Covering All Things Florida
SpaceX launched the Thuraya-4 satellite for Yahsat / Space 42 this evening from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 8:27 PM EST (0027 UTC) on a cool evening on the Space Coast.
Tonight’s launch was the first from the Eastern Range in 2025 in what is expected to be another record year for launches from the combined facilities of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.
After two previous delays, including an abort-at-ignition and a booster swap, SpaceX launched the ‘From One To Many’ payload for Astranis tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 12:00 AM EST (05:00 UTC) under broken skies on the Space Coast.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully completed an integrated launch vehicle hotfire test at 7:45PM EST today, the final major milestone on the road to the vehicle’s first flight. NG-1 will carry a Blue Ring Pathfinder as its first manifested payload and will launch from Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, FL. Blue Origin is currently targeting January 6th as a potential launch date.
Despite no rockets heading to space this weekend from the Eastern Range, it was still quite a busy weekend for both SpaceX and Blue Origin at Cape Canaveral.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced an updated launch license for Starship IFT-7. This update could mean that a launch attempt is on the horizon.
Despite recent assurances from NASA that Artemis II will be safe to fly, at least one former astronaut still has his doubts.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have had their missions extended yet again, this time until at least March, and possibly April 2025. Originally planned as an eight-day mission, Williams and Wilmore’s straightforward task was to take Boeing’s Starliner on its debut flight with crew, dock at ISS for a brief visit before returning home. That was not meant to be.
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.
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.
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.
