The launch of Artemis II is coming soon at Kennedy Space Center, and it is going to be unlike anything most people have seen in their lifetimes. The last time a crewed moon rocket launched from this pad at Kennedy was Apollo 17 in December 1972, and the Space Launch System is even more powerful than the Saturn V that carried those astronauts to the Moon. The plumes will be blinding, the sound will rattle your chest and your car windows, and the moment will be etched in your memory forever. If you are a photographer, you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to document history.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis I mission is the first integrated flight test of the agency’s deep space exploration systems: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, and ground systems. SLS and Orion launched at 1:47am ET from Launch Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center. NASA/Bill Ingalls
The Artemis II mission will mark humanity’s return to lunar exploration with a crewed spacecraft for the first time since Apollo 17 in December 1972. NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft will carry astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth.
The launch is currently slated for April 1st and 6:47pm EDT, with a two hour window on that day. If weather or technical reasons necessitate postponement on April 1, April 2 is available.
Launch will occur from Launch Complex 39B at Kennedy Space Center—the same historic pad complex that sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon aboard Apollo 10. After that, LC-39B was reconfigured for the Space Shuttle program, serving as the launch site for 53 missions. At the end of the Shuttle era, the pad was designated for Project Artemis.
Liftoff of NROL 69 on March 24, 2025. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX launched Falcon 9 carrying the classified NROL-69 “Hummingbird” payload this afternoon from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 1:48 PM ET under sunny, hazy skies.
Some eight minutes and twenty-two seconds later, Booster B1092 finished its shift by returning to base at Landing Zone 1, a mere 5.6 miles away from the launch pad. A sonic boom heralded its arrival to the Space Coast.
Ascent: Falcon 9 passes the speed of sound as it ascends on March 24. 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Despite the 45th Weather Squadron forecasting 90% GO conditions yesterday, today’s launch seemed to be on the edge of acceptable launch conditions, as several times SpaceX commentators mentioned that the company was keeping an eye on the skies. Fortunately, the weather held, and the rocket flew on time at the start of the launch window.
Given that the payload is classified, information about this flight, such as the destination orbit, was not given. “Up there, thataway” is as accurate as any other unofficial description.
Payload
It’s classified. Those that know aren’t saying, and those that are saying don’t know.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
A Starlink launch is on the dock, this time Group 6-80 from SLC-40 at CCSFS.
Mission
Starlink Group 6-80
Launch Window Opens
Sunday, March 30, 2025, 3:16 PM EDT
Launch Window Closes
Sunday, March 30, 2025, 7:45 PM EDT
Organization
SpaceX
Launch Site
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Space Launch Complex 40
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Status
Awaiting Confirmation
Destination
Low Earth Orbit
Mission Description
Deployment of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.
Falcon 9 Descending: Booster B1092 nears its landing and a successful conclusion to its second mission. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral. File photo. Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
SpaceX and NROL are planning to launch the classified NROL-69 payload today during the mid-afternoon local time. Liftoff is currently scheduled for 1:42 PM ET, with the launch window open until 2:24 PM later the same day. At T+ 8m22s, the Falcon 9 booster used for the flight will return to land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, and a sonic boom will reverberate through the Space Coast region afterwards.
At A Glance
Mission
NROL-69
Launch Window Opens
1:42 PM EDT
Launch Window Closes
2:24 PM EDT
Organization
SpaceX
Launch Site
Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Status
Go for Launch
Destination
Classified
Mission Description
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office
Assuming a 1:42 PM ET liftoff, here is the sequence of events for the day:
Event
Time After Liftoff
Clock Time (EDT)
Max Q (Maximum Aerodynamic Pressure)
00:01:07
1:43:07 PM
1st Stage Main Engine Cutoff (MECO)
00:02:14
1:44:14 PM
1st and 2nd Stages Separation
00:02:17
1:44:17 PM
2nd Stage Engine Start (SES-1)
00:02:25
1:44:25 PM
Boostback Burn Start
00:02:31
1:44:31 PM
Fairing Deployment
00:03:07
1:45:07 PM
Boostback Burn End
00:03:25
1:45:25 PM
1st Stage Entry Burn Start
00:06:37
1:48:37 PM
1st Stage Entry Burn End
00:06:58
1:48:58 PM
1st Stage Landing Burn Start
00:07:50
1:49:50 PM
2nd Stage Engine Cutoff (SECO-1)
00:08:21
1:50:21 PM
1st Stage Landing
00:08:22
1:50:22 PM
Trajectory
The anticipated trajectory for this launch is northeastward.
