#SpaceCoast

Time, it is said, waits for no man — and that must be equally true for SpaceX’s cadence of Starlink launches. The company plans to get right back to action tonight by launching the Starlink 6-42 mission from Pad LC39-A at Kennedy Space Center.

The launch was originally scheduled for Friday evening, but fickle Florida weather caused SpaceX to stand down several hours before the planned liftoff. Tonight’s weather is greatly improved from yesterday, but there is still a roughly one-in-four chance of a weather related scub.

SpaceX says that they are “Targeting Saturday, March 23 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 7:39 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:29 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Sunday, March 24 starting at 7:06 p.m. ET.”

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron issued a forecast yesterday at 3:00 PM EDT, saying that “On Saturday, [a] low pressure will be tracking up the Eastern Seaboard, leaving the Spaceport with northwesterly winds and isolated, wrap-around showers.” As a result, the primary concerns that may cause a Violation of weather conditions are high winds in the launch area and cumulus clouds.

As Talk of Titusville publisher Michael Lynch often says, “It’s Florida.” By that he means that the weather can and does turn on a dime and tonight could go either way, but unlike yesterday, chances look good for a liftoff during the launch window.

Trajectory

Southeast, as has been customary for Group 6 Starlink payloads.

Booster

SpaceX will be using Booster B1060 for the nineteenth time tonight. Previous missions include GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, Intelsat G-33/G-34, Transporter-6, Intuitive Machines IM-1, and 12 Starlink missions.

Landing is planned to be aboard SpaceX’s Automated Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) “Just Read The Instructions” northeast of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean.

Booster B-1060
Flight NumberPayloadDate
1GPS III SV03June 30, 2020
2Starlink L11September 3, 2020
3Starlink L14October 24, 2020
4Türksat 5AJanuary 8, 2021
5Starlink L18February 4. 2021
6Starlink L22March 24, 2021
7Starlink L24April 29, 2021
8Transporter-2June 20, 2021
9Starlink 4-3December 2, 2021
10Starlink 4-6January 19, 2022
11Starlink 4-9March 3, 2022
12Starlink 4-14April 21. 2022
13Starlink 4-19June 17, 2022
14Galaxy 34 / 35October 8, 2022
15Transporter-6January 3. 2023
16Starlink 5-15July 16, 2023
17Starlink 6-18September 24, 2024
18IM-1 Odysseus LanderFebruary 15, 2024
19Starlink 6-42Planned: March 23, 2024
Booster B1060 record

Online Viewing

A live webcast of this mission will begin on SpaceX’s X account feed about five minutes prior to liftoff. 
Watch live on X.

SpaceX’s official web page has links to live coverage as well as up-to-date planned launch times. Starlink 6-42 Mission Page.

Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.

Live Viewing

Tonight’s launch is an evening launch from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Here’s a guide for crewed launches, which are also from LC-39A, and it has maps and more information.

Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center has no mention of launch viewing for tonight. Given that the launch window opens after they close, it is unlikely they are offering any opportunities or tickets for this launch.

Direct Views

Playalinda Beach is open until 8 PM. If the launch time is pushed after that, the beach is usually closed by rangers. This is a risky option and it is highly (as in “you better”) recommended to contact the National Park Service for direct information about whether the beach will be open for the launch. Personally, I do not recommend it, because it is a likely disappointing trip.

Telephone: Voice: 386-428-3384 x0

Keep in mind that an entry fee is required to enter Playalinda Beach. Cash is not accepted.

The northern parks in Titusville are a better bet, all of which will be open. Better yet, they are free of charge.

In particular, the Max Brewer Bridge’s pedestrian walkways are a great place to view the launch, and you can park nearby and hike up the bridge. Being a Saturday night, it will likely be crowded. Go early if that is the choice you make.

Other good choices are Space View Park (near the western end of the Max Brewer Bridge), Rotary Riverfront Park and others.

Indirect Views

Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Pier, Jetty Park Pier, the Banana River Bridge and others are decent, but they are also pretty far from the launch pad. As such, it will not be very loud and you will not see liftoff, but will be able to see the rising rocket quite easily.

Read more

Cargo Dragon on the launch pad at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with the Crew Access Arm attached.
Photo: SpaceX

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.

Weather

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.

Trajectory

Northeast, along the orbital inclination of the International Space Station.

Booster

SpaceX has not yet announced which Falcon 9 booster it is using for this launch.

