An artist’s rendering of how Pad 39A could look if SpaceX begins launching Starship there. Credit: Creative Commons
Whatever it is, it’s big. On December 18, 2024, Space Florida’s board of directors approved a substantial investment in “Project Hinton,” signifying a major development for Florida’s Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
Axiom Station could be operational as a free-flying space station as early as 2028. Credit: Axiom Space
HOUSTON, Dec. 18, 2024 – Axiom Space announced today an ambitious revision to its assembly plan for Axiom Station, enabling the world’s first free-flying commercial space station to operate as an independent orbital platform as early as 2028—two years ahead of schedule.
Blue Origin announced today that the payload for the first launch of their New Glenn orbital-class rocket is ready, and that the company still plans to launch the flight this year — which has only 22 days remaining.
An FAA launch license and approval from the US Space Force are still needed for that to happen.
New Glenn at LC-36 earlier this year. Photo: Blue Origin
IFT-5 Booster Capture Composite – Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN
FMN congratulates our own Richard Gallagher on his award-winning shot of the Starship Heavy booster return at Boca Chica, Tx on October 13th. Competing against a slate of world class photographers who submitted over 800 entries, Gallagher’s work placed second in Aviation Week’s annual photo contest in the “Photo Illustration” category.
On December 4th, word began leaking out that President-elect Trump may be considering Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for a cabinet post. While the move is far from certain as of this writing, what would happen if he did appoint DeSantis? That would leave some big shoes to fill in the Governor’s office.
Jared Isaacman prior launching on the Polaris Dawn mission earlier this year. Photo: John Kraus/Polaris Program
In an announcement that has sparked widespread interest in both political and aerospace circles, former President Donald Trump has nominated billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX partner Jared Isaacman as the next NASA Administrator. The announcement was made during a press conference today at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump praised Isaacman’s leadership in private space exploration and innovation.
Jared Isaacman after his return to Earth following the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024. Photo: John Kraus / Polaris Dawn
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next Administrator of NASA. Isaacman, best known to the general public as the commander of both the groundbreaking Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn space missions and the first private citizen to conduct a spacewalk, is also the CEO of the payment processing giant Shift4, a rapidly growing company that Isaacman started when he was sixteen years old.
Vehicle lights streak by the iconic SpaceX sign in front of the launch tower with Starship 31 and Booster 13 poised for launch. Image by Richard P Gallagher
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.
Some weeks, they say, are better than others. In terms of Spaceflight in the US, this week was one of those better ones, as there has been major activities and milestones set this week:
SpaceX sent another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit this morning from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Liftoff was at 11:07 AM EST into seasonably cool (~65ºF) and crystal blue skies over Florida.
SpaceX Starlink 6-66 rises out of the heat distortion in the air over the Banana River on November 21, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
NASA’s SLS Artemis 1 and Orion Capsule front and center. Photo by TJ Waller
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), a centerpiece of the Artemis program, may face cancellation as rising costs and delays spark calls for reevaluation. SpaceX’s Starship, a fully reusable spacecraft under development, is emerging as a strong candidate to replace SLS for the program’s lunar missions, potentially marking a significant shift in NASA’s approach to deep space exploration.
SpaceX’s IFT-6 Test Flight launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, TX on November 19, 2024. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN
SpaceX conducted its sixth test flight of the Starship rocket yesterday, successfully completing another flight in the company’s efforts to develop a fully reusable spacecraft for missions to the Moon and Mars. The launch came on time at 4:00 p.m. CST from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas after a flawless countdown.
