This morning, NASA officially announced a no earlier than March 6th target launch date for Artemis II. That date is contingent on completion of some work at the launch pad, and a positive result from the upcoming Launch Readiness Review, which is scheduled for late next week.
When NASA wrapped up the first Artemis II wet dress rehearsal on February 3 at Kennedy Space Center, they had successfully filled the SLS rocket’s tanks with cryogenic propellant. That was the good news, but the less welcome bad news was that the test revealed higher-than-allowable hydrogen gas leaks at the Tail Service Mast Unit on the launch pad. Obviously, those leaks must be repaired before a launch attempt.
Not long after propellant draining was complete after WDR-1, technicians began working to access the TSMU umbilical. They detached both the rocket-side and ground-side interface plates to inspect the area where elevated hydrogen levels were detected, and replaced seals around two fueling lines.
The two tail service masts — each about three stories tall — provide the cryogenic propellant lines and electrical cable connections to the SLS core stage. They tilt back before launch and include “quick disconnects” — mechanisms that instantaneously detach at liftoff to ensure safe retraction.
Reconnecting the interfaces is expected to be complete by Monday, Feb. 9. Engineers are still evaluating the root cause of the leak, and the removed seals are being analyzed. NASA also plans additional testing at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to evaluate the dynamics of the interface plates. Engineers are reviewing options to verify the repair before committing to the next full wet dress rehearsal.
Here’s a breakdown of the repairs underway and the operational changes NASA is making for WDR-2:
| Type | Change | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware Fix | Two seals replaced | Seals replaced around fueling lines at the tail service mast umbilical where hydrogen concentrations exceeded allowable levels. Removed seals are being analyzed and additional plate dynamics testing is planned at Stennis. |
| Operations | Orion hatch closed before test | The crew module hatch will be sealed prior to the rehearsal. The closeout crew — who on launch day help astronauts into their seats and close both Orion hatches — will not be deployed to the pad. |
| Operations | Crew access arm stays extended | The arm will not be retracted during the next rehearsal. Engineers successfully demonstrated during the Feb. 3 test that the ground launch sequencer can retract it during the final countdown phase, so that objective is already complete. |
| Timeline | One extra hour in countdown | NASA has added 30 minutes of extra hold time at each of two planned holds — one before and one after tanking operations — to allow more time for troubleshooting. The total countdown is now one hour longer. This does not affect the crew’s launch-day timeline. |
| Focus Shift | Rehearsal focused on fueling | With the crew access arm retraction and other pad objectives already demonstrated, the next WDR will concentrate on tanking operations and verifying the hydrogen leak repair. |
Source: NASA, “NASA Conducts Repairs, Analysis Ahead of Next Artemis II Fueling Test,” Feb. 8, 2026
NASA continues to eye March as the next potential launch opportunity but will not set a targeted launch date until after completing a successful wet dress rehearsal and reviewing the data. The critical second WDR is set to start as soon as this Friday, February 13th.
SpaceX plans to build a particle accelerator facility in Florida. The 230 MeV cyclotron will accelerate protons to near-light speed, which the company says will be used to bring radiation effects testing in-house across all of its vehicles and satellite platforms.
The facility was confirmed by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s Vice President of Starlink, who posted on X on February 5 that the company is “hiring elite engineers at our new 230 MeV cyclotron facility in Florida, where we are bringing single-event radiation testing in house to accelerate development across all SpaceX vehicles.”
A job posting from SpaceX on ZipRecruiter is looking for an Electronics Test Engineer, and provides additional details.
“As part of our continuous effort to vertically integrate and scale safe and rapid access to space as well as improve the baseline reliability of our multiple on-orbit mega-constellations, SpaceX has acquired a 230 MeV cyclotron to bring radiation single event effects testing in house,” the posting reads. “This proton particle accelerator will be used to screen and characterize electronics across all of our vehicles and platforms, unlocking unprecedented agility for chip and PCBA level performance characterization that will be critical as we build and scale our AI constellations and deep space exploration vehicles.“
The exact location of the facility within Florida has not been disclosed. The job posting mentions Winter Park, a town in the Orlando metroplex. SpaceX operates extensive facilities across the Space Coast, including launch sites at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 and the forthcoming SLC-37, along with the expanding Roberts Road complex where the company is constructing its Florida Gigabay manufacturing facility and Starfactory 2.0.
Ionizing radiation (gamma rays, X-Rays, etc.) is produced during cyclotron operation. There’s also the use of high voltages and strong magnetic fields, plus, in some cases, hazardous target gases or liquids. Facilities typically address these with thick concrete or earth shielding, restricted access zones, and rigorous safety protocols.
