This morning, NASA officially announced a no earlier than March 6th target launch date for Artemis II. That date is contingent on completion of some work at the launch pad, and a positive result from the upcoming Launch Readiness Review, which is scheduled for late next week.
NASA has released a sweeping investigation report into the propulsion system failures that plagued Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner during its Crewed Flight Test (CFT) last year. The report finds a cascade of hardware failures, qualification gaps, organizational breakdowns, and a culture that prioritized schedule and provider success over engineering rigor in the program.
NASA is moving ahead with a second wet dress rehearsal, or WDR-2, for the Artemis II mission. Launch controllers will take their positions in the Launch Control Center at 6:40 PM ET tonight (Feb. 17), kicking off a nearly 50-hour countdown sequence. The simulated launch window opens at 8:30 PM on February 19th and extends four hours.
NASA engineers are poring over data from tests conducted on February 12th as part of the Artemis II vehicle’s pre-flight checkouts. During the tests, operators partially filled the Artemis II core stage liquid hydrogen tank to evaluate newly replaced seals in the propellant loading area.
SpaceX launched Falcon 9 early this morning, sending four astronauts on NASA’s Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 5:15 AM ET, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev aboard Crew Dragon capsule ‘Freedom.’
United Launch Alliance successfully launched its Vulcan Centaur rocket early Thursday morning, carrying a national security payload for the U.S. Space Force on the USSF-87 mission.
Liftoff occurred at 4:22 AM ET from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, about midway through a two-hour window that opened at 3:30 AM.
SpaceX and NASA have pushed back the launch of its Crew-12 mission for the second time this week, citing weather concerns along the ascent corridor the rocket will follow on its path to orbit.
A Wednesday launch attempt for NASA’s Crew-12 mission has been scrubbed due to unfavorable weather along the Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon spacecraft’s flight path, pushing the next opportunity to no earlier than 5:38 AM ET on Thursday, Feb. 12th.
Following a weather review Monday, mission teams opted to stand down from the February 11 window. Conditions along the trajectory remain a concern for the new target date, though forecasters expect improvement heading into a backup window on Friday, February 13th.
The four-person crew — NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev — continues pre-flight quarantine at Kennedy Space Center as they await their ride to the International Space Station.
Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS, FL • SLC-40
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission | Crew-12 (crewed Dragon mission to the ISS for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program) |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 02/12/2026 5:38:00 AM (ET) |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 02/12/2026 5:38:00 AM (ET) |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Mission Description | SpaceX Crew-12 is the twelfth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. |
| Countdown (to window open) | — |
The mission will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If the Thursday window holds, the crew would dock with the station around 10:30 AM ET on Friday.
With NASA’s announcement that Crew 12 would now target Thursday, February 12, a potential range conflict comes into focus: United Launch Alliance and the US Space Force plan to launch Vulcan on a national security mission at roughly the same time on Thursday.
Go for Launch • Cape Canaveral SFS, FL • SLC-41
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Mission | USSF-87 (two GSSAP space situational awareness satellites to near-geosynchronous orbit) |
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Rocket | Vulcan VC4S |
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 02/12/2026 3:00:00 AM (ET) |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 02/12/2026 7:50:00 AM (ET) |
| Destination | Geostationary Orbit |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Mission Description | USSF-87 will launch two identical Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, GSSAP-7 and GSSAP-8, directly to a near-geosynchronous orbit approximately 36,000 km above the equator. Data from GSSAP will contribute to timely and accurate orbital predictions, improving spaceflight safety and satellite collision avoidance. |
| Countdown (to window open) | — |
Given NASA’s announcement, one must wonder if the date for USSF-87 will change, or if ULA and the Space Force will stand pat, expecting a second change to Crew 12.
Stay tuned.
When NASA wrapped up the first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal on February 3 at Kennedy Space Center, they had successfully filled the SLS rocket’s tanks with cryogenic propellant. That was the good news, but the less welcome bad news was that the test revealed higher-than-allowable hydrogen gas leaks at the Tail Service Mast Unit on the launch pad. Obviously, those leaks must be repaired before a launch attempt.
Not long after propellant draining was complete after WDR-1, technicians began working to access the TSMU umbilical. They detached both the rocket-side and ground-side interface plates to inspect the area where elevated hydrogen levels were detected, and replaced seals around two fueling lines.
The two tail service masts — each about three stories tall — provide the cryogenic propellant lines and electrical cable connections to the SLS core stage. They tilt back before launch and include “quick disconnects” — mechanisms that instantaneously detach at liftoff to ensure safe retraction.
Reconnecting the interfaces is expected to be complete by Monday, Feb. 9. Engineers are still evaluating the root cause of the leak, and the removed seals are being analyzed. NASA also plans additional testing at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to evaluate the dynamics of the interface plates. Engineers are reviewing options to verify the repair before committing to the next full wet dress rehearsal.