Dragon

Crew Dragon 2
Serial NumberC209
DestinationInternational Space Station
Flights3

Online Viewing

Official Webcast on YouTube: Click Here

  • 4:35 p.m. – Launch coverage begins
  • 4:55 p.m. – Launch

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

In Person 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. 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.

Read more

Rendering of SpaceX Starship in Earth Orbit
Starship rendering: SpaceX

The fourth of four informational sessions regarding the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) ongoing Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for a potential launch pad at the Cape for SpaceX’s Starship will be held online tonight.

Meeting Link:
https://spaceforcestarshipeis.com/public-meetings/

Officials from the Department of the Air Force, the US Space Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, the US Coast Guard, NASA, and the US Coast Guard will be present to answer questions from members of the public who are interested in learning more about the DAF / SpaceX proposed action to lease SLC-37 to SpaceX once Delta IV Heavy launch activities conclude over the next several weeks, or to build a new launch pad between SLC-37 and SLC-40. That pad would be named Space Launch Complex 50, or SLC-50. Another option is no action, meaning no Starship launch activities from the Cape.

Option 1 at a Glance: Use Current SLC-37

Option 1: Re-engineer and utilize existing pad LC-37. In the upper part of the photo is the dormant LC-37A, which would be included.
Photo: Google Maps

Option 2 at a Glance: Build a New Launch Pad, SLC-50

Approximate location of a new launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station that would be used for SpaceX Starship if it is constructed.
Photo: Google Maps. Graphics: Talk of Titusville

In-Depth Looks

Below are two links that can provide much information about the Proposed Action. First, the official site for the EIS has a great deal of information, and in particular, a PDF file of the information displayed at the in-person meetings can be downloaded. The second is our informational article published earlier this month. In it, Talk of Titusville gives additional information regarding Starship, Starship’s propellant, the risk of pollution from them, and the Proposed Actions.

Official Site: Starship-Super Heavy Operations At Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Environmental Impact Statement

Talk of Titusville: The US Air Force Is Studying Space Coast Launch Pads For SpaceX Starship

Timeline:

After the final Public Meeting on March 12, a relatively quiet period will follow where studies will be conducted and a draft Environmental Impact Statement is created.

A Draft EIS is planned to be released in December 2024.

Read more

Booster B1077 prior to its last launch, North Grumman NG-20
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-43 mission Sunday, March 10 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. According to the company, “liftoff is targeted for 7:05 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:03 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, March 11 starting at 6:40 p.m. ET.”

Weather

At this time, the 45th Weather Squadron has not released a Probability of Violation forecast for the launch.

The National Weather Service’s general forecast for the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip calls for “Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.“

Trajectory

Southeast, as has been customary for Group 6 Starlink payloads.

Booster

Booster B1077 will be making its eleventh flight.

B1077 was first used for the Crew-5 mission. Its last mission was the NG-20 for Northrup Grumman on January 30, 2024.

FlightMissionDate
1Crew-510/15/2023
2GPS III SV0601/18/2023
3 Inmarsat-6 F202/18/2023
4Starlink Group 5-1003/29/2023
5Dragon CRS-2 SpX-2806/05/2023
6Galaxy 3708/03/2023
7Starlink Group 6-1309/01/2023
8Starlink Group 6-2510/30/2023
9Starlink Group 6-3312/07/2023
10Northrup Grumman NG-2001/30/2024
Booster 1077 flight record

Online Viewing

A live webcast of this mission will begin on SpaceX’s X account feed about five minutes prior to liftoff. 
Watch live on X.

SpaceX’s official web page has links to live coverage as well as up-to-date planned launch times. Starlink 6-43 Mission Page.

Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.

Launch Viewing: In Person

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 ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.

If you plan to attend in person, don’t forget mosquito spray. You’ll probably be glad you brought some.

Read more

Cavum or “Holepunch” clouds seen January 30, 2024, from using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.
Photo NASA

Famed fine-arts photographer Clyde Butcher once said of Florida, “Out west they have their mountains. We have our clouds.” Butcher’s observation was spot-on, the Sunshine State is home to some incredible sights in our skies — be it the setting sun illuminating a far away thunderstorm, a wall cloud from an approaching tropical storm, or even just a regular day where the clouds take on shapes where they appear to be animals or something else familiar.

An almost typical summer sunset over the Indian River in Cocoa, Florida: a thundercloud, backlit by the setting sun rises and casts shadows on the sky above. These are the “mountains of Florida” that photographer Clyde Butcher was speaking of.

