Covering All Things Florida
Boca Chica, TX -Starbase- After a disappointing launch delay yesterday, SpaceX crews remained busy throughout the night to correct an issue with the grid fin actuators on the Starship Super Heavy.
Elon Musk just announced a one day delay to replace a grid fin actuator….
The FAA announced on Twitter at 4:15 ET today that it has granted a launch license to SpaceX for the second orbital launch attempt of the Starship SuperHeavy rocket.
A second Starship launch soon? All indications suggest–maybe. The closest thing to a tentative date from SpaceX was a tweet that stated, “No Earlier Than” (NET) Friday 11-17-23. Other clues like road closures, NOTAMs and maritime restriction have tantalize space enthusiast and photographers but each has come and gone with a series of expiration dates. Maybe the strongest indication of an impending launch was an email to press and photographers to apply for remote camera setup on Thursday 11-16-23. But even this has to be taken with a grain of salt because of still pending regulatory approvals by the Federal Aviation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Administrations.
Yesterday evening at 8:28pm SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Cargo Dragon capsule to the ISS. It was loaded with about 6500 pounds of food and water and research experiments to be carried out over the next six months. Lift off occurred from LC39A at KSC in Florida.
Launch occurred at 12:05am on 11-8-23 from LC40 at CCASA in Florida. SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon9 rocket caring 23 Starlink satellites. The first stage booster B1073 which has made 11 other launches and landings again successfully landed at sea on the barge Just Read the Instruction.
Join other Space Coast spectators tonight under the stars as SpaceX marks its 81st rocket launch this year with the launch of Starlink 6-27. Tonight’s mission (11/7/23) will add more Starlink satellites to the growing global satellite constellation. SpaceX is targeting a launch window between 11:01pm and 3:00am. Launch updates and photographs of this launch attempt will be added to this article when available.
Something new! SpaceX will launch a Falcon9 rocket carrying a Dragon cargo capsule. The mission, labeled CRS-2 SpX-29 (Commercial Resupply Service), is filled with supplies going to the International Space Station (ISS). It is scheduled for lift-off on November 9, 2023. The launch window is from 8:28pm to 1:28am Friday morning. It will launch from LC39A at KSC in Florida. The first stage booster will perform a boost back maneuver and return to land zone 1 at CCAFS in Florida. A sonic boom will be heard about 8 minutes after launch, depending on how far the viewing location is from LZ1.
In a recent development that marks a significant fiscal milestone, Space X CEO Elon Musk announced on Thursday that the aerospace company’s internet division, Starlink, has reached a state of breakeven cash flow. This achievement signals a robust stride towards the financial viability of the project, which was previously mired in negative cash flow. Musk, who relayed the announcement via his social media platform X, lauded his team’s exceptional work but did not elaborate on the specifics of the financial marker, including whether it was calculated on an operating basis or over a certain financial period.
SpaceX’s Starship sits on the pad in Boca Chica, Texas awaiting regulatory hurdles for it’s second orbital test flight. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN www.rpgphotography.com
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given its nod of approval regarding the safety of SpaceX’s Starship and Super Heavy rocket. This decision comes months after the initial orbital launch attempt in April resulted in an explosion over the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX’s Starship stands on the pad in Boca Chica, TX looking ready to fly. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN
After a successful rehearsal that put nearly all of SpaceX’s pre-flight systems for the Starship rocket to the test, the long-awaited Starship flight might be just around the corner. Recent developments have stirred excitement and speculation as the pace quickens for the Starship’s apparent upcoming launch.
