Covering All Things Florida
Space X’s Starship (L) and Blue Origin’s New Glenn (R) both had success full launches but faced challenges during Thursday’s flight tests. Images: Richard P Gallagher-FMN / Blue Origin
January 16th proved to be an emotional roller coaster for private space exploration. Both Blue Origin and SpaceX achieved notable successes tempered by huge challenges during their respective rocket launches from Florida and Texas.
Cocoa, FL – January 14, 2025
Looking for something to see or do while in Florida this week? You’re in luck! This week is witnessing a flurry of space exploration activities at Cape Canaveral and KSC, with multiple launches and historic feats by private aerospace giants. The excitement began with SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to complete their Starlink constellation and will culminate in the much-anticipated launches of the Blue Ghost lunar lander, Blue Origin’s first New Glenn Heavy booster launch, and hopefully SpaceX’s Starship IFT-7.
Los Angeles, CA — As the devastating wildfires continue to ravage California, leaving swathes of communities in darkness, disarray and without internet, a technological marvel is helping to restore service: Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service.
It’s Musk vs. Bezos in an epic Battle of the Billionaires. The competition between Musk and Bezos has been public and sometimes personal, with both taking jabs at each other’s technologies and strategies. The Musk-Bezos rivalry has not only pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in private spaceflight but has also revitalized public interest in space. Their companies have made space more accessible, reduced costs through reusability, and set ambitious goals for humanity’s future in space. While SpaceX has the lead in terms of operational experience and public visibility, Blue Origin’s methodical approach might yet prove equally impactful in the long term.
Boca Chica, Texas – As the dawn of a new year breaks, SpaceX is poised to continue its ambitious journey with the seventh integrated flight test of its Starship and Super Heavy Booster system, scheduled to take flight from its Starbase facility in South Texas on January 10, 2025. This test, designated Integrated Flight Test 7 (IFT-7), brings with it a suite of advancements, new objectives, and cutting-edge technology, setting the stage for what could be a transformative year in rocket innovation and space exploration.
COCOA BEACH, FL — The 16th annual Surfing Santas event transformed Cocoa Beach into a sea of red and green on a chilly and foggy Christmas Eve morning, as hundreds of Surfing Santas traded their traditional sleighs for surfboards. The unique holiday spectacle, which began in 2009 as a family outing, has now become one of the Space Coast’s most cherished traditions, drawing thousands of spectators to watch the festive surfing extravaganza.
What: 16th Annual Surfing Santas
When: Tuesday, December 24, 2024, from 7:30 AM to 12 PM
Where: 3 Minutemen Causeway, Cocoa Beach, Florida
Get ready for a splash of festive fun on the sunny shores of Cocoa Beach! Join hundreds of Santas, elves, and snowmen for the 16th annual Surfing Santas event where the holiday cheer meets sun and surf!
SpaceX is gearing up for its seventh integrated flight test of the Starship launch system, an ambitious next step on the path to making Starship fully reusable and making humans interplanetary. Scheduled for no earlier than January 11th, 2025, this test flight will introduce Starship 33, the first Block 2 model, with several new advancements and Super Heavy booster 14, Block 1.
On November 19, 2024, SpaceX conducted its sixth integrated flight test (IFT-6) of the Starship launch system from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. The mission aimed to further validate the vehicle’s capabilities, building upon the achievements of previous tests.
SpaceX is preparing for its sixth integrated flight test (IFT-6) of the Starship launch system, scheduled for November 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM CST from the Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
The Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola hosted its annual Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show on November 1 and 2, 2024, drawing an estimated 150,000 to 180,000 spectators over the two-day event. This year’s show, themed “Celebrating One Small Step,” honored the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, a milestone in both aviation and space exploration history.
In an unexpected revelation, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk recently offered a glimpse into the challenges of Starship development during a live-streamed gaming session. While playing Diablo IV, Musk inadvertently broadcast a private conversation with SpaceX engineers highlighting how close the company’s Starship Super Heavy booster came to aborting a planned landing attempt on its most recent flight.
