CCSFS

ULA Vulcan CERT-2 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on October 3, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

United Launch Alliance is planning to launch its second Vulcan rocket early tomorrow morning from Space Launch Complex 41. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 06:00 AM EDT, with a launch window that extends to 09:00 AM EDT the same day.

The launch is planned for about 75 minutes before sunrise, and if liftoff occurs before the sun peeks over the horizon, the expanding gases of the second stage may produce a spectacular display.

At A Glance

  • Mission: Cert-2
  • Date: NET October 4, 2024
  • Launch Window: 06:00 – 09:00 AM EDT
  • Weather: 80% Go during the primary launch window
  • Organization: United Launch Alliance (ULA)
  • Rocket: Vulcan (VCS2)
  • Trajectory: Easterward
  • Launch Site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
  • Booster Landing: none
  • Payload: Scientific instruments and an inert payload
  • Destination: Heliocentric orbit

    * consult the ULA website for the specific target for T-0.

Launch Readiness Review Completed

ULA announced yesterday the mission has been cleared to proceed.

According to the company, “The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director Eric Richards, was completed this morning at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).”

“Leadership from ULA and the Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload and mission assets, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that projects a 75 percent chance of meeting the launch rules.”

“At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a ready status for launch, then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.”

ULA Vulcan CERT-2 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on October 3, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
ULA Vulcan CERT-2 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on October 3, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron has listed a 20% Probability of Violation for tomorrow’s launch, which means that the weather is expected to be 80% GO at launch time.

Payload

In this case, the mission is the payload.

CERT-2 is designed to be the second and final demonstration flight of Vulcan. The key objective for CERT-2 is to validate the performance of the Vulcan rocket and to demonstrate to the Department of Defense that the Vulcan flight system is ready for national defense and surveillance payloads.

ULA Vulcan CERT-2 on the launch mount at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral on October 3, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Aside from the flight characteristics and performance of the Blue Origin BE-4 booster, ULA will also gauge the performance of its Centaur V upper stage. The stage was redesigned for Vulcan and proving its abilities and reliability is also a critical piece of the certification process.

CERT-2 was originally scheduled to carry the Sierra Space Dream Chaser ‘Tenacity’ on its maiden flight, but ULA was forced to switch to an inert payload for CERT-2 due to Dream Chaser not being ready for flight. Dream Chaser is currently scheduled to fly sometime in 2025, but no launch date has been announced. Currently, the spacecraft is at Kennedy Space Center undergoing flight preparations.

Trajectory

Eastwards, relatively speaking. Vulcan is destined for a heliocentric orbit around the sun, so it will take a path that lines up with the equator.

Online Viewing

SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream

ULA will have a livestream of the launch on their website: ULA Cert-2 Mission Page. This will also be available on the Youtube platform. Coverage will start about about twenty minutes prior to liftoff.

Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link

For official updates regarding launch times, ULA’s Cert-2 Mission Page is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.

Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.

Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.

Launch Viewing: In Person

Given that this is a launch from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-41, Jetty Park, The Banana River Bridge and southern Titusville Parks are your best bets.

Cocoa Beach and the northern Titusville parks will have an excellent view as well.

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Falcon 9 lifts off from SLC-40 on September 17, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX has responded to the announcement of $633,000 in fines from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches last year.

In a letter to leaders of the relevant Congressional committees that manage commercial space activities and their subsequent regulation, SpaceX informed the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transport (AST) of what it labels as “relatively minor license updates, with no bearing on public safety” with sufficient notice that the FAA should have been able to process the changes long before any alleged violations took place.

SpaceX also reiterated its commitment to safety multiple times in the letter. This is borne out by its very long record of conducting launches safely, not only in terms of the general public’s safety but also the safety of the operational launch pads in Florida and the federal facilities they are within.

Recap of Proposed Fines

To recap, the FAA proposed fines for what it deemed as violations of SpaceX’s launch licenses:

  1. That SpaceX operated a launch using an unapproved communications plan for the June 18, 2023 PSN MFS Satria launch.
    • The launch was conducted from the company’s new launch control center at HangarX on Roberts Road at KSC rather than their previous LCC located adjacent to the Space Florida’s offices just outside the security gates at the south end of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
  2. That the company did not conduct required launch readiness polling two hours prior to the PSN MFS Satria launch.
  3. That the company operated an unapproved propellant farm for launch from LC-39A.

Here is the FAA notice of Proposed Civil Penalty sent to SpaceX on September 17, 2024. You can read it directly at the link above, or below:

afn-foia-20240917-case-2023WA990031_0Download

Communications Plan / Launch Control Center Move

In response, SpaceX stated that they had given adequate notice of the communications plan changes and that the FAA was unreasonably slow in processing the submitted changes. The company noted that it had sent the revisions on May 2, 2023, that it asked for feedback and progress updates on several occasions and that when the FAA stated there were “too many [changes]” for it to complete the review of the new plan by the targeted date.

In response, SpaceX states that they submitted a greatly simplified plan revision that changed only the LCC location. They add that the FAA failed to review this new plan by saying that “SpaceX had not provided it with enough notice” — despite the original plan being submitted some six weeks earlier.

T-Minus Two Hour Launch Readiness Poll

The FAA alleged that SpaceX did not conduct a required readiness poll at the T-minus two-hour mark for the PSN MFS Satria launch on June 18, 2023.

SpaceX’s reply was simple: there is no requirement in the regulations for a two-hour poll and that it conducted the necessary readiness poll later in the countdown prior to propellant loading on the launch vehicle.

Propellant Farm

In their notification of the proposed fines, the FAA stated that SpaceX utilized an unapproved propellant farm at Launch Complex 39-A prior to the Echostar 23 launch.

SpaceX states that it moved the propellant farm to a safer location inside the security perimeter of LC-39A (while KSC is secured, the launch pads are fenced with a higher level of security within) the pad area. They also noted that the move had been approved by Federal Range Safety authorities prior to its first use, and finally that the FAA approved a waiver for this move less than a month later prior to the Crew-7 launch.

They also point out that the FAA is “on console” (in the launch control loop) for these launches and despite the company using an “unapproved” propellant farm that the FAA raised no objection and allowed the launch to proceed.

SpaceX Implies The Need For Congressional Intervention

By sending their responses to Congress, it is clear that SpaceX is deeply frustrated at the pace the FAA is processing launch licenses and license updates. They say as much when they say that “for well over a year now, SpaceX has voiced its concerns with the FAA’s inability to keep pace with the commercial space industry.”

Without saying so in the letter, it is also clear that SpaceX is calling on Congress to act, either by providing the FAA with more resources to process launch licenses in a more timely manner, or to streamline the license process in order for it to move faster, or most likely, both.

Whether Congress will act on this remains to be seen.

SpaceX’s September 18 Letter

For those interested in reading the letter SpaceX counsel sent to Congress:

Note: letter was retrieved from SpaceX’s X account on September 19, 2024.

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Representative Starlink launch on a Falcon 9
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

I recently said that covering Starlink launches is almost like covering Southwest Airlines’ daily flights from Orlando International Airport to Austin, Texas. It’s not that watching a rocket launch is boring, it never is, it is simply that SpaceX is flying missions to add to its Starlink constellation so regularly that it has become a reliable and routine service that’s much like, well, airline flights departing from the airport.

A Historic Night For Spaceflight

Tonight is such a launch, but this one comes with a big twist: it is the 20th flight of one of the company’s fleet of Falcon 9 boosters, and that is a first not only for SpaceX but also for spaceflight globally.

That this historic occasion is happening with little fanfare is a testament to the technical comptence of SpaceX generally, and the Falcon 9 teams that refurbish and launch them from the Cape specifically.

And while the booster and fairings are regularly reused, it must also be pointed out that their second stages are not, and that means that SpaceX’s factory in Hawthorne, California is creating not only the second stages at a torrid pace, they are also building Merlin Vacuum engines to power them as well. It is a job extremely well done by everyone, and it should be acknowledged as such by the spaceflight community generally.