Every in once in a while, we see something incredible that looks other-worldly: “holes in the sky,” or cavum clouds — something that some folks have claimed were caused by extraterrestrial spaceships, or by “weather control” experiments by some anonymous and nefarious government agency. Apparently, alien life-forms have nothing better to do after travelling trillions of miles to Earth than make donut holes in the clouds.

No Super-Secret Government Agencies Needed

The truth is far simpler than that, cavum clouds are a natural phenomenon that is caused by “mid-level clouds are composed of liquid water droplets that are supercooled,” according to NASA’s Adam Voiland at the agency’s Earth Observatory website.

Supercooling is relatively common in our atmosphere — altocumulus clouds, for example, are supercooled and they cover at least eight percent of the Earth on the average. In simple terms, that’s when water droplets in the sky — the things clouds are made of — remain liquid even when they are below their normal freezing point.

A pretty common Florida sight (or anywhere) are altocumulus clouds — they are “supercooled.”
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Voiland goes on the explain further how that relates to cavum clouds, “Supercooled clouds have their limits. As air moves around the wings and past the propellers of airplanes, a process known as adiabatic expansion cools the water by an additional 20°C or more and can push liquid water droplets to the point of freezing without the help of airborne particles. Ice crystals beget more ice crystals as the liquid droplets continue to freeze. The ice crystals eventually grow heavy enough that they begin to fall out of the sky, leaving a void in the cloud layer.”

An F-22 at an airshow in Titusville in 2022 created an example of “adiabatic cooling” as part of its exhibition.
Photo: Charles Boyer, ToT

So, basically, a cavum cloud is usually created by a common airplane flying through a typical cloud structure and setting off a cascade of ice formation inside that creates this “hole in the sky.”

No aliens or super-secret government agencies needed, but a cool thing to see if a cavum cloud passes overhead.

Read more

Robert “Ozzy” Osband

The American Space Museum in Titusville along with the National Space Society has announced “321 Day” on March 21st to celebrate the life and legacy of local legend Robert “Ozzy” Osband — self-proclaimed “Rocket Hobo” and “Father of the 3-2-1 Area Code.”

Osband was a familar and welcome sight to local and tourists alike in Space View Park, where he gave launch updates, countdowns, and the occasional “SCRUB!” to people gathered in Space View Park to watch launch attempts at the Cape. Always the friendly sort, Ozzy was well known for coloring in the details of what was happening, giving the public a much better understanding of what they were watching.

He created the “Rocket Hobos” — someone one “who never misses a rocket launch. They have encyclopedic knowledge of the space program. They possess minutiae on the history of NASA. Their minds are like webs wherein every statistic of space trivia is forever snared. Rocket Hobos set their alarms for 3:11 am Atlas blast-offs.” Remaining Rocket Hobos patches will be for sale at Space View Park on the day of the celebration.

Osband also had the idea for the Space Coast to have its famous “321” area code. The old “407” area code was running out of numbers, and new code was going to be established for the area. Ozzy did some research, found out that “321” was available and started a campaign for its assignment to the Space Coast region.

On Nov. 1, 1999, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush placed the first official “321” phone call from Tallahassee to Kennedy Space Center, with Ozzy sitting beside the deputy director receiving the call.

“We are excited to honor our wonderful friend Ozzy in this celebration,” said Karan Conklin, ASM executive director. “We are happy the National Space Society has helped our museum create a community event to honor Ozzy’s legacy on our Space Coast. “People like Robert Osband carry the torch for the Space Age in the community and help inspire all generations to explore outer space,” said Gabriel Rothblatt, a Director of the National Space Society and Space Coast resident. “This is a special celebration for an extraordinary man, and we welcome the community to join us.”

Ozzy Osband in high school.
Photo: classmates.com

Ozzy Osband died Aug. 6, 2023 of natural causes at age 72. He was born in New York, and lived much of his life in the Titusville area. Ozzy had his own computer software company, and was well known in the ham radio community (N4SCY).  As an Army veteran, he was interred at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida.

While honoring and recognizing all of America’s space programs and their workers, the foundation agrees with astronaut Alan Shepard, when on May 13, 1996, he said, “We need to remember the people who made it possible; so little is said of them.” The intent of the American Space Museum and US Space Walk of Fame is to honor and place emphasis on American space workers and others who made the space programs possible. 

The Celebration

  • 3:21 PM EDT: An informal gathering at Space View Park for friends to remember the life and legacy of Ozzy Osband.
  • 4:00 PM: ASM plans to broadcast, live via YouTube, a special episode in Ozzy’s honor, of the “Stay Curious Podcast” from Space View Park. 
  • 5:00 PM: Titusville Mayor Dan Diesel will read a proclamation in honor of Ozzy Osband at the Titusville Welcome Center
    • After the Proclamation, a block party with food trucks, adult beverages, and exhibitors representing causes that Ozzy worked on will be present
    • A performance by Interstellar Groove Machine, a local Space Coast band composed of aerospace employees.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend. This will surely be a great time to remember one of Titusville’s most colorful and iconic characters, a man who reflected the city and its other residents perfectly.

Related: Ozzie Osband, Originator of “3-2-1” Telephone Area Code and “Rocket Hobo,” Passes Away at 72

Editors note: this article contains quotes and text from a press release by the American Space Museum

Read more

Falcon 9 lifts off to begin the Starlink 6-39 mission today at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Pad SLC-40.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 today from Pad SLC-40 and sent another twenty-four Starlink satellites to orbit. Liftoff occurred at 5:06 PM EST on what might best be described as a “travel brochure day” — crystal clear skies, with a light breeze and temperatures in the high 60s. In other words, the sort of winter day in Florida draws many tourists because the weather is darn near perfect.

Booster Touches Down Safely

About eight and a half minutes after liftoff, Booster B1069 touched down safely on SpaceX’s A Shortfall of Gravitas automated droneship located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. It was the booster’s fourteenth flight since it went into service on December 21, 2021, launching the CRS-24 mission to ferry supplies to the International Space Station.

Shortly before staging, Falcon 9 flies high above the Florida coastline today.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

After returning to Port Canaveral several days from now, Booster B1069 will be returned to SpaceX’s facilities at Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished, and presumably prepared for its next flight.

Falcon 9 Performance Boosts

In a post on the X platform today, SpaceX noted that today’s “mission [was] carrying one additional Starlink satellite from previous East Coast missions thanks in part to performance increases on Falcon 9.”

Picture Perfect Launch

Initially scheduled for yesterday, today’s launch was the second attempt to complete the Starlink 6-39 mission. Crowds of spectators lined the parks on US-1 in Titusville, the beaches and along FL-528W to watch the liftoff, and weren’t disappointed by the views they could see. Falcon 9 was visible all the way through first stage and slightly afterwards, which is a rare site for a daytime launch.

Next Launch

It will be a busy week at the Eastern Range, so long as the weather cooperates: SpaceX will launch another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit on Wednesday, February 28th, with the Starlink 6-40 mission slated to liftoff between 11:00 AM and 2:31 PM EST from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Not long after that, at 12:04 AM EST on Friday, March 1st, Crew-8 will head to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Read more

A Falcon 9 rising off of SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral in January.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 carrying another tranche of Starlink satellites to low-earth orbit (LEO) tomorrow from SLC-40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window opens at 4:59 PM EST and extends until 8:57 PM the same day.

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron issued their forecast of the Probability of Violation of weather criteria today. They rated the POV at less than five percent, meaning there is a greater than ninety-five percent of acceptable conditions.

Trajectory

Southeast, which is the normal flight path for Group 6 Starlink satellites.

Booster

SpaceX has not announced which booster will be used for this flight at the time of this writing. When that information becomes available, we will add it here.

Landing

Landing will occur on ASDS (Automated Spaceport Drone Ship) A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be stationed offshore and downrange. After Falcon 9’s booster lands safely aboard the vessel, it will return to Port Canaveral and then to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and presumably refurbishment and preparation for its next flight.

Launch Viewing: Online

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

Launch Viewing: In Person

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 the first minute of the launch window is the last minute that the Center is open for the day. No viewing tickets or information has been posted, but check with the KSCVC site for up-to-date information. Admission and parking fees will of course apply if the Center is open for viewing.

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.

Launch viewing at Playalinda may be possible as the Cape Canaveral National Seashore closes at 6 PM EST. If you go there, 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.

Read more

Odysseus passes over the near side of the Moon following lunar orbit insertion on 21FEB2024. The lander continues to be in excellent health in lunar orbit.

Intuitive Machines has confirmed that the IM-1 Nova-C class lunar lander “Odysseus” touched down on the surface of the Moon today, sometime around 6:30 PM EST. The exact time of touchdown is not yet known, as the company has not yet downloaded and released data from the spacecraft.

The last lunar landing for an American spacecraft on the Moon was December 11th 1972. That was 51 years, 1 months and 26 days ago, which is 18,684 days. Today, Intuitive Machines and Odysseus ended that long gap.

Troubles On The Way Down

The landing was not without its issues, and some of those issues remain to be rectified at the time of this writing. First, there were LASER issues that forced a software patch and rerouting of signals for the autonomous landing system. Those were completed in the last two hours of lunar orbit, and according to live commentary from NASA-TV, the fix worked satisfactorily during the final descent to the surface.

Then after the expected landing time, a longer period of uncertainty than expected about Odysseus’s fate occurred because of what was an initial loss of radio communications between the lander and mission control in Houston.

Intuitive Machines infographic describing the landing sequence of Nova-C Odysseus
Graphic courtesy Intuitive Machines

Uncertainty After Landing

Flight controllers reassessed the last data they received from Odysseus, and found an unexpected 8-degree roll from the spacecraft, leading many viewers to fear the worst. IM engineers and flight controllers continued working the problem, and at one point, Intuitive Machines CTO Tim Crain announced “”We’re not dead yet!”

Not long afterwards, Crain gave some welcome news when he said, “We do have signal that we’re tracking.” That meant that Odysseus was on the lunar surface and that it was transmitting, a good sign that the landing was successful enough for the spacecraft to attempt to communicate with Earth. Crain added moments later “We have a signal from our high-gain antenna. It’s faint but it’s there.”

Then, after what must have seemed like an eternity to Intuitive Machines employees, Crain clarified by saying “We can confirm without a doubt that we are on the surface of the moon and that we are transmitting.”

Screen capture of NASA’s live stream showing Intuitive Machines employees celebrating the landing.

Finally, the announcement everyone was waiting for: “Houston, Odysseus has found his new home.”

At 8:25 PM EST, Intuitive Machines released the news everyone who had lingering doubts was waiting to hear:

“After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data. Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface.”

Intuitive Machines on X, February 22, 2024

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson commented after the landing that “Today, for the first time in half a century, America has returned to the Moon. On the eighth day of a quarter-million-mile voyage, Intuitive Machines aced the landing of a lifetime. What a feat for IM, SpaceX and NASA.

“What a triumph for humanity.

“Odysseus has taken the Moon.”

Indeed.

What’s Up Next?

IM and its team will no doubt be working diligently to assess Odysseus’s health and begin the slate of experiments planned for the mission.

After that, hopefully we will see photographs and video from Odysseus, including the Embry-Riddle EagleCam, which was ejected from the descending lander and providing the first-ever third-party view of an extraterrestrial spacecraft landing.

It’s more than fair to say that the work is just beginning and that NASA, the Artemis Project, all of the students and researchers involved and those of us interested parties in the general will all be learning a great deal over the next few days.

Read more

SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off February 20, 2024 carrying the HTS 113BT satellite
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX successfully launched the HTS 113BT telecommunications satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral this afternoon at 3:11 PM EST for Indonesian company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk. Around eight and one-half minutes later, Booster 1067 safely touched down on SpaceX’s Automated Spaceport Droneship “Just Read The Instructions,” (JRTI) which was located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean.

Falcon 9 in flight on February 20, 2024.
Photo: Ed Cordero / Florida Media Now

JRTI is set to return to Port Canaveral several days from now, and the booster will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and preparation for a potential 18th flight.

HTS 113BT At A Glance

HTS 113BT will replace the lost Palapa N1 (Nusantara 2) satellite. It was launched in April 2020, aboard a Long March-3B/G2 (Chang Zheng-3B/G2) rocket. The launch took place at 11:46 UTC from the LC2 pad at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, but a reported third stage failure prevented the mission from being completed, and Palapa N1 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated shortly afterwards.

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

Successful 17th Mission for B1067

Today’s launch was the 17th flight for SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster 1067, which entered service in 2021 when it launched the ISS Commercial Resupply mission CRS-22.

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
17HTS 113BTFebruary 20, 2024

Next Launch

Next up from the Eastern Range (CCSFS and KSC) is Starlink 6-39, SpaceX’s next batch of satellites for its orbital-based Internet service. The launch window extends from 4:59 PM – 9:30 PM EST and will be from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Read more