Another 23 Starlink satellites are in orbit early this evening, after SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 6:08 PM EDT.
Around 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster used tonight’ – B1076 — completed its thirteenth mission successfully when it touched down safely on the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) ‘Just Read The Instructions’ which was stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson met with the US House of Representatives House Science, Space, and Technology Committee today, where he gave updates regarding several issues currently of interest to Congress and the agency. Nelson was asked if recent articles saying that Artemis III may be transformed into a low-Earth orbit mission that tests docking with SpaceX’s Human Landing System rather than landing on the moon are true.
One of the critical tasks for the upcoming Artemis missions is completing new spacesuits for astronauts to wear while on the lunar surface. The suits are critical, as they must protect astronauts from severe temperatures, the moon’s lack of a meaningful atmosphere, and sharp, jagged lunar regolith.
In September 2022, NASA awarded Axiom Space a $228.5 million contract to develop the next-generation spacesuit for the Artemis III mission to the moon. The suits, called Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU), are still being developed. Today, Axiom Space announced that they have moved into a new testing phase: they are testing the AxEMU suits underwater in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, a critical step to ensure suit performance and to inform the company of areas where improvements are needed.
The company shared two photographs of the ongoing tests at the NBL this morning on X.com, saying “The AxEMU entered the water for the first time this week at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). Testing was conducted with an unoccupied spacesuit, adding weights to accurately simulate the lunar environment, where gravitational forces are 1/6th of Earth’s.”
According to NASA, ” These tests are integral to ensuring the spacesuit is effective and complies with NASA’s safety and performance requirements.” Currently, the Artemis III mission will be the first that the AxEMU suits will be required, with the current estimated date for the mission launch no earlier than September of 2026. Critical items like the SpaceX Human Landing System and the suit must be perfected and crew-rated before the launch. SpaceX suggests that the fourth launch test of their new Starship rocket will occur sometime in May.
Axiom Space added in a subsequent X.com post that “With the successful conclusion of this trial run, the next NBL suit run will have our very own astronaut inside.” They did not specify a date or who will be inside the lunar suit.
For more information regarding the AxEMU suit, visit Axiom Space.
Another 23 Starlink satellites are in orbit early this evening, after SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 6:08 PM EDT.
Around 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster used tonight’ – B1076 — completed its thirteenth mission successfully when it touched down safely on the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) ‘Just Read The Instructions’ which was stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.
Tonight’s flight was the 257th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (excluding Amos-6, which exploded during pre-launch testing) and the 356th launch for SpaceX.
B1076 has successfully completed its 13th mission.
| Booster B1076 | ||
| Flight Number | Mission | Launch Date |
| 1 | CRS-26 | November 26, 2022 |
| 2 | OneWeb 16 | January 10, 2023 |
| 3 | Starlink 6-1 | February 27, 2023 |
| 4 | Intelsat 40e | April 7, 2023 |
| 5 | Starlink 6-3 | May 19, 2023 |
| 6 | Starlink 6-6 | July 24. 2023 |
| 7 | Starlink 6-14 | September 9, 2023 |
| 8 | Starlink 6-21 | October 5, 2023 |
| 9 | O3b mPOWER 5/6 | November 12, 2023 |
| 10 | Ovzon-3 | January 3, 2024 |
| 11 | Starlink 6-40 | February 29, 2024 |
| 12 | Eutelsat 36D | March 30, 2024 |
| 13 | Starlink 6-54 | April 28, 2024 |
‘Just Read The Instructions’ will return to Port Canaveral in a few days, where the booster will be offloaded and transported to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished and possibly prepared for another next flight.
SpaceX plans to launch more Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-40 on Wednesday, May 1st.
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.
SpaceX is planning to launch another lot of Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this evening.
According to SpaceX, liftoff is targeted for 6:08 PM EDT, and the launch window is open until 9:48 PM EDT. If for some reason tonight’s planned liftoff does not happen, the backup launch window open Monday, April 29 starting at 5:45 PM EDT.
23 Starlink satellites, to be used in SpaceX’s orbital-based Internet service.
The 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting a 20% chance of creating a Range Violation Sunday, meaning a better than 80% chance of acceptable conditions. On Monday, conditions improve to 90% “Go” in the 45th’s forecast.