Payload

23 Starlink satellites, to be used in SpaceX’s orbital-based Internet service.

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron is forecasting all but perfect weather for a launch attempt tonight, with even better conditions tomorrow. Liftoff winds have less than a 5% chance of creating a Range Violation Friday, meaning a better than 95% chance of acceptable conditions. On Saturday, even that slight concern has been removed from the 45th’s forecast.

Trajectory

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.

Booster To Set Record

Tonight is slated to be the 20th flight of Booster B1062, a first for SpaceX — and for spaceflight anywhere. We cover the record of this historic booster here: SpaceX Booster To Launch For 20th Time Friday Night.

Will B1062 Fly A 21st Time?

That next flight is of interest because last May, “Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability, said in May [2023] that engineers were in the process of certifying Falcon 9 boosters for up to 20 flights for Starlink missions,” according to a report by Stephen Clark at Ars Technica.

Later in 2023, Nate Janzen, manager of launch pad systems and operations for SpaceX at Vandenberg told Santa Barbara, California’s Noozhaek that “Next year, SpaceX will re-evaluate and conduct analysis with an eye toward certifying the first-stage boosters for 25 to 30 flights.” Whether or not that certification has been achieved as of yet will be an interesting bit of news to follow.

Landing

Per SpaceX, “Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.”

After touching down on A Shortfall of Gravitas, 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.

Interesting Stats

  • This will be the 39th SpaceX launch this year1
  • 351st SpaceX launch all time1
  • 17th launch from SLC-40 this year
  • 2 days, 19:42:00 turnaround for this pad if it launches at 9:22 PM EDT
  • 298th Falcon family Booster landing
  • 65th landing on A Shortfall Of Gravitas
  • If successful, it will be the 252nd consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (excluding Amos-6)2

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

Watching Online

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 6-49. 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

Watching In Person

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 Riverview Park (among others) are your best bets.

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.

Being that the launch is in the evening, if you plan to attend in person, don’t forget mosquito spray. Be prepared for potential pushes in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.


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NROL-70, the final Delta IV mission, launches from CCSFS on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN

On a bittersweet day in in the annals of spaceflight, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) said goodbye to one of its most powerful and storied rockets. With an ontime launch at 12:53 PM EDT on April 9, the Delta IV Heavy rocket soared into the skies for its final mission, carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), designated NROL-70.

“It is a bittersweet moment for us. It is such an amazing piece of technology — 23 stories tall, half a million gallons of propellant, two and a quarter million pounds of thrust and the most metal of all rockets, setting itself on fire before it goes to space.”

Tory Bruno, chief executive officer of United Launch Alliance – March 26th

The Delta IV Heavy, known for its immense power and capability, has been a cornerstone in the United States’ space launch capabilities for over two decades. Its final launch was a bittersweet moment, symbolizing both the culmination of its storied career and the dawn of a new era in launch technology led by ULA’s next-generation Vulcan rocket, which successfully completed its inaugural mission earlier this year.

Delta Family of Rockets Also Retiring

The Delta family of rockets also came to an end after over sixty years of service. In service from 1960 to 2024, the versatile range of American rocket-powered expendable launch systems that provided space launch capability for the United States, and it launched many memorable missions including early communications satellites like Echo 1A, TIROS-2 and TIROS-3 weather satellites in the 1960s, NASA’s rovers Spirit and Opportunity, the Phoenix Mars Lander, all operational GPS missions through the constellation of 21 GPS II-R missions for the Air Force, and commercial missions for Iridium, Globalstar and three DigitalGlobe satellites. Japan also launched license-built derivatives (N-I, N-II, and H-I) from 1975 to 1992.

ULA’s Future is With Vulcan, Its New Rocket

Regarding the move to Vulcan boosters for future launches, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said “This is a great mission to think about that transition, because national security space missions is our core and the unique set of missions there require a high-energy launch vehicle. We designed Vulcan specifically for that.”

The rocket’s second stage, powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 engine, was instrumental in the precise delivery of payloads into their designated orbits. The RL10’s precision and versatility were crucial in meeting the demanding requirements of National Security Space Launch (NSSL) missions.