Here’s a breakdown of the repairs underway and the operational changes NASA is making for WDR-2:
| Type | Change | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware Fix | Two seals replaced | Seals replaced around fueling lines at the tail service mast umbilical where hydrogen concentrations exceeded allowable levels. Removed seals are being analyzed and additional plate dynamics testing is planned at Stennis. |
| Operations | Orion hatch closed before test | The crew module hatch will be sealed prior to the rehearsal. The closeout crew — who on launch day help astronauts into their seats and close both Orion hatches — will not be deployed to the pad. |
| Operations | Crew access arm stays extended | The arm will not be retracted during the next rehearsal. Engineers successfully demonstrated during the Feb. 3 test that the ground launch sequencer can retract it during the final countdown phase, so that objective is already complete. |
| Timeline | One extra hour in countdown | NASA has added 30 minutes of extra hold time at each of two planned holds — one before and one after tanking operations — to allow more time for troubleshooting. The total countdown is now one hour longer. This does not affect the crew’s launch-day timeline. |
| Focus Shift | Rehearsal focused on fueling | With the crew access arm retraction and other pad objectives already demonstrated, the next WDR will concentrate on tanking operations and verifying the hydrogen leak repair. |
Source: NASA, “NASA Conducts Repairs, Analysis Ahead of Next Artemis II Fueling Test,” Feb. 8, 2026
NASA continues to eye March as the next potential launch opportunity but will not set a targeted launch date until after completing a successful wet dress rehearsal and reviewing the data. The critical second WDR is set to start as soon as this Friday, February 13th.
SpaceX plans to build a particle accelerator facility in Florida. The 230 MeV cyclotron will accelerate protons to near-light speed, which the company says will be used to bring radiation effects testing in-house across all of its vehicles and satellite platforms.
The facility was confirmed by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink, who posted on X on February 5 that the company is “hiring elite engineers at our new 230 MeV cyclotron facility in Florida, where we are bringing single-event radiation testing in house to accelerate development across all SpaceX vehicles.”
A job posting from SpaceX on ZipRecruiter is looking for an Electronics Test Engineer, and provides additional details.
“As part of our continuous effort to vertically integrate and scale safe and rapid access to space as well as improve the baseline reliability of our multiple on-orbit mega-constellations, SpaceX has acquired a 230 MeV cyclotron to bring radiation single event effects testing in house,” the posting reads. “This proton particle accelerator will be used to screen and characterize electronics across all of our vehicles and platforms, unlocking unprecedented agility for chip and PCBA level performance characterization that will be critical as we build and scale our AI constellations and deep space exploration vehicles.“
The exact location of the facility within Florida has not been disclosed. The job posting mentions Winter Park, a town in the Orlando metroplex. SpaceX operates extensive facilities across the Space Coast, including launch sites at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 and the forthcoming SLC-37, along with the expanding Roberts Road complex where the company is constructing its Florida Gigabay manufacturing facility and Starfactory 2.0.
Ionizing radiation (gamma rays, X-Rays, etc.) is produced during cyclotron operation. There’s also the use of high voltages and strong magnetic fields, plus, in some cases, hazardous target gases or liquids. Facilities typically address these with thick concrete or earth shielding, restricted access zones, and rigorous safety protocols.
For the general public outside a properly shielded facility, the risk is essentially negligible. Radiation levels at the facility boundary are required to be well below regulatory limits. The fact is, the average Space Coast resident will receive a far higher annual radiation dose from Earth’s background radiation alone.
Estimated dose for Brevard County residents (sea level, ~28.5°N latitude)
| Radiation Source | Description | mSv/year |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Radiation | From deep space & solar particles Minimal at sea level; deflected by Earth’s magnetic field at low latitude | ~0.26 |
| Terrestrial Radiation | From soil, rock & sand Florida’s sandy coastal soils are among the lowest in the U.S. | ~0.10–0.23 |
| Radon & Thoron | Radioactive gas from ground decay Very low on the Space Coast — sandy soil, no basements, good ventilation | ~0.50–1.00 |
| Internal (Body) | Potassium-40, carbon-14 & other radionuclides Present in all humans regardless of location | ~0.40 |
| Food & Water | Trace radionuclides ingested daily Potassium in bananas, brazil nuts, seafood, etc. | ~0.30 |
| Estimated Space Coast Natural Background Total | ~1.60–2.20 | |
Talk of Titusville
If a cyclotron were installed on Florida’s Space Coast, the primary regulatory authority would be the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control. Florida has been an “Agreement State” since 1964, when the Atomic Energy Commission (now the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) signed a formal agreement transferring authority over radioactive materials licensing and enforcement to the state.
Today the Bureau of Radiation Control licenses more than 1,800 users of radioactive materials across Florida, including hospitals, universities, and research institutions.
A cyclotron operator would need to obtain a specific radioactive materials license from this bureau before possessing or using any of the isotopes a cyclotron produces. The bureau also handles registration of the cyclotron itself as an ionizing radiation machine under Chapter 64E-5 of the Florida Administrative Code.
The NRC retains an oversight role, periodically auditing Florida’s program to ensure it meets federal safety standards, but the state bureau is the agency an operator would deal with directly for licensing, inspections, and enforcement.
Until now, aerospace companies including SpaceX have relied on a small number of external facilities to perform this testing. The Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute’s Radiation Effects Facility and the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been the primary U.S. facilities, serving clients including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and NASA — all competing for limited beam time.
Texas A&M’s facility tested nearly 100 electronic components for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule during a three-year period leading up to the historic Demo-2 mission in May 2020, which launched astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station from KSC’s Pad 39A.
By building its own cyclotron, SpaceX eliminates the bottleneck of competing for beam time at shared facilities and gains the ability to test on its own schedule — a significant advantage given the pace at which the company iterates on hardware. SpaceX is currently producing new generations of Starlink satellites at a rapid clip, developing Starshield military variants, building the Starship Human Landing System for NASA’s Artemis program, and continuing to fly Dragon crew and cargo missions.
The natural radiation environment of space necessitates radiation testing for verification and improvements of the company’s product lines and is consistent with SpaceX’s broader strategy of aggressive vertical integration: if you can do it faster and cheaper internally, build it yourself.
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