Weather
The US Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron of Space Launch Delta 45 is calling for conditions to be 90% GO during the launch window.
Online Viewing
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: NROL-69. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com 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
The best options are available for spectators: Jetty Park, the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W or the southern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets. Playalinda Beach will also be open, but be sure to go early if that is your plan.
If you are interested in watching the landing, your best bet is Jetty Park. If the launch is what you’re after, the southern Titusville parks or the Banana River Bridge on 528W is where to go.
The Space Bar will be open through the launch window. New York New York in Titusville will be open to roughly 7 PM, and is a great place to watch as well. Restaurants in Port Canaveral, specifically Gators Dockside, Fishlips and Grills Seafood should have good views after the rocket clears obstructions.
The view from The Space Bar in Titusville. Entry is free, drinks and food are priced at the mid-range level.
Cocoa Beach or the Cocoa Beach Pier area is also very good, but ignition won’t be visible and it will take several seconds for the rocket to clear obstructions between the launch pad and viewers.
What a long, strange trip it’s been: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally concluded their never-ending story of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner yesterday when they landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Florida. Also aboard were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the four of them designated as Crew 9 on ISS Expedition 71/72.
The Crew 9 mission came to an end yesterday with SpaceX Crew Dragon ‘Freedom’ splashing down in the Gulf of America. Photo: NASA
After a nominal re-entry, the four landed at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Recovery teams on SpaceX vessels secured the spacecraft and assisted the crew while being circled by curious dolphins. Following their arrival on shore, the astronauts began the return procedures: extensive medical checks followed by travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefings and reunions with their families.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission was as an 8-10 day demonstration flight for Starliner to validate its capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, technical concerns, including issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, led NASA to opt for an uncrewed return of Starliner to conduct further testing and modifications before operational flights could commence.
Starliner CST-100 in launch preparation, May 31, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Boeing CFT, Post-landing Photo: NASA
For their part, Boeing disagreed with the decision, with the company arguing internally with NASA that Starliner was safe to ferry Williams and Williams back to Earth as planned. That was not to be, as NASA decided to fold the pair into Expedition 71/72 on ISS, and to bump two of the astronauts designated for Crew 9 — NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — from the mission.
Starliner would eventually return to Earth uncrewed in September, 2024, safely completing its mission via remote control and on-board programming.
Crew 9 Stats
During their missions, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles, remained in orbit for 171 days, and completed 2,736 orbits. This mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. Hague has accumulated 374 days in space across two missions, Williams 608 days over three missions, and Wilmore 464 days across three flights.
Due to the unexpected long-term mission, Williams is now in second place for time spent in space by a female astronaut. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson has accumulated a total of 675 days in space across multiple missions, making her the most experienced astronaut in terms of cumulative days, a record that Whitson will add to she commands the private Axiom Ax-4 mission to ISS later this year.
Curious dolphins circled Crew Dragon as SpaceX secured the capsule. Photo: NASA
Crew-9’s mission included scientific research, maintenance operations, and technology demonstrations. Williams performed two spacewalks, partnering with Wilmore and Hague to remove a radio frequency antenna, collect external surface samples, and install protective patches on an X-ray telescope’s light filters. Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station.
