SpaceX launched an undisclosed payload for the US Space Force tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 7:52 EST (00:52 UTC) under heavy skies on the Space Coast.
Falcon 9 RRTS-1 Liftoff, as seen on the SpaceX livestream.
Around 8.5 minutes later, Falcon 9 Booster B1085 completed its fourth mission successfully when it touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ stationed off of the coast of the Carolinas. ASOG and B1085 will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and preparation for its fifth flight.
Payload
Good question. Those who know aren’t saying, but evidence points towards a GPS satellite according to a number of sources who closely analyzed the publicly available information of the flight path for this launch and then compared that to other missions.
Others were more specific, saying it is the GPS-IIIA satellite. If so, that would mean that the first of the third-generation GPS satellites has been launched.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
SpaceX is planning to launch the O3b mPower 7 & 8 mission from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center NET Tuesday, December 17, 2024. The launch window opens at 3:59 PM EST and closes at 5:26 PM the same day.
Weather is a major watch item for this flight, with a 45% Probability of Violation at any point in the launch window, according to the December 16 launch forecast issued by the US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron.
The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship still in service. Built in 1797, the heavy frigate was so well built that in battle, cannonballs bounced off her hull. That earned her the nickname “Old Ironsides.” Walking aboard the vessel was walking in history and an honor to do so.
Rockets make a lot of noise when they launch. That’s a given fact, and part of life for Space Coast residents.
There is a rocket launch from the Cape every few days, and depending how close one is the launch pad, the sound is like distant thunder that fades away after a minute or two, or, for some who live much closer to the launch site, the initial noise of a launch is much more thunderous. Some claim that those launch sounds are intense enough to cause damage to their property.
Falcon 9 flying to space on September 29, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Depending on the launch trajectory and weather conditions, a SpaceX Falcon 9’s rumble on liftoff can be heard as far away as Melbourne, some 33 miles from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral. Other towns closer to the launch pad will also hear the sound, of course, and at varying levels. When that same booster returns to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1, the sonic boom is even louder in many areas, with some saying that in Rockledge the sonic boom is louder than what one might experience in Titusville.
New Study
That in mind, Space Coast residents may find results from a new study released in November in the Journal of the Acoustic Society of America interesting: in it, the authors measured ambient sounds in several different locations surrounding a Starship Heavy launch in Boca Chica, and they found that the sound pressure from the huge new rocket to be a great deal louder than current rockets, such as a Falcon 9:
Starship launch noise to Space Launch System and Falcon 9 shows that Starship is substantially louder; the far-field noise produced during a Starship launch is at least ten times that of Falcon 9.
Measurement locations near the Starship launch were shown in the paper. Measurements were taken as far as 22 miles away. Graphic: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
The study found that:
From OSHA Technical Manual (OTM) Section III: Chapter 5
The town of Port Isabel (∼10 km/6.2 mi) saw a maximum of ∼105 dB SPL.
The town of Laguna Vista (∼20 km/12.4 mi) sees a maximum of ~90 dB SPL.
At 10km (6.2 miles) and 20 km (12.4 miles), the booster flyback boom results in a [SPL] of about 125 and 110 dB SPL, respectively.
110 dB SPL is roughly that of being in a room with a trombone.
What About Starship Compared to SLS?
Also in the paper, a comparison of Starship and SLS noise impacts was made. The result?
“Although it is difficult to identify trends across metric, vehicle, and distance, the most important conclusion […] is that a Starship launch represents a substantially greater noise source than SLS and Falcon 9. A look across the four metrics and two distances for SLS relative to Starship suggests that a Starship launch is the equivalent of 4–6 SLS launches in terms of noise impact, despite SLS producing more than half of Starship’s thrust. “
We’ve Heard This Before: Saturn V Made A Lot of Noise In Its Day
Probably the loudest rocket ever launched on the Space Coast was the Saturn V. The huge moon rocket was known to physically shake buildings and the ground within five miles or so from the launch pad, and one of the first things old-timers mention when they talk about a Saturn V it how loud it was. The published measurements from the time back that up as well.
Contemporary news reports the day after Apollo 4 talked about the sound level of the rocket Miami Herald, November 10, 1967
The 194-200 dB SPL of noise of a launching Saturn V at the pad would kill someone within a certain distance — a distance often cited as one mile, though some Apollo veterans have said 1000 yards, or about a kilometer. The reason why? The mechanical effects of the sound pressure would be intense enough to liquify that person’s organs.