Looking at the forecast closely, the 45th says, “Locally, enhanced onshore flow will tap somewhat deeper moisture off the Atlantic, resulting in additional onshore-moving cumulus clouds accompanied by widely scattered showers. The greatest risk of these will be during the late night through early afternoon hours and thus outside our launch windows.”
That sure sounds like a summer coastal front, and given that it’s almost May, summer weather in Florida is starting to make its annual appearance. That means that on many days, launches can and will be affected by daily storms and winds in the vicinity of the launch area.
The National Weather Center is calling for cloud cover of about 40-50% tonight at the opening of the launch window.
Falcon 9 will take a southeasterly direction tonight, as is customary for Group 6 Starlink missions.
Given that the flight is immediately offshore with no return to launch site, there will be no sonic boom from the launch this evening on the Space Coast.
According to Space, tonight’s booster previously launched “CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, EUTELSAT 36D, and six Starlink missions” and will be on its thirteenth mission overall. That’s Booster B1076.
B1076 last launched thirty days ago when it lofted the Eutelsat 36D mission on March 30, 2024.
| Booster B1076 | ||
| Flight Number | Mission | Launch Date |
| 1 | CRS-26 | November 26, 2022 |
| 2 | OneWeb 16 | January 10, 2023 |
| 3 | Starlink 6-1 | February 27, 2023 |
| 4 | Intelsat 40e | April 7, 2023 |
| 5 | Starlink 6-3 | May 19, 2023 |
| 6 | Starlink 6-6 | July 24. 2023 |
| 7 | Starlink 6-14 | September 9, 2023 |
| 8 | Starlink 6-21 | October 5, 2023 |
| 9 | O3b mPOWER 5/6 | November 12, 2023 |
| 10 | Ovzon-3 | January 3, 2024 |
| 11 | Starlink 6-40 | February 29, 2024 |
| 12 | Eutelsat 36D | March 30, 2024 |
Per SpaceX, “Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read The Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.”
After touching down on ”Just Read The Instructions’, the booster will be returned to Port Canveral after a few days, where it will be offloaded and transported to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished and possibly prepared for another next flight.
1: this includes Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship Heavy Launches
2: Amos-6 is discounted due to a pad failure, not an in-flight anomoly
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 6-54. This will also be available on the X platform.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
This evening’s planned launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are: Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville. Kennedy Point Park and Rotary Riverfront Park (among others) are your best bets.
Playalinda Beach wil be open during these hours, but be aware that SLC-40 is further away from the beach than is LC-39A, so you won’t get quite the same experience as you would from the closer pad.
That said, it is still a day at the beach, you’ll be plenty close enough to watch the rocket launch and you’ll definitely have a good experience. If you decide to go there, keep in mind the following:
Also, as part of both Kennedy Space Center and the US Park system, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is under federal jurisdiction and that means if you happen to get a ticket out there, you’ll be heading to federal court. Best thing to do is strictly obey traffic laws. Don’t speed!
Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Pier, Jetty Park Pier will have indirect views, meaning that liftoff will not be visible, but after the rocket clears the pad and any ground obstructions, you will be able to see Falcon 9 ascending clearly assuming there are no clouds between you and the rocket.
Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.
On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
The Great Eclipse of 2024 came perilously close to being a bust after careful planning and a lot of spending: we traveled to Texas with plans to enjoy totality in the Texas Hill Country, but forecasted clouds ruled that out. Looking at satellite forecasts, we decided to head north and slightly west of a storm front and ended up in Idabel, Oklahoma — a place I had never been to and quite frankly, wasn’t even sure I’d ever heard of. It was a good call, barely. Despite some cumulus clouds from time to time, we were able to enjoy most of the eclipse and all of totality. After this, the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.
SpaceX plans to launch a pair of long-delayed navigation satellites this evening at 8:34PM from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Should conditions force a scrub, the next backup opportunity is on Sunday, April 28 at 8:30 PM EDT.
The satellites, FM25 and FM27, are being launched aboard a Falcon 9 booster as part of Europe’s MEO Galileo constellation. They will join twenty-six other satellites that began launching in 2011 to form part of a high-precision navigation system for the European Union.