NROL-70, the final Delta IV mission, launches from CCSFS on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Photo: Mark Stone/FMN

Reflections On Delta IV Heavy’s Legacy

Kristin Houston, the President of Space Propulsion and Power Systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne, reflected on the Delta IV Heavy’s legacy, stating, “The Delta IV has been reliably delivering our nation’s most important payloads to the most challenging orbits for more than two decades.”

Houston expressed a mix of farewell to the iconic launch vehicle and anticipation for the future, affirming, “While we bid farewell to this impressive launch vehicle that has made such significant contributions to the scientific and national security goals of the United States, L3Harris looks forward to providing propulsion and avionics systems to support ULA’s Vulcan rocket for many years to come.”

Jim Maus, general manager of Defense and Commercial Space Launch Systems at Aerojet Rocketdyne, lauded the Delta IV Heavy’s flawless performance record, stating, “For nearly 20 years, our reliable propulsion systems have helped the Delta IV rocket achieve an outstanding record of 100% mission success.” He highlighted the diversity of missions the Delta IV Heavy supported, ranging from classified military satellites to spacecraft destined to unravel the mysteries of our solar system.

Central to the Delta IV Heavy’s success were its three Common Booster Cores, each powered by an RS-68A engine developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. The RS-68A, heralded as the most powerful hydrogen-fueled rocket engine ever flown, was a key contributor to the rocket’s impressive track record. The engines, alongside a suite of sophisticated avionics provided by L3 Harris, enabled the Delta IV Heavy to deliver payloads to a variety of orbits, generating over two million pounds of thrust to breach the Earth’s atmosphere.

As the Delta IV Heavy embarks on its retirement, its legacy is cemented. Having successfully completed 45 Delta IV missions, including 16 aboard the Delta IV Heavy configuration, the rocket leaves behind a legacy of innovation, reliability, and contribution to both scientific exploration and national security. As the commercial spaceflight industry looks to the future with the ULA’s Vulcan rocket, the Delta IV Heavy’s pioneering spirit and contributions will not be forgotten.

Note: Story by Mark Stone of Florida Media Now with additions by Charles Boyer.

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Falcon 9 lifting off from SLC-40 in 2022, as seen from the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W in Cape Canaveral.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX is planning to launch a Falcon 9 carrying the Indonesian satellite Telkomsat HTS 113BT tomorrow afternoon from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster will then land offshore on Just Read The Instructions, one of the company’s Automated Spaceport Drone Ships. The launch window opens at 3:11 PM EST and extends to 5:44 PM.

This will be SpaceX’s 16th flight this year.

Payload

Owned by Indonesian companies PT Telkom (Persero) Tbk (Telkom), HTS 113BT is a high-throughput telecommunications satellite that will provide communications services in C-band/Ku-Band from its orbital position at 113° East once it reaches its final orbital destination and successfully completes it commissioning activities.

According to Thales, the company that built HTS 113BT, the satellite will “provide more than 32 Gbps capacity over Indonesia. The satellite will weigh about 4 metric tons at launch and will be delivered early 2024 for a 15-year expected lifetime.”

Endi Fitri Herlianto, CEO of Telkomsat, said in a 2021 Thales press release announcing the contract to build the satellite that “HTS 113BT will strengthening connectivity infrastructure across Indonesia archipelago to support digital business by providing better quality of service for Indonesia society.”

Weather

After weekend of three days of near-steady rains that brought as much as four inches of precipitation to the Space Coast area, the 45th Weather Squadron has forecast only a 5% chance of a Probability of Violation of launch weather criteria for tomorrow. That means that they expect a 95% chance of acceptable conditions.

L-1 forecast released by the 45th Weather Squadron at 9:30 AM EST on 19 FEB 24.

Should technical issues force a delay, the weather on Wednesday is expected to be a near repeat of Tuesday’s favorable forecast.

Trajectory

Falcon 9 is planned to head nearly due east after liftoff. Just Read The Instructions, SpaceX’s landing point for this mission, will be located ~300 miles offshore.