Keep in mind that’s at the launch pad and everyone but astronauts were kept a safe distance away. As for the astronauts, the design of the launch pad helped deflect the sound, sound suppression systems dampened it a bit and finally, they were well insulated from the outside environment.
Shock waves of a Saturn V were clearly visible during the launch of Apollo 17 in 1972. Video: NASA
For buildings farther from the launch pad during a Saturn V launch, shakes and rattles were quite common, something Walter Cronkite dramatically described in the launch of Apollo 4 in 1967, from the CBS press box some 3.6 miles from the launch:
No water-deluge sound suppression was used for the Apollo 4 launch, and all other subsequent Saturn V launches employed that technique to reduce the noise at the launchpad and beyond.
Instead, Apollo 4 could be used as a gauge of the top end extreme sounds heard from launches on the Space Coast. Today, all rocket launches from the Cape have some form of sound suppression. Starship will be the same.
The Saturn V generated a sound level of 91 decibels from a distance of 9384 meters (6.2 miles) from the launch pad, according to NASA. From 12.4 miles — the distance from Pad LC-39A to the western end of the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, a sound level of 85 decibels was heard. At Lori Wilson Park (19 miles) around 80 decibels.
Those launches were indeed loud, but not dangerously so, and residents of the time collectively shrugged it off as part of living close to the Cape.
Cape Studies Are Underway
Sound studies and projections are part of the Environmental Impact Study underway for Starship at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center as well as another EIS for SLC-37 or a new SLC-50 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Local residents should pay close attention to them, as this will be the first and most immediate effect of a Starship Heavy launch from the Eastern Range.
A rendering of Vaya’s Dauntless rocket. Credit: Vaya Space
Vaya Space has secured a multi-launch contract to deploy up to 250 satellites for Space Telecommunications, Inc.’s small-satellite constellation using its Dauntless rocket, with launches starting in 2027.
“Today’s announcement is validation of the hard work of our entire team and a testament to the vision of our partners at Space Telecommunications,” said Kevin Lowdermilk, Vaya Space CEO. “This collaboration underscores the transformative potential of hybrid propulsion in shaping the future of satellite launch and space exploration.”
Who Is Vaya Space?
VayaSpace a space and defense company, was founded in 2017 by Sid Gutierrez, the former Space Shuttle Commander and NASA’s first US-born Hispanic astronaut as Rocket Crafters, based in Cocoa. Since then, the company has developed a hybrid propulsion system and rocket technologies that are non-explosive, non-toxic, using solid rocket fuel is produced from 99% recycled post-industrial thermoplastics.
A Vaya Space Vortex engine test in late 2023 Photo: Vaya Space
The company’s Dauntless Block I is a ~60-foot (18.3) two-stage rocket, and is about the same size as a Rocket Lab Electron. It is planned to be able to launch at least 500 kilograms to orbit, versus 320 kilograms for Electron to Low-Earth Orbit.
Unlike Electron, a kerolox (kerosene-liquid oxygen system), Vaya’s Vortex solid rocket motors make Dauntless a nearly portable system that can be launched virtually anywhere. Dauntless is planned to launch for the first time in 2026. The company plans to launch from LC-13 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Vaya also has a Dauntless Block II in development, which will increase the maximum payload to orbit to at least 1100 kilograms, giving the system many more mission applications for which it will be suitable.
Comments On The New Contract
“Working with Vaya Space ensures our constellation will achieve the highest level of precision and reliability, which is critical to our mission of connecting communities worldwide,” Tae Oh, Founder of Space Telecommunications.
“This partnership represents a pivotal moment for both companies,” said Mary Baldino, Director of Sales and Marketing at Vaya Space. “Our affordable and reliable hybrid rocket technology positions Dauntless to meet the growing demands of satellite constellations like Space Telecommunications’, ensuring timely, precise deployment and maximum operational efficiency.”
“The launch campaign will mark a significant milestone in transitioning Dauntless from its inaugural mission to a regular launch cadence,” said Vaya Chairman Sid Gutierrez. “Designed, built, and tested on Florida’s Space Coast, Dauntless and its hybrid propulsion system are designed to bring simplicity, safety, affordability, and reliability to orbital launch.”
