Covering All Things Florida
Sunday night saw an on-time launch for SpaceX’s latest Falcon 9 mission known as Bandwagon-1. The rideshare mission, SpaceX’s 35th of 2024, carried 11 satellites to a mid-inclination orbit (45 degrees) for six different companies. A mid-inclination orbit places satellites over populated areas rather than providing global coverage seen with standard polar orbits.
In a push that could adversely impact private space companies, President Joe Biden is advocating for the inclusion of space launch operations within the scope of U.S. airspace taxes. This proposal, part of the president’s budget released last month, aims to revise the longstanding aviation excise tax framework to incorporate contributions from private space entities like Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, as reported by The New York Times.
In a bizarre incident, a piece of space debris from the International Space Station (ISS) plummeted through the roof of a Florida home last month. The unsuspecting homeowner, Alejandro Otero, was fortunate to be away at the time, but his son was inside when the nearly 2-pound object tore through the roof and both floors of their two-story house in Naples, Florida.
3/28/24 9:18 PM UPDATE: ULA WILL NOT LAUNCH DELTA IV HEAVY ON FRIDAY – NEW DATE TBD
UPDATE: ULA earlier reported that they had repaired a system that caused the company to scrub today’s launch. Upon further testing, ULA determined further repairs are needed. No launch date has yet been announced, but Monday is the next opportunity.
What started out as a dicey proposition about whether the final Delta IV Heavy launch would make it off the pad on Thursday ended with a disappointing scrub. But not for the reason most thought it would be.
NASA’s 30th commercial resupply mission was successfully launched Thursday, embarking on a journey to deliver a new round of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission includes critical studies focusing on sea ice measurement technologies and plant growth in space, signaling a significant leap forward in our understanding of Earth and space environments.
By now, most are familiar with SpaceX’s effort to bring internet access to every corner of the world. And they’re doing a pretty good job of it. With over 6000 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Starlink satellites already in space, and as many as 6000 more going up on future launches, one would think that the whole world would be pretty happy about it, right? Or at least the “free countries”…but maybe not.
It probably will come as no surprise to anyone that SpaceX’s Starship program is once again grounded pending another mishap investigation.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it has initiated its third mishap investigation into the Starship program following an anomaly during its latest orbital test flight, IFT-3, on March 14, 2024. This inquiry marks yet another pause in the testing of the huge rocket, which reigns as the largest and most powerful rocket in history.
SpaceX successfully launched the third Integrated Flight Test (IFT) of a Starship this morning from the company’s Starbase test facility in Boca Chica, TX. With the launch, IFT-3 became the first Starship mission to reach orbit. Hopes ran high for the test mission as the countdown to the 8:25 AM CDT launch proceeded flawlessly with no holds.
AccuWeather and other major forecasters have already begun releasing their 2024 Hurricane Season forecasts, and the news is not good.
Tokyo-based startup Space One’s aspirations to mark Japan’s entry into the private sector space race were abruptly halted when the company’s KAIROS (Kii-based Advanced & Instant ROcket System) rocket, carrying a mock satellite, exploded just seconds after liftoff on Wednesday in central Japan.
The Crew-7 mission to the ISS ended this morning with a splashdown at 5:50 AM EDT this morning in the Gulf of Mexico. The splashdown near Pensacola, Florida marked the end of a six and one half month mission aboard the International Space Station for the crew of four.
Elon Musk is ready to give it another go, with a SpaceX post surfacing on X yesterday, announcing a potential launch date for the third Starship test flight. The company’s Starship and super-heavy booster combo is now expected to launch at 7:30AM CDT on March 14th from SpaceX’s Starbase, in Boca Chica, Texas IF regulatory approval is obtained in time.