In his classic book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” writer Douglas Adams once said that “Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist’s, but that’s just peanuts to space.”
Adams is right, of course. Space is infinitely huge, but at the same time, near-Earth orbit is an increasingly crowded place. As of March 7, 2024, 9,494 active satellites were orbiting Earth, and there are another 3,300 inactive satellites.
Those numbers pale in comparison to so-called “space junk”—debris or machinery left by humans in space, including spent rocket stages, pieces discarded by rockets or people still in orbit, and the detritus from previous satellite collisions. Even pieces of paint that have flaked off of spacecraft count because despite their tiny size, they can pack an incredible punch should they hit another object in orbit.
In total, the 6,300 successful rocket launches since 1957 have delivered 14,450 satellites into Earth’s orbit. Over that same period, more than 630 explosions, collisions, or other unplanned events have caused objects to split apart or fragment, creating a huge amount of debris in orbit.
To be fair, much of that debris has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up, but a lot of it still up there. NASA estimates that an active satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO) will collide with a piece of debris larger than 1 cm every five to six years. Operational spacecraft are routinely struck by very small, sub-millimeter-sized orbital debris with little or no effect.
For larger pieces of materials, many spacecraft like ISS change their orbital position to avoid an accidental collision. Even then, there have been incidents where astronauts and cosmonauts have been ordered into their capsules to “shelter in place” because of the potential for a catastrophic collision.
On November 15, 2021, seven astronauts were forced to take shelter in their transport spacecraft when the station passed close to orbital debris. The astronauts spent two hours in the capsules and had to close and reopen hatches to the station’s labs every 1.5 hours as they passed near or through the debris.
As of January 2022, NASA estimates that there are more than 25,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters in orbit around Earth, and millions of smaller pieces. This includes:
Over two hundred and twenty million pieces of space junk is quite a huge number, and that changes the odds of any one of them hitting an active — or worse, crewed — spacecraft at any given time. Suddenly, “mind-bogglingly big” becomes a simple matter of time.
The US Department of Defense operates the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) to track objects in space. The SSN uses radar and optical sensors at different sites worldwide to detect and track satellites and space junk.
According to the Aerospace Corporation, “These sensors observe and track objects that are larger than a softball in low Earth orbits and basketball-sized objects, or larger, in higher, geosynchronous orbits. The sensors can determine which orbit the objects are in and that information is used to predict close approaches, reentries, and the probability of a collision.”
According to Aerospace Corporation, “We can’t just vacuum or sweep it up into a space garbage truck. To remove space debris, particularly the large and more dangerous objects, we have to get close to it and maintain the same speed as each object. We then, somehow, must attach to it, and move it into a lower orbit or reenter it directly into the ocean. “
Astroscale Japan, a Tokyo-based aerospace company, was selected by JAXA for Phase I of its Commercial Removal of Debris Demonstration (CRD2) program. According to the company, its ADRAS-J spacecraft is “a groundbreaking mission as the world’s first attempt to safely approach, characterize, and survey the state of an existing piece of large debris through Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).”
Astroscale reported that they have achieved a critical milestone in the ADRAS-J mission, when they “approached the client within several hundred meters.” That client was a piece of large space junk — a spent second stage left in orbit after a JAXA launch.
Next up, according to Astroscale, is the next phase of for the CRD2 program. They say in a press release that “The CRD2 program aims to remove an unprepared Japanese upper stage rocket body, thereby addressing the increasingly critical issue of space debris. Unprepared objects in orbit pose an additional challenge as they have not been prepared with any technologies that enable docking or potential servicing or removal.”
Astroscale added “We are deeply honored to have been selected as the commercial partner of the next phase of this trailblazing program,” said Eddie Kato, President & Managing Director of Astroscale Japan. “Having demonstrated several key capabilities during the ongoing Phase I mission, we are eager to demonstrate our ability to address the next challenge: the removal and deorbiting of large debris. This next phase holds significance in addressing the space debris issue and laying the foundation for a sustainable environment for future generations. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to JAXA for entrusting us with this responsibility.”
If successful, they will demonstrate the first removal of a large piece of space junk, making Earth orbit safer for everything and everyone who travels there.
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