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.
Crew 9 lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 on September 28, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
SpaceX successfully launched the Crew 9 mission today from Space Launch Complex 40 in the first crewed launch from that storied pad. Liftoff was at 01:17 PM EDT under broken skies and a building threat of storms.
They plan to learn more about how satellites break up as they crash back to Earth.
Roughly 200 sensors and four infrared mini-cameras will measure and capture the disintegration process that DRACO will undergo until it self-destructs on re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere – Graphic: ESA
The European Space Agency plans to launch and then let a test satellite return to Earth in an uncontrolled manner. The Destructive Reentry Assessment Container Object (DRACO) will be built by the Spanish company Deimos and is currently planned to fly to space no earlier than 2027.
MS-25 landing via NASA livestream on September 23, 2024.
NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson has returned to Earth from the International Space Station. During her 184 days in space, she orbited Earth 2,944 times and traveled approximately 78 million miles.
Falcon 9 rising off of the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 40 on September 17, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
Space-X launched Falcon 9 early last evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying new European navigation satellites to orbit. The launch came at 06:51 PM EDT, just as the sun was starting to set in the west, creating a beautiful golden hue on the pad.
Polaris Dawn on the launch pad behind SpaceX’s Starship Tower at LC-39A Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
SpaceX plans to launch Polaris Dawn early tomorrow morning from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, with four astronauts aboard a Crew Dragon. Following weeks of recent weather delays and continued unsettled weather, the mission has a 40% chance of lifting off tomorrow, according to SpaceX.
Falcon 9 lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 on September 5, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Florida Media Now
SpaceX launched the Starlink 8-11 mission into hazy skies with storms looming in the distance late this morning aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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.
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.”
Starlink 8-10 rising off of Space Launch Complex 40 on August 31, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX got right back to business early Saturday morning as it launched the Starlink 8-10 mission aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.