk pace, and that’s just the bottom end of the market. The most valuable pieces are “flown” — meaning that they were either a part of or aboard a given mission. Many of those pieces are well out of reach for the common man – they are relatively rare and often quite expensive, at least for artifacts with certain authenticity. Others are affordable, at least to a dedicated collector, and can be bought for a few hundred dollars or less.
The maiden underwater flight test of the Trident II D-5, was an utter fiasco that very nearly resulted in serious damage to the launching submarine, the USS Tennessee, which is just below the surface in this photograph. The timing of the failure could not have been worse: Congress, skeptical that the program could get back on schedule, was prepared to shift its production funds to another project. Credit: U.S. Navy
In the world of aerospace engineering, even the smallest miscalculation can lead to catastrophic failure. And in the past few years, a phrase has emerged as a humorous way to describe those unfortunate events: “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” often shortened to RUD. This technical-sounding euphemism, often deployed in the aftermath of rocket explosions, has become a staple in modern spaceflight jargon, is widely used when a rocket fails and has entered into common vernacular. But where did the phrase come from?
A depiction of the “Bardin Booger” via Jaxlore.com
Florida, known for its sunny beaches, theme parks, vibrant wildlife, and nightlife, has a rich tradition of eccentric lore of ghostly legends and even cryptids — animals that resemble humans but often have ape-like characteristics as well.
As expected, the FAA is requiring an investigation into Blue Origin’s New Glenn’s first stage failure during its descent towards an attempted landing in the Atlantic Ocean, and SpaceX’s Starship breakup over the Caribbean Seas. Both events occurred on January 16, 2025.
SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on January 15, 2025. Photo: Richard P. Gallagher / FMN
A SpaceX Falcon 9 roared off the launch pad at 1:11 AM EST this morning from Kennedy Space Center carrying two lunar landers into orbit and on their way to the moon.
Starlink 6-71 ascending towards low Earth orbit on January 6, 2024 Photo: Ed Cordero / FMN
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 aboard a Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 3:43 PM ET (2043 UTC) after several pushbacks in the window, presumably due to windy weather from an approaching cold front expected to arrive this evening on the Space Coast.
Flamingos in their natural habitat. Photo: Elilicht, CC 3.0
Rep. Jim Mooney, a Republican from Islamorada, has filed a bill (HB 81) that would make the Flamingo Florida’s state bird. If passed, flamingos would replace the Northern mockingbird, which has been the state’s bird since 1927.
FMN’s Ed Cordero caught the flight of Thuraya-4 near Orlando International Airport Friday night. A landing airplane added to the photo as it approached MCO’s runway. Photo: Ed Cordero, FMN
SpaceX launched the Thuraya-4 satellite for Yahsat / Space 42 this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 8:27 PM EST (0027 UTC) on a cool evening on the Space Coast.
Tonight’s launch was the first from the Eastern Range in 2025 in what is expected to be another record year for launches from the combined facilities of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.