Starship Flight 9 Nails Liftoff–Grapples With Landing

Starship Flight 9 Nails Liftoff–Grapples With Landing

Starbase, Texas — SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on May 27, 2025, at 6:36 p.m. CDT from its Starbase facility in Texas for the ninth integrated flight test (IFT-9) of the vehicle. The mission, using Ship 35 and Booster 14-2, marked the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster but encountered significant challenges, including the loss of both stages, as SpaceX continues to refine the reusable launch system for lunar and Martian missions.

The objectives of IFT-9 included reusing Booster 14-2, previously flown on Flight 7, deploying eight Starlink mass simulators, testing an in-space Raptor engine relight, and achieving a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The mission also aimed to address issues from Flights 7 and 8, which ended in upper stage failures, and to conduct experiments on the booster under off-nominal conditions, such as a higher angle of attack during descent to reduce propellant use.

Third Time’s the Charm for Starship IFT-9

Third Time’s the Charm for Starship IFT-9

Ship 35 and Super Heavy Booster 14-2 being prepared for stacking in preparation for IFT-9. Image by Richard P Gallagher | FMN

Boca Chica, Texas – SpaceX is set to launch its ninth Starship integrated flight test (IFT-9) no earlier than May 27, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. CT from the Starbase facility in South Texas. This mission, featuring the Block 2 Starship (Ship 35) and a reused Super Heavy Booster (Booster 14-2), aims to address issues from the explosive failures of Flights 7 and 8 while testing new objectives for the reusable launch vehicle. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved license modifications for the flight on May 15, 2025, though the Flight 8 mishap investigation remains ongoing.

Atlas Kuiper KA-01

ULA Launches 27 Project Kuiper Satellites Aboard Atlas V

Summer is nearly back on the Space Coast, with warm temperatures and a persistent threat of rain in the afternoon and evenings — typical weather here, and it will stay this way for several months. That being said, Atlas V was able to beat the weather last night and launched at the opening of its window, with liftoff at 7:01 PM ET after an apparently quiet countdown, save for some concerns about the energy potential of a nearby anvil cloud (Cumulonimbus incus) lingering near the launch pad before dissipating.

Atlas Kuiper KA-01
Atlas Kuiper KA-01 lifting off on April 28, 2025. Photo: Chris Leymarie, Florida Media Now
Blackened Grouper – The Taste Of Florida Perfection

Blackened Grouper – The Taste Of Florida Perfection

Blackened Grouper - Photo

Florida is renowned for its stunning beaches, diverse wildlife, and vibrant culture—but equally as important is its rich culinary tradition, brimming with fresh seafood and local flavors. Among these is a distinctly Floridian delicacy: Blackened Grouper. Popular along Florida’s Gulf Coast, this flavorful Florida dish can turn any home kitchen into a seaside eatery. Here’s how to create your own exclusive Blackened Grouper right at home.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore

Boeing CFT Astronauts Set To Return to Earth Tomorrow

It’s finally time for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to come home! If everything goes according to plan, one of the most talked about journeys in American spaceflight will come to an end with a splashdown tomorrow evening somewhere off the coast of Florida.

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore Photo: NASA
The Hidden Gem of Seaside, Florida: A Vacationer’s Tale

The Hidden Gem of Seaside, Florida: A Vacationer’s Tale

Where can I go for vacation in Florida to get away from the crowds and really relax? It’s a question we hear all the time, and one likely to elicit a lot of answers. But if the crowds of Daytona, Lauderdale, Miami and Panama City are a bit much for you, here’s a great place to consider.

Seaside Beach Photo: Wikipedia
Seaside Beach Photo: Wikipedia
Starliner astronauts

Starliner Woes Spark Musk-Mogensen Online Melee 

February 21, 2025 

NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, now in their 261st day aboard the International Space Station (ISS), remain at the center of a prolonged mission saga sparked by Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft. Their extended stay, originally planned as an eight-day test flight, has escalated into a public spectacle, fueled by technical setbacks, political rhetoric, and a fiery online spat between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former ISS commander Andreas Mogensen on February 20, 2025. 

Booster B1067 Returns Home After Setting New SpaceX Record

Booster B1067 returns to Port Canaveral following its 25th successful launch. Blue Origin’s New Glenn is vertical in the background awaiting its own opportunity to land. Human for scale. Photo: Chris Leymarie, FMN.

SpaceX successfully launched the Starlink 12-12 mission from Cape Canaveral on Thursday afternoon.  With that, SpaceX added 21 new satellites to its ever growing internet constellation, 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities.