SpaceX sent another group of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit early this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Liftoff was at 5:10 PM EDT under stiff breezes and crystal blue skies.
SpaceX plans to launch Falcon 9 later today from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying another group of Starlink satellites. The launch window extends from 5:10 PM EDT to 9:08 PM. If the mission does not launch today due to weather or other reasons, a backup window opens at 5:07 PM EDT October 31st.
Starship Super Heavy Booster 12 returning to the launch tower completing the first ever mid-air catch. Image by Richard P Gallagher / FMN
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.
Pete Carstens is a man who can see things almost no one else can. Long after launch spectators and even launch photographers have called it a day, Pete continues tracking the launch, watching the streaking rocket sometimes almost all the way to orbit. Fortunately, he shares everything he sees, making space flight journalism all the better for it.
CAPE CANAVERAL SpaceX and Falcon 9 launched another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral into low Earth orbit late this afternoon. Liftoff was at 5:47 PM EDT under crystal clear skies and a slight breeze.
Launch spectators enjoyed some food and drinks at The Space Bar before the Starlink 10-8 launch on October 26, Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
Boeing’s Space Operations have been plagued by delays, cost overruns, and technical challenges such as those experienced by the Starliner program. Photo by Charles Boyer/FMN
Oct. 25, 2024 – Boeing, once a cornerstone of U.S. space exploration, is reportedly considering selling parts of its space business, including its NASA operations and the troubled Starliner spacecraft, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The move is seen as part of a broader restructuring effort by new CEO Kelly Ortberg to stabilize the company’s finances and refocus its operations.
Artemis I prior to its launch from Kennedy Space Center in 2022. Photo: Charles Boyer, FMN
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has long been a cornerstone of American ingenuity and exploration. Established in 1958, NASA’s mission extends beyond the bounds of space; it significantly contributes to the American economy through job creation, technological innovation, and the stimulation of various industries. While some American taxpayers claim NASA is a “waste of money” and that the funds allocated to NASA “would be better used elsewhere,” when measured, it does not take one very long at all to realize that NASA largely pays for itself and that it holds a vital role in the American — and global — economy.
Official SpaceX Crew-8 portrait with (L-R) Roscosmos cosmonaut and Mission Specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin, and Pilot Michael Barratt, Commander Matthew Dominick, and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps, all three NASA astronauts. Bill Stafford/NASA
Pensacola, Fla. – The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, Endeavour, returned to Earth early Friday, October 25, safely splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico near Pensacola at 3:29 a.m. EDT. The landing marked the conclusion of NASA’s Crew-8 mission. The Crew-8 team spent a record 235 days in space, setting a record for American crewed space missions.
Crew Dragon Endeavour docking at ISS in March with Crew-8. Photo: NASA
NASA has announced that they are scheduling Crew-8 from the International Space Station today so that the four astronauts comprising the crew can begin their return to Earth.
SpaceX launching the Starlink 6-55 mission in May 2024.
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
CAPE CANAVERAL SpaceX plans to launch Falcon 9 this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying another group of Starlink satellites. The launch window extends from 6:52 PM EDT to 10:14 PM.
Note: this article has been updated to reflect a day/time change for the launch.