The crew conducted over 150 scientific studies and technology tests, dedicating more than 900 hours to research. Their work included plant growth experiments, stem cell technology investigations for treating blood disorders and cancer, and evaluations of circadian rhythm-supporting lighting systems. They also launched the first wooden satellite and studied microorganism survival in space by analyzing external samples from the station.
The mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, previously used for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Missions 2 and 3. Following retrieval, the spacecraft will undergo inspections and refurbishments at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for future missions.
Shift Change
Crew-9’s comes shortly after the launch and docking at ISS of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10, which completed the Crew 9 rotation. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will now spend several months aboard Station, and will advance the scientific and engineering work planned for their stay.
Falcon 9 and Starlink 12-25 heading to orbit March 18, 2025 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX launched another flock of Starlink satellites aboard Falcon 9 this afternoon aboard Starlink 12-25. Liftoff was at 3:57 PM ET from Space Launch Complex 40 on a cloudless, relatively cool day on the Space Coast.
The southeasterly path taken by all Starlink Group 12 launches thus far was the trajectory today. At about 8.25 minutes after liftoff, Falcon 9 booster B1077 successfully completed its 19th flight by touching down offshore on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, which had been pre-positioned in the Sargasso Sea (Atlantic Ocean) east of the Bahamas.
As seen from Merritt Island, Falcon 9 rising off of the launch pad today. Photo: Richard Gallagher / Florida Media Now
Both booster and drone ship will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be transported to Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for refurbishment prior to its next flight.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
SpaceX will take a brief break from building out its Starlink network to launch a classified payload for the US Space Force. That payload is unknown and the general public does not meet the criteria for need to know.
Mission
NROL-69
Organization
SpaceX / US Space Force
Location
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL, USA
Rocket
Falcon 9 Block 5
Pad
Space Launch Complex 40
Status
Scheduled
Status Info
The launch is officially scheduled for March 24, 2025, at 1:42 PM EDT.
Window Opens
Monday, 03/24/2025, 1:42 PM EDT
Window Closes
Monday, 03/24/2025, 1:53 PM EDT
Destination
Classified
Mission Description
Classified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office.
According to NASA, this is standard operating procedure
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be returning to Earth this afternoon aboard Crew 9 after spending some 286 days in space. They and the two other Crew 9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Alexandr Grubonov will begin their fiery descent at around 5:11 PM ET, with a planned touchdown coming some forty-six minutes later at 5:57 PM ET.
NASA said this morning that Crew Dragon will splash down in the Gulf of America, relatively near Tallahassee, Florida.
Suni Williams waves goodbye to crewmates on ISS last night before hatch closure. Video: NASA livestream
Afterwards, SpaceX will begin recovery efforts on the capsule, leading to the astronauts and cosmonaut exiting Crew Dragon once it is brought aboard SpaceX’s recovery vessel at sea.
As first reported on LiveScience.com, one thing that may surprise casual viewers tuning in to see Wilmore and Williams exit the Crew Dragon capsule is the likelihood that they will be carried in stretchers after leaving the spacecraft. The same may happen with Crew 9 commander Nick Hague and Mission Specialist Alexandr Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gurbonov as well. Both Hague and Gurbonov will have spent 171 days in space when they return to Earth this afternoon.
Wearing their SpaceX pressure suits, Butch Wilmore (l) and Suni Williams (r) post with Nick Hague and Alexandr Gurbonov in ISS shortly before hatch closure on March 17, 2025. Photo from NASA livestream
Talk of Titusville asked NASA for more information, and they replied:
As part of standard procedures, all International Space Station astronauts are placed, or seated, on a mobility aid by recovery teams to assist the crew members returning to Earth’s gravity after several months in space.
After completing medical checks, astronauts are transferred to a waiting helicopter and are taken to a waiting NASA aircraft to return to Houston to be reunited with their friends and families. Then begins the process of post-medical evaluations and reclamation to Earth’s gravity environment.
This process differs for each individual, typically lasting several months, as the longer an astronaut spends in space, the more difficult it is to readapt to gravity. Astronauts returning to Earth after living aboard the space station for extended durations have exhibited balance control problems, muscle weakness, and cardiovascular deconditioning.