Booster

Booster B1067 will be flying its 17th mission. It last launched 01/07/2024 and has completed 16 successful missions since its first launch in 2021

Booster 1067
Flight NumberMissionDate
1CRS-22June 21, 2021
2NASA Crew-3November 11, 2021
3Türksat 5BDecember 19, 2021
4NASA Crew-4April 27, 2022
5CRS-25July 14, 2022
6Starlink 4-34September 19, 2022
7Hotbird 13GNovember 3, 2022
8O3b mPOWER 1 & 2December 16, 2022
9Starlink 5-2January 26, 2023
10Starlink 5-5March 24, 2023
11Starlink 5-9May 14, 2023
12Satria-1June 18, 2023
13Starlink 6-10August 17, 2023
14Starlink 6-22October 13, 2023
15Starlink 6-29November 22, 2023
16Starlink 6-35January 7, 2024
Booster B1067

Coverage

Typically, SpaceX begins live coverage of its launches fifteen minutes before the planned liftoff on the X platform at https://twitter.com/SpaceX

Spaceflight Now typically begins its live coverage of launches from the Space Coast one hour before liftoff on its Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceflightNowVideo

Launch Viewing

Tomorrow’s launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville.

Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor’s Center has not offered a specific ticket package for this launch, but first part of the launch window is within its hours of operation. That means that watching the launch may be possible from the Apollo Saturn V Center. Check with the KSCVC site for up-to-date information. Admission and parking fees will of course apply.

Indirect views where the rocket becomes visible after it clears the pad and the trees in the distance are at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, Playalinda Beach in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge or of course on any of the beaches in the Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach area. For launch viewing at Playalinda, arriving two hours early is strongly advised, as the National Park Service and KSC Police will close the gates to new entrants once parking lots are full or as liftoff time approaches. Entry fees apply to Jetty Park and Playalinda, consult their websites for the cost and payment methods available.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 in 2023, about twenty minutes prior to liftoff.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX called off its launch attempt of Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early this evening, around 7:18pm. The company did not share a reason for their decision, but it made the call early, with about ninety minutes left on the countdown clock.

Later on, SpaceX announced that announced on their website that they are now

“SpaceX is targeting Sunday, January 14 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 7:27 p.m. ET with backup opportunities available until 11:25 p.m. ET.”

SpaceX Starlink 6-37 information page. Note: dates and times may be changed on the SpaceX website without notice. Click the link for currently up-to-date information.

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron’s forecast looks good tomorrow, with conditions deteriorating if there is another 24 hour delay.

As always, launch times are fluid and can change quickly.

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A Starlink launch in September 2023.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 to its LEO Internet service constellation on Saturday, January 13, 2024. The launch window opens at 7:52 PM EST and closes early Sunday at 12:23 AM. The launch will be from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Weather is a slight concern for the launch as a warm front pushes storms through the area today.

Trajectory

Southeast, as has been customary for Starlink’s Group 6 launches.

Weather

One day before launch, the 45th Space Wing forecasts a 70% chance of acceptable weather, with a 30% Probability of Violation that would force a scrub.

As always, it bears keeping in mind that a rocket launch can be scrubbed (canceled) up to and including the final minute of the countdown. Those scrubs may result from weather violations, intrusion into the excluded areas beneath the planned flight path or technical issues that arise during the countdown. Stay tuned to launch coverage for up-to-date information.

Launch Coverage

SpaceX will begin live-streaming the launch on their X account about five minutes before liftoff.

Spaceflight Now usually begins their live coverage about one hour prior to liftoff on their YouTube channel.

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Timelapse of SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying Starlink 6-33 to orbit as seen from Titusville’s Rotary Park on December 28, 2023. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

Less than three hours after SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy lifted off tonight at Kennedy Space Center’s LC-39A, the company launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 carrying the Starlink 6-36 mission. Falcon Heavy lifted off at 8:07pm local time, and two hours and forty-eight minutes later, Falcon 9 roared off its pad at 11:01pm. Roughly eight and one-half minutes later, the booster used for this flight successfully touched down aboard the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ near the Bahamas, marking SpaceX’s third successful booster soft-landing of the night.

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