For the general public outside a properly shielded facility, the risk is essentially negligible. Radiation levels at the facility boundary are required to be well below regulatory limits. The fact is, the average Space Coast resident will receive a far higher annual radiation dose from Earth’s background radiation alone.
Estimated dose for Brevard County residents (sea level, ~28.5°N latitude)
| Radiation Source | Description | mSv/year |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Radiation | From deep space & solar particles Minimal at sea level; deflected by Earth’s magnetic field at low latitude | ~0.26 |
| Terrestrial Radiation | From soil, rock & sand Florida’s sandy coastal soils are among the lowest in the U.S. | ~0.10–0.23 |
| Radon & Thoron | Radioactive gas from ground decay Very low on the Space Coast — sandy soil, no basements, good ventilation | ~0.50–1.00 |
| Internal (Body) | Potassium-40, carbon-14 & other radionuclides Present in all humans regardless of location | ~0.40 |
| Food & Water | Trace radionuclides ingested daily Potassium in bananas, brazil nuts, seafood, etc. | ~0.30 |
| Estimated Space Coast Natural Background Total | ~1.60–2.20 | |
Talk of Titusville
If a cyclotron were installed on Florida’s Space Coast, the primary regulatory authority would be the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control. Florida has been an “Agreement State” since 1964, when the Atomic Energy Commission (now the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) signed a formal agreement transferring authority over radioactive materials licensing and enforcement to the state.
Today the Bureau of Radiation Control licenses more than 1,800 users of radioactive materials across Florida, including hospitals, universities, and research institutions.
A cyclotron operator would need to obtain a specific radioactive materials license from this bureau before possessing or using any of the isotopes a cyclotron produces. The bureau also handles registration of the cyclotron itself as an ionizing radiation machine under Chapter 64E-5 of the Florida Administrative Code.
The NRC retains an oversight role, periodically auditing Florida’s program to ensure it meets federal safety standards, but the state bureau is the agency an operator would deal with directly for licensing, inspections, and enforcement.
Until now, aerospace companies including SpaceX have relied on a small number of external facilities to perform this testing. The Texas A&M Cyclotron Institute’s Radiation Effects Facility and the 88-Inch Cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been the primary U.S. facilities, serving clients including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and NASA — all competing for limited beam time.
Texas A&M’s facility tested nearly 100 electronic components for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule during a three-year period leading up to the historic Demo-2 mission in May 2020, which launched astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station from KSC’s Pad 39A.
By building its own cyclotron, SpaceX eliminates the bottleneck of competing for beam time at shared facilities and gains the ability to test on its own schedule — a significant advantage given the pace at which the company iterates on hardware. SpaceX is currently producing new generations of Starlink satellites at a rapid clip, developing Starshield military variants, building the Starship Human Landing System for NASA’s Artemis program, and continuing to fly Dragon crew and cargo missions.
The natural radiation environment of space necessitates radiation testing for verification and improvements of the company’s product lines and is consistent with SpaceX’s broader strategy of aggressive vertical integration: if you can do it faster and cheaper internally, build it yourself.
Teams at Kennedy Space Center conducted and mostly completed a critical Wet Dress Rehearsal for the launch of the Artemis II rocket and ground support teams yesterday. The test was not without problems: Hydrogen leaks at the tail mast area of the pad and an issue closing Orion’s hatches bedeviled the tests, resulting in NASA announcing that the launch of the Artemis II mission is now no earlier than March 6, 2026.
“The Artemis II wet dress rehearsal countdown was terminated at the T-5:15 minute mark due to a liquid hydrogen leak at the interface of the tail service mast umbilical, which had experienced high concentrations of liquid hydrogen earlier in the countdown, as well,” NASA said.
In a press conference today, Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said, “When we got into the LH2 fast fill—which was around 12:29—is when we picked up our first leak in the SMU, in the cavity, which is where the flight and the ground plate come together. It’s that cavity in between. It’s in our eight-inch fill and drain line there. We have a QD that connects those two together.”
“It was similar to some of the signatures we saw during Artemis I. Our leak rate was a little bit higher—somewhere around 12 to 14%,” Blackwell-Thompson continued. “We tried a contingency procedure that we used during Artemis I: you let that QD warm up, you let the seal warm up, and you try it again. We did that a couple of times, worked our way through it, and were able to load the core stage all the way to replenish.”
When asked what items were missed in the Wet Dress Rehearsal, Blackwell-Thompson said, “What we didn’t get to do: we wanted to get through terminal count. We wanted to get inside terminal count, hold, and verify our three-minute hold capability—tanks in launch-ready state and you can hold them for up to three minutes.”
“We also wanted to demonstrate a recycle: come down, have a planned cutoff, come back and retarget a new T-0 within the launch window. Didn’t get a chance to do that.”
Before the March window, NASA’s engineers and mission managers will review data, equipment and procedures from the WDR yesterday and they will conduct a second Wet Dress Rehearsal before committing to a launch date. Of key interest are the Tail Mast interfaces that deliver LH2 to the rocket’s propellant tanks.
“With the conclusion of the wet dress rehearsal today, we are moving off the February launch window and targeting March for the earliest possible launch of Artemis II,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said today. “With more than three years between SLS launches, we fully anticipated encountering challenges. That is precisely why we conduct a wet dress rehearsal. These tests are designed to surface issues before flight and set up launch day with the highest probability of success.”
(Subject to Adjustments)
| Launch Window Opening | Window | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Local Time | UTC | Lighting | Mins |
| Mar 6 | 8:29 PM EST | Mar 7, 01:29 | 2.05 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 7 | 8:57 PM EST | Mar 8, 01:57 | 2.51 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 8 | 10:56 PM EDT | Mar 9, 02:56 | 3.48 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 9 | 11:52 PM EDT | Mar 10, 03:52 | 4.40 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Mar 10 | 12:48 AM EDT | Mar 10, 04:48 | 5.36 hrs after sunset | 115 |
| Apr 1 | 6:24 PM EDT | Apr 1, 22:24 | 1.28 hrs before sunset | 120 |
| Apr 3 | 8:00 PM EDT | Apr 4, 00:00 | 0.30 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 4 | 8:53 PM EDT | Apr 5, 00:53 | 1.17 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 5 | 9:40 PM EDT | Apr 6, 01:40 | 1.95 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 6 | 10:36 PM EDT | Apr 7, 02:36 | 2.87 hrs after sunset | 120 |
| Apr 30 | 6:06 PM EDT | Apr 30, 22:06 | 1.86 hrs before sunset | 120 |
↔ Scroll table on mobile
As of: February 3, 2026 at 8:32 AM EST
A liquid hydrogen leak at the LC-39B’s Tail Mast umbilical connection to SLS’s core stage forced engineers into a troubleshooting effort that pushed the countdown about two hours behind schedule. The team cycled through several repair attempts, first halting LH2 flow, then letting the interface warm so seals could seat themselves properly, and finally by tweaking propellant flow rates before pressing ahead. Ultimately, they were successful in their efforts and got the 322-foot tall rocket fully fueled, but a great deal of time was lost during the effort.
Secondly, a recently replaced valve tied to Orion’s crew hatch pressurization system needed to be retorqued, and closeout work ran longer than expected. NASA stated around 10 PM last night that, “The closeout crew remains in the White Room and has closed the Orion spacecraft’s crew module hatch. While performing seal pressurization checks on the counterbalance assembly, which could be used to help open the hatch, a valve associated with Orion’s hatch pressurization was inadvertently vented. The counterbalance assembly then needed to be repressurized to allow work to continue.”
Finally, communications issues from SLS to ground caused some issues and will need to be remediated prior to the next Wet Dress Rehearsal, much less any launch attempt in March.
Clearly, there’s some work to do before Artemis II will be ready to fly.
The Artemis II crew has been released from quarantine for the time being. Once a new potential launch date becomes clearer, they will return to quarantine and fly to Kennedy Space Center for final preparations prior to launch.
NASA has scheduled a 1 PM ET press conference to offer more details.
The Federal Aviation Administration released the Final Environmental Impact Statement and its Record of Decision regarding the matter this morning. The Record of Decision approves SpaceX to operate Starship-Super Heavy at Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, clearing the final major regulatory hurdle for the company’s next-generation launch vehicle on Florida’s Space Coast.
Now, SpaceX needs to complete the build out its infrastructure at LC-39A, relocate Starship flight hardware from Boca Chica, Texas to KSC, and obtain the necessary FAA launch license(s) to launch the 408.1 feet (124.4 meter) tall rocket. It will be the most powerful rocket to ever launch from the Eastern Range, eclipsing the venerable Saturn V, New Glenn and even SLS Block I.
The decision authorizes up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches and 88 landings annually—44 each for the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. Ocean landings on droneships in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans are also permitted.
