Covering All Things Florida
If you follow spaceflight at all, you no doubt have heard a lot talk this year about the FAA “grounding” Space X’s Starship and Falcon 9, mishap investigations, and creating delays with a lot of “red tape.” Yet none of that happened after the flight of the beleaguered Boeing Starliner. What’s up with that? Some say it’s political, and they are “out to get Elon Musk.” In truth, it’s not quite that dramatic.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew successfully completed their five-day journey in space, capping off the historic mission with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, landed off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida, at 3:37 a.m. ET, marking the conclusion of a mission that included the world’s first commercial spacewalk.
Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis this morning became the first private citizens in history to conduct a spacewalk. The spacewalk, which lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes from start to finish, seemed to go off without a hitch. Exiting the Polaris Dawn / SpaceX Crew Dragon early Thursday, September 12, 2024, Isacmann’s helmet camera captured a breathtaking view of the spacecraft’s open hatch, followed by the large blue globe that is our home. The landmark event was part of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, designed to test new spacesuits developed by the company and push the boundaries of private space exploration.
NASA’s position as a leader in global innovation and a driver of technological advancement in the United States could be jeopardized by a mismatch between its budget and its mission scope, an overemphasis on short-term goals, and crumbling infrastructure, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The Florida skies over the Kennedy Space Center lit up once again this morning with the 5:23 a.m. ET launch of the Polaris Dawn mission. This mission may prove to be one of the most significant yet in the realm of commercial space flight. The mission, spearheaded by SpaceX and billionaire Jared Isaacman, aims to break multiple records and test several new technologies that will advance private space exploration.
So you’ve planned that long awaited cruise vacation down to the last detail. You’ve talked to travel agents, shopped around for your best deal, researched cruise lines and destinations on the internet, figured out your arrival dates, booked your flights, arranged your transfers to the port, and even finagled early boarding on your ship of choice. Now all you want to do is put on your favorite swim suit and pair of flip-flops, grab a drink, and kick back by the pool. Whew! We made it on board! Let the vacation begin!
The SS United States, once the fastest and most luxurious ocean liner to ever sail the seas, now finds itself at the heart of a fierce battle between those who want to preserve its legacy and those who see it as a perfect candidate for a Florida artificial reef. As the clock ticks toward a September court-mandated deadline, the fate of this American maritime icon has never been more uncertain—or more passionately debated.
Houston, TX — NASA has announced a revised crew lineup for the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). According to a news release today,the mission, now scheduled to launch no earlier than Tuesday, September 24, will feature NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as the primary crew members. Hague will serve as the mission commander, while Gorbunov will take on the role of mission specialist.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has put a hold on a proposal to introduce extensive developments, including golf courses, pickleball courts, and 350-room hotels, to state parks following widespread public and political opposition. The governor announced the decision at a press conference on Wednesday, marking his first public remarks since the proposals from his administration were leaked last week.
Fresh off of the announced delay of the Polaris Dawn’s 3:38AM launch Wednesday morning, SpaceX made the decision to continue with the launch of Starlink mission 8-6, slated for launch at 3:48 AM. While the launch went off without a hitch, it would not prove to be a great morning for SpaceX.
ORLANDO, FL — Imagine subscribing to Disney+ to catch up on The Mandalorian, and suddenly finding out that you’re also signing away your right to sue Disney—even if something terrible happens at one of their parks. That’s exactly what Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc. is arguing in response to a lawsuit that claims their negligence led to a tragic death at Disney Springs.
According to a report released by BNN Bloomberg today, ULA is facing some headwinds in engineer retention, and worse, meeting it’s profit goals.