New Glenn at LC-36 earlier this year. Photo: Blue Origin
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.
The Payload
Blue Ring inside New Glenn’s fairings. Photo: Blue Origin
Blue Origin plans to conduct a pathfinder test of its Blue Ring technologies. Blue Ring is described by the company as a “spacecraft platform,” one that can not only orbit Earth and provide services to satellites, but also travel around the Moon, with the goal of providing delivery and logistics support to cislunar space projects as well.
Blue Ring will also function as a maneuverable platform that can host, transport, and refuel other spacecraft. It will also be capable of acting as a data relay while also offering an “in-space” cloud computing capability, according to the original announcement of the project.
Dave Limp, CEO of Blue Origin, said on December 9, “There is a growing demand to quickly move and position equipment and infrastructure in multiple orbits. Blue Ring has advanced propulsion and communication capabilities for government and commercial customers to handle these maneuvers precisely and efficiently.”
“This Blue Ring Pathfinder is equipped with storage and compute virtualization to demonstrate anomaly detection using machine learning. Its mission kit provides high-performance, radiation-tolerant compute and storage akin to today’s cloud-based offerings,” Limp concluded.
“We’re excited to demonstrate Blue Ring’s advanced in-space operations on New Glenn’s inaugural mission,” said Paul Ebertz, Senior Vice President of Blue Origin’s In-Space Systems. “Blue Ring plays a critical role in building a road to space, and this mission is an important first step for Blue Ring and enabling dynamic and responsive operations that will greatly benefit our nation.”
Dave Limp also said on December 8 that Blue is awaiting “regulatory approvals for hotfire and launch” of New Glenn. Presumably, that is an FAA license to launch as well as approval from the Space Force that Blue Origin for the static fire and also that New Glenn ready for flight from a range safety and operations standpoint.
While Blue Origin waits for the paperwork to be finished, they have been conducting fueling operations on New Glenn at LC-36.
While we wait for regulatory approvals for hotfire and launch, here’s a photo (and a bonus video) of our “chilling” GS1. This marks the first time we’re tanking our first stage with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The first stage LOX tank is nearly 30,000 cu.… pic.twitter.com/S9wDtCUFNI
Lather, rinse, repeat: SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the Starlink 12-5 mission shortly after midnight this morning. Liftoff was at 12:10 AM EST from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral and into cool, clear, star-studded skies over the Space Coast.
Starlink 12-5’s path through the sky this morning. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Around 8.3 minutes later, Falcon 9 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’, successfully concluding its 2nd mission. ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ had been pre-positioned offshore downrange and will now return to Port Canaveral where the booster will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its 3rd flight.
It is believed that the booster used for this morning’s flight is B1086, which was first used as a side-booster for the Falcon Heavy GOES-U launch earlier this year, but SpaceX only stated “This is the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched GOES-U.”
Spectators who lined the usual spots in Cape Canaveral, Titusville and other Space Coast locations were able to watch Falcon 9 for quite a long while in the clear skies: from 528 West at the Banana River Bridge, Falcon 9’s second stage was visible for at least 6.5 minutes after launch, while the booster Entry Burn was in plain sight for the entirety of that phase of flight. Such are winter night launches into dry air and clear skies.
Falcon 9 and Starlink 12-5 in flight, as seen in Orlando. Photo: Ed Cordero / Florida Media Now
Payload
On their mission web page, SpaceX stated that tonight’s payload was “23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capability.”
Those satellites will join the nearly 7,000 other Starlink satellites as part of SpaceX’s internet connectivity service serving over 4 million customers in more than 100 countries world-wide.
Launch Replay
By The Numbers
60th launch from SLC-40 this year
991st Cape Canaveral launch
129th SpaceX launch in 2024
2.7 days between SpaceX launches in 2024
441st SpaceX launch all time
384th Falcon-family booster landing (includes Falcon Heavy cores)
89th landing on A Shortfall Of Gravitas
56th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch
Next Launch
SpaceX is planning to launch the O3b mPower 7 & 8 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral NET Friday, December 13, 2024. The launch window opens at 3:55 PM EST and closes at 5:55 PM the same day.