NASA’s Human Research Program continues to innovate and pursue the best methods and technologies to keep astronauts healthy during their missions and when they return home. The International Space Station is helping prepare humans for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, including the exercise needed to address the challenges of living and working in microgravity for extended periods of time.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft while it was still docked to the International Space Station. From left, are NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Butch Wimore. Photo: NASA
Typically, astronauts aboard the station dedicate two hours daily to exercise in order to counteract bone and muscle deterioration caused by weightlessness. Despite these efforts, Wilmore and Williams will undergo intensive rehabilitation in the coming weeks and months as their bodies readjust to the pull of gravity that almost all of us take for granted as part of our daily lives.
All four Crew 9 astronauts and cosmonaut will also receive extensive medical checks as part of the crew return procedure, and will also be greeted by family, friends and colleagues after their arrival in Texas.
Watch Crew 9’s Return
Pending weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on March 18 on NASA+ prior to the start of deorbit burn. As of the time of this writing, the schedule provided by NASA calls for:
4:45 PM ET – Return coverage begins on NASA+
5:11 p.m. – Deorbit burn (time is approximate)
5:57 p.m. – Splashdown (time is approximate)
7:30 p.m. – Return-to-Earth media conference on NASA+, with the following participants:
Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator, NASA’ Space Operations Mission Directorate
Steve Stich, manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
Jeff Arend, manager for systems engineering and integration, NASA’s International Space Station, NASA’s International Space Station Office
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
It was a good day to have a good day here in Florida, and that’s exactly what NASA, SpaceX and Crew 10 had today at Kennedy Space Center.
Falcon 9 lifted off, carrying three astronauts and one cosmonaut toward orbit and the International Space Station just as the sun was starting to set in the west. Some seven and a half minutes later, SpaceX booster B1090 completed its duty for the day by landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, 8.8 miles south of LC-39A.
The FAA released a statement today announcing the draft results of an Environmental Assessment for more than doubling the allowable launch operations at SpaceX’s facility at Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral starting in 2026. The assessment also contains information on the construction and operation of a landing zone at SLC-40 with up to 34 first-stage booster landings at the new landing zone annually.
The document outlines a Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
Falcon 9
Talk of Titusville first reported on SpaceX’s plans to build a new landing zone at SLC-40 in January of this year. In 2023, the 2-pad launch site has been allocated to Cocoa, Florida based Vaya Space and also Phantom Space through the Department of the Air Force’s Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS), a program designed to support the commercial space market and demand at the Eastern Range.
FAA Statement
The FAA is posting for public review a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing the SpaceX proposal to increase Falcon 9 operations from 50 to up to 120 per year from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Draft EA also reviews the construction of a first-stage booster landing zone at the site with up to 34 landings per year.
In order to meet the Department of the Air Force (DAF) National Environmental Policy Act requirements, the FAA has also posted a link to the Draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for public comment on behalf of DAF.
A virtual public meeting will be held on April 16 and the public comment period closes on April 24, 2025.
“The FAA has preliminarily concluded that the Proposed Action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment.”
No Adverse Effects On Natural Resources / Energy Use
[The FAA has preliminarily concluded that] “the Proposed Action is not expected to contribute in any substantive 17 manner to adverse cumulative effects to supplies of natural resources or energy use.”
Negligible Effects On Increased Hazardous Waste
“Cumulative effects of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions with the Proposed 13 Action would not contribute a noticeable incremental effect from hazardous materials and waste.”
Minimal Effect On Public Parks And Recreation
“Reasonably foreseeable future actions in the area, such as SLS launches at LC-39B, may require temporary closures of both the refuge and the seashore by USFWS and NPS. These temporary closures are related to crowd control and access for emergency services and are not related to a public safety hazard from a launch. If any such closures were to occur, they would be both infrequent and temporary in nature. As a result, the cumulative effects of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions with the Proposed Action are not expected to result in a significant impact to [publicly owned park and recreation areas that are open to the general public.] resources.”
