On a warm and shimmery* morning on one of the first days of summer here on the Space Coast, United Launch Alliance rolled Atlas V and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner “Calypso” from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to the launch mount at Pad SLC-41.
On a warm morning on one of the first days of summer here on the Space Coast, United Launch Alliance rolled Atlas V and Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner “Calypso” from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to the launch mount at Pad SLC-41.
There are actually two facilities that are collectively known as “The Cape” by locals: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and the US Space Force’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. While they share many services and activities, there are gates at the border between the two, and they are managed by separate government entities.
The most detailed map I’ve found online is the one below: a 2015 Facilities Map that details where everything is on the two facilities. Some changes have been made since the release of this map, but it is quite accurate, even in 2024.
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.
The prime and backup crews for the upcoming Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test arrived at Kennedy Space Center this afternoon. They landed on the storied Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) formerly known as the ShuttleLanding Facility (SLF) — the same runway that Space Shuttle orbiters returned to at the completion of their missions.
I found this document online years ago and am putting it up here for posterity.
It is a PDF, read in your browser or download. Be sure to run it through a virus-checker (it’s clean) but do it anyway just to be sure.
There will be no attempt to launch Delta IV Heavy from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today as the company continues working with NASA and other US government agencies to correct the gaseous nitrogen problem that caused a scrub at T-minus three minutes and fifty-eight seconds last Thursday.
According to many space launch scheduling sites, today was the expected day for the last Delta IV Heavy to head to orbit with the NROL-70 payload aboard. Those sites often use reliable secondary sources to make their scheduling predictions, for example, FAA notifications to pilots of planned launch activities. ULA never officially announced a new date for a launch attempt, and apparently, work continues on the issues that caused the original scrub.
While the scheduling sites are nearly always accurate in their lists, this time they panned out some fool’s gold and were incorrect.
Saturday, Talk of Titusville asked ULA CEO Tory Bruno for an update, and this was his reply:
Bruno also added that “[A]s frustrating as this delay might be, The overall all level of support we get from our USG partners is outstanding. Far better than anything we might experience on a daily basis in an average commercial airport going to and from a launch.” Clearly, everyone involved is working hard to rectify the issues keeping NROL-70 and Delta IV Heavy grounded.
Meanwhile, it appears that an April 8 launch attempt may be in the cards:
Keep in mind that this is the from the same set of sources that were incorrect over the weekend.
That is the same day and roughly the same time that a total solar eclipse will be making its way across a large swath of the US. The Space Coast will only see a partial eclipse, but it could be an interesting time to see a rocket in flight in the daytime.
Take it for what it is worth — ULA has still not announced a firm date/time for Delta IV Heavy as of the time of this writing. (Monday, April 1st at 8:30 AM EDT.)
Check back here at Talk of Titusville for any updates. We will pass them along as soon as they are available.
SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets to orbit Saturday: first, at 5:52 PM EDT Eutelsat 36D from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, then at 9:30 PM, Starlink 6-45 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — a three-hour, thirty-minute gap between launches. Not one to rest on their laurels, the company also has slated another Starlink launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California between 11:54 PM and 2:30 AM EDT later on this evening.
The Eutelsat mission opened today’s launches at 5:52 PM EDT on a day that Florida tourist boards dream of: a warm sunny day with light winds that brought crowds to the beaches and riverfront not only to enjoy seeing a launch but also simply enjoy the nearly perfect weather.
Tourists and locals lined not only the usual spectator spots on US-1 in Titusville, but also with an at-capacity Playalinda Beach on Cape Canaveral National Seashore, where lines to enter were long and parking lots were eventually full. Those that made into Playalinda enjoyed a picture-perfect launch at the start of the launch window, with Falcon 9 climbing into a blue sky.
The payload was a telecommunications satellite, EUTELSAT 36D, which will replace the company’s EUTELSAT 36B at 36° East. According to Eutelsat, “36° East is a key orbital slot for broadcasters. Home to two powerful satellites, EUTELSAT 36B and EUTELSAT 36C, together they support the broadcast business of several major anchor customers.” Eutelsat 36D will eventually replace the 36B satellite, and will “[A]ssure all the main legacy missions of EUTELSAT 36B, with enhancements to coverage areas and performance.”
SpaceX used Booster B1076 for the mission, which successfully completed its twelfth flight after safely touching down aboard the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Previously, B1076 had supported the NASA CRS-26 ISS resupply mission, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, and six Starlink missions.
Later Saturday evening, SpaceX sent another batch of 23 Starlink v2 Mini satellites to orbit, adding to the company’s ever-growing Starlink constellation used to provide global Internet connectivity. The launch was at 9:30 PM EDT, and was visible over much of Florida, with people as far as Crystal River, which is located about 90 minutes north of Tampa near the Gulf of Mexico.
For that mission, SpaceX used Booster B1067 for the18th time. Previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 and now has completed nine Starlink missions. It safely touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ about eight and one-half minutes after launching.
SpaceX will launch another tranche of Starlink satellites on Friday, April 5th from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-47 mission.
The launch window for this mission has not been announced by the company, but if it follows the bulk of other Group 6 Starlink missions, launch time will be sometime in the evening. Stay tuned to Talk of Titusville for a mission preview later this week as more information becomes available.
SpaceX will launch its thirtieth resupply mission to the International Space Station on Thursday from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Launch time is set for 4:55 PM EDT in an instantaneous window.
This is an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) mission, meaning Falcon 9 will return and land at LZ-1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A sonic boom heard across the Space Coast region will herald the arrival of the booster.
This launch will be the first Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft from SLC-40 and will be the first mission-use of the newly installed Crew Access Arm on the SLC-40 launch tower.
The Cargo Dragon spacecraft is planned to arrive at ISS at 7:30 AM EDT on Saturday, where it will autonomously dock to Station’s Harmony module on the zenith port.
After docking, the spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to ISS before it returns to Earth off the coast of Florida.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the Probability of Violation is 10%, meaning there is a 90% chance of acceptable weather. Prime concerns are the Thick Cloud Layers Rule, Cumulus Cloud Rule.
Northeast, along the orbital inclination of the International Space Station.
SpaceX has not yet announced which Falcon 9 booster it is using for this launch.
| Crew Dragon 2 | |
| Serial Number | C209 |
| Destination | International Space Station |
| Flights | 3 |
Official Webcast on YouTube: Click Here
SpaceX generally provides live launch coverage starting fifteen minutes prior to launch on their account on the X platform. Click here
Spaceflight Now will provide launch coverage one hour prior to liftoff on their YouTube channel. Click here
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. The Banana River Bridge will offer both a direct view of the launch pad as well as an excellent view of the returning booster.
Jetty Park in Port Canaveral has good views, but viewers will not be able to see the launch pad directly. Once Falcon 9 rises over the sand berm on the north side of the Port’s inlet, however, an excellent view of the rocket rising is available. Jetty Park is also an excellent spot to see the booster landing.
Important Note: Jetty Park has an entry fee and requires advance purchase of a pass. CLICK HERE to purchase parking passes.
The ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.
You must be logged in to post a comment.