Date: NET December 13, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: O3b mPower 7 & 8
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 40, CCSFS
Launch Window: 3:55 – 5:55 PM EST
Payload: Telecommunication satellites for SES
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.
Nathan Rupert of the “Photographer Profile With Nathan Rupert” podcast recently interviewed me. This was an enjoyable discussion, and my only hope was to not look a fool!
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the SXM-9 satellite for Sirius-XM today. Liftoff was at 11:10 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and into hazy but blue skies over Florida.
Around 8.25 minutes later, Falcon 9 booster B1076 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, successfully concluding its 19th mission. ‘Just Read The Instructions’ had been pre-positioned offshore downrange and will now return to Port Canaveral where B1076 will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its 20th flight.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the SXM-9 satellite for Sirius-XM today. Liftoff was at 11:10 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and into hazy but blue skies over Florida.
December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Around 8.25 minutes later, Falcon 9 booster B1076 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, successfully concluding its 19th mission. ‘Just Read The Instructions’ had been pre-positioned offshore downrange and will now return to Port Canaveral where B1076 will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its 20th flight.
Falcon 9 with SXM-9 lifts off on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleFalcon 9 with SXM-9 ascends to orbit on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleA vapor cone on the fairings of Falcon 9 with SXM-9 aboard as it ascends to orbit on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleFalcon 9 with SXM-9 ascends to orbit on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleFalcon 9 with SXM-9 ascends to orbit on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleFalcon 9 with SXM-9 lifts off on December 5, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
While the booster was landing at sea on its target drone ship, the second stage of Falcon 9 continued to orbit, and achieved its initial orbit about the same time as the booster was touching down below on the JRTI. At 11:45 AM EST, SpaceX announced that the launch was a success when it said that SXM-9 had been successfully deployed.
SXM-9 is a replacement for the failed SXM-7, which was launched in December 2020 and successfully reached geostationary orbit. During the commissioning and initial testing of SXM-7 on orbit, a payload failure occurred and it was declared a total loss in February 2021. SXM-9 will ascend under its own power to its final orbital location in Geosynchronous Orbit, a prograde, low inclination orbit around the Earth having a period of 23 hours 56 minutes 4 seconds.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
On Sunday, December 8, 2024, SpaceX is planning to launch the Starlink 12-5 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral. The launch window opens at 12:10 AM EST and closes at 4:10 AM the same day. Effectively, the launch is late Saturday evening, so include that into any plans you may be making to attend or view the launch.
Date: NET December 8, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 12-5
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: Space Launch Complex 40, CCSFS
Launch Window: 12:10 – 4:10 AM EST
Payload: Starlink satellites
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions.
Jared Isaacman with his children in a 2024 Polaris Dawn publicity photo. Credit: John Kraus, Polaris Program
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist, and private astronaut, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next Administrator of NASA. Isaacman, best known to the general public as the commander of both the groundbreaking Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn space missions and the first private citizen to conduct a spacewalk, is also the CEO of the payment processing giant Shift4, a rapidly growing company that Isaacman started when he was sixteen years old.
President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of the Isaacman nomination on Truth Social
Isaacman Reaction To The Nomination
“The future of space exploration depends on collaboration between government agencies, private companies, and international partners,” Isaacman said in a statement following the announcement of his nomination. “If confirmed, I’ll work tirelessly to ensure NASA remains at the forefront of innovation and exploration.”
Isaacman Qualifications, In Brief
Jared Isaacman exiting Crew Dragon on the Polaris Dawn flight in September of 2024. Photo: SpaceX livestream
If confirmed, Jared Isaacman would be the only NASA Administrator to have commanded a space mission and to have flown to space twice. He would also be the only NASA Administrator who has future flights in planning stages — there are three more Polaris missions slated to fly, though potential launch dates have not been released by the program.
Isaacman is also well qualified to lead the “second A” in NASA, that is, the Aeronautic side. As an aviator, Isaacman holds multiple world records for flight, including a record-breaking circumnavigation of the globe in a light jet. In 2019, Isaacman purchased a Soviet-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jet from the estate of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, a plane he regularly flies himself.
The nomination will now need to be confirmed by the US Senate after it is sworn in and convenes in January 2025.
Polaris Dawn launch, with NASA Administrator nominee Jared Isaacman in command. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
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