No Significant Adverse Effect On Land Use
“The Proposed Action would not result in significant adverse cumulative land use impacts.”
No Significant Cumulative Effects On Coastal Resources
“There would be no significant cumulative effects to coastal resources.”
Little Effect On Wildlife
“Several of the projects [..] include construction and development in both undisturbed and 37 previously disturbed areas. Disturbance to existing launch areas or other developed and semi-developed 38 The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Cumulative Effects Draft Environmental Assessment 4-10 March 2025 Falcon 9 Operations at SLC-40 sites would have little effect on wildlife because these areas have limited habitat value.”
Some Effect On Wetland Habitats
“The Proposed 1 Action and some of the actions in Table 4-2 involve clearing of native upland habitat. Some of the actions 2 in Table 4-2 could also potentially involve clearing and/or filling of a limited amount of wetland habitat. 3 The Proposed Action would not directly affect wetlands; potential impacts would consist of 4 construction -related sedimentation from runoff.”
“Cumulative loss and fragmentation of native upland and 5 wetland habitats may cause long-term effects on wildlife breeding, roosting, or foraging, particularly of 6 individuals with limited mobility and those without corridors to another suitable habitat. Construction 7 noise and general disturbance could cause similar impacts, but the effects would be temporary.”
Have Your Say
A virtual public meeting will be held on April 16 and the public comment period closes on April 24, 2025.
The FAA invites interested parties to submit comments on the Draft EA. Instructions on how to submit comments can be found on the FAA webpage linked here:
Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the Draft EA by April 24, 2025.
The FAA will hold a virtual public meeting on the Draft EA on April 16, 2025, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Eastern). Interested parties must register to join the virtual public meeting. Registration is now available at the link below.
If any accommodation for public meeting is needed (such as additional translation services), please submit a request by April 4, 2025 to SpaceXFalconSLC40@icf.com.
Starlink 12-21 as seen from Rotary Riverfront Park in Titusville. Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville
It wasn’t the launch we wanted, but it was a launch that we needed after the disappointment of Crew 10 scrubbing earlier in the evening last night: SpaceX launched Starlink with another batch of 21 Starlink satellites from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Wednesday evening. Liftoff was at 10:35 PM ET, with Falcon 9 taking the southeasterly familiar path towards The Bahamas as has been the case with all other Starlink Group 20 launches. The mission was successful.
Starlink 12-21’s trajectory Graphic: Talk of Titusville
After multiple delays, Falcon 9 finally flew from SLC-40, ending a rare dry spell of launches from the Eastern Range. This mission was initially delayed for checkouts after an issue with Falcon 9 booster B1086 and Starlink 12-20. On that mission, the booster experienced a fuel leak and was destroyed by fire shortly after landing on March 2 and SpaceX spent time reviewing data from that event and also making sure it would not repeat itself during last night’s flight.
A crowd gathered at Rotary Riverfront Park to watch the flight of Falcon 9 from SLC-40 last night. The rocket’s plume of flame temporarily turned night into day and vividly reflected light off of the Indian River. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
High winds at ground level scrubbed a launch attempt on Monday. SpaceX announced an attempt but did not fuel the Falcon 9 used for Starlink12-21 on Tuesday, following the launch of NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base and also because of the then-upcoming launch of Crew-10 (which was delayed last night after a hydraulic issue on the launch pad.)
After completing its part in the ascent of the mission, booster B1069 landed successfull on ASDS A Shortfall Of Gravitas after its 22nd flight. There have no reports of a repetition of the issue that ended B1086’s lifetime. ASOG and B1069 will now travel to Port Canaveral where the booster will be unloaded, transported to SpaceX’s refurbishment facility at Kennedy Space Center and ostensibly prepared for its next flight at some future date.
Mission Description: SpaceX Crew-10 is the tenth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
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