The approval follows a 16-month environmental review process that began with a Notice of Intent published in May 2024, included multiple public comment periods, and culminated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement released today.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Approved Operations | |
| Annual Limits |
Approved 44 launches • 88 landings (44 Super Heavy + 44 Starship) • 88 static fires
|
| Infrastructure |
Approved ~800,000 sq ft improvements: launch mount, catch tower, propellant generation (methane liquefier, air separation unit), storage tanks, deluge ponds, water system (~518,000 L/launch) |
| ⚠️ Significant Environmental Effects | |
| Emissions |
Significant NOx: 385.66 tons/yr (54% over threshold, 4.35% of Brevard County) GHG: 217,354 MT CO2e/yr (319% over threshold, 2.81% of county) |
| Noise |
Significant Sonic booms exceed 60 dB CDNL on 28,595 acres off-KSC • Up to 82% awakening probability at night • Outdoor levels exceed 97 dB max at locations outside KSC/CCSFS |
| Air Traffic |
Significant Avg delay: ~40 min (up to 2 hrs) • Ground stops at Core 30 FL airports • Coordination with Canada, Bahamas, Mexico, Central America, Cuba |
| 🚧 Access Restrictions | |
| Closures |
Tests: ~396 hrs/yr (4.5%) • Launches/reentries: ~462 hrs/yr (5.3%) • Total: ~10% of year (half day/half night) NPS revenue impact: $239K–$423K/yr (13–24% loss to Canaveral National Seashore) |
| 🐢 Wildlife Conditions (USFWS) | |
| Training & Surveys |
Required All personnel: wildlife training before onsite work (species ID, sea turtle/scrub-jay/indigo snake/manatee protocols) • Pre-construction biological surveys required • Lighting Operations Manual for sea turtle season |
| Manatee |
Required Dedicated observer on vessels in Indian River Lagoon • 50 ft minimum distance • ≤10 knots where observed • No wake/idle near docks |
| 📊 Required Monitoring | |
| Species |
Monitoring Scrub-jay: 70% banded in 1 yr, 90% in 3 yrs; census pre/post breeding Sea turtle: Mar 1–Oct 31; 8 light surveys/yr; all hawksbill/Kemp’s ridley/leatherback nests monitored Beach mouse: Habitat use, survival, reproduction, population density |
| Physical |
Monitoring Noise: 3 events each for SH/Starship static fires, launches, landings (15 total) Vibration: Loggers at 0.3 mi, 15″ deep; min 3 launches |
| 🐋 Marine Conditions (NMFS) | |
| Distance & Vessel |
Required Activities ≥5 nm from coast (≥1 nm within 50 mi of LC-39A) • No coral reef landings • Dedicated observer on recovery ops • 300 ft from mammals, 150 ft from turtles • ≤10 kts near mother/calf |
| Right Whale |
Required 1,500 ft minimum distance • Nov–Apr: SH and Starship cannot both land in critical habitat same flight • No landings in active Slow/Dynamic Mgmt Areas • Flight reports within 30 days until full reusability |
| 🏛️ Historic Preservation (NHPA) | |
| Structures |
Monitoring 9 structures monitored through first 5 launches + 5 SH landings + 1 Starship landing: St. Gabriel’s Church, Pritchard House, Walker Apts (Titusville); Cocoa Jr High, Aladdin Theater (Cocoa); Cape Canaveral Lighthouse (CCSFS); John Sams House, St. Luke’s Church (Merritt Island); Beach House (KSC) Programmatic Agreement executed Nov 22, 2025 with FL SHPO & Seminole Tribe
|
| 📋 Public Notice & Coordination | |
| Notifications | Launch schedules via news outlets, KSC SIMS, NASASpaceflight.com, Florida Today app, Brevard County Emergency Mgmt |
| Claims | Property damage: insurance@spacex.com (SpaceX carries insurance per Commercial Space Launch Act) |
| Annual Meetings |
Required USFWS: Jan 1–31 annually (NASA, SpaceX, FAA, USFWS, NPS, USSF) • NHPA: November annually |
| Record of Decision: SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy at LC-39A, KSC | Signed: Jan 29, 2026 by Katie L. Cranor, FAA | FAA Project Page | |
Updated today:
| Status | Milestone | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete | Notice of Intent PublishedFAA | May 10, 2024 | FAA initiated the EIS process via Federal Register publication |
| Complete | Public Scoping PeriodFAA | May–Jun 2024 | Public input gathered on scope of environmental review; ended June 24, 2024 |
| Complete | Draft EIS ReleasedFAA | Aug 4, 2025 | Draft EIS published for up to 44 launches and 44 landings per year |
| Complete | Draft EIS Comment PeriodFAA | Aug 4–Sep 29, 2025 | Hearings at KSC (Aug 26), Cape Canaveral (Aug 28), virtual (Sept 3); view comments |
| Complete | Final EIS PublicationFAA | Jan 30, 2026 | Final EIS published addressing all public comments |
| Complete | Record of Decision (ROD)FAA | Jan 30, 2026 | ROD issued with decision, mitigations, and monitoring requirements |
| Ongoing | Infrastructure CompletionSpaceX | Mid-2026 (proj.) | Launch mount (installed Nov 2025), tank farm, deluge system, chopstick upgrades |
| Pending | Vehicle Operator LicenseFAA | Expected 2026 | New or modified launch license for Starship-Super Heavy at LC-39A; FAA project page |
| Upcoming | First Starship LaunchSpaceX | 2026 (targeted) | Initial vehicles transported from Starbase, Texas via barge |
| Lead Agency: FAA | Cooperating: NASA, Dept. of Air Force, Coast Guard, Fish & Wildlife, National Park Service | Updated: Jan 30, 2026 | |||
The original documents are at the FAA’s Project Website, located here
For those who are interested in reading the minutiae of the Decision, here is a list of links to all available documents:
The four astronauts assigned to NASA’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century entered medical isolation on Friday as Kennedy Space Center teams push toward a potential early February launch window.
NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, joined by Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, have begun what the agency calls a “health stabilization program”—a precautionary period designed to shield the crew from illness that could scrub their mission. The protocol typically spans 14 days before liftoff, though NASA has yet to announce an official launch date while rocket and spacecraft testing continues.
At Kennedy Space Center, preparations are accelerating around the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B. Ground crews have wrapped up checkouts of mechanical power systems, cryogenic propellant lines, and the rocket’s RS-25 engines.
Beginning Saturday, January 24th, the perimeter around LC-39B will be cleared of non-essential personnel as technicians begin servicing the twin solid rocket boosters as part of the final preparations for SLS and its first crewed flight.
The astronauts are currently quarantining in Houston but will relocate to Kennedy Space Center approximately six days before launch if testing milestones continue on schedule. Upon arrival, they’ll take up residence in the astronaut crew quarters housed within the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building—the same facility that has hosted crews since the Space Shuttle era.
During isolation, the crew will complete mission simulations and medical evaluations while maintaining limited contact with pre-screened family members and colleagues in order to prevent exposure to any illnesses that might prevent them from launching.
Launch window opens Feb. 6, 2026
| Milestone | Target Date | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Pad Integration | Late Jan. 2026 | In Progress | Connect GSE, electrical lines, fuel ducts, and cryo feeds; power up integrated systems |
| Crew Final Walkdown | Late Jan. 2026 | Upcoming | Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen conduct final pad inspection |
| Wet Dress Rehearsal | NET Feb. 2, 2026 | Upcoming | Load 700,000+ gallons of cryogenic propellants; full countdown practice; detanking ops |
| Flight Readiness Review | Early Feb. 2026 | Upcoming | Mission management assesses all systems and commits to official launch date |
| Launch | NET Feb. 6, 2026 | Launch Window | 16 launch opportunities through April 30, 2026; first window 9:41 PM EST (02:41 UTC) |
As of Jan. 24, 2026, 12:00 PM EST
SLS began its slow and deliberate journey to Launch Pad 39B from the Vehical Assembly Building (VAB) early Saturday morning at Kennedy Space Center, marking a major milestone in the agency’s quest to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century.
The 322-foot-tall rocket emerged from the cavernous Vehicle Assembly Building at 7:04 a.m. EST, carried atop Crawler-Transporter 2 for the four-mile trek to the historic launch complex. The combined stack — rocket, Orion capsule, and mobile launcher — weighs approximately 11 million pounds and is traveling at a top speed of just under one mile per hour, with the journey expected to take between eight and twelve hours. At the time of this writing, that journey is still underway and should conclude late this afternoon or early this evening.
Hundreds of space center workers, family members, and guests gathered along the crawlerway to witness the spectacle as the towering white rocket inched past against a clear Florida sky. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the four Artemis II astronauts were on hand to mark the occasion.
“Wow. LETS GO!!!” Commander Reid Wiseman posted on X alongside a photo of the rocket moving out of the VAB. In a subsequent post, he called the SLS and Orion “engineering art.”
Once the rocket reaches Launch Pad 39B, teams will immediately begin connecting ground support equipment, including electrical lines, environmental control system ducts, and cryogenic propellant feeds. Engineers will then power up the integrated systems for the first time to verify everything functions properly with the mobile launcher and pad infrastructure.
A wet dress rehearsal is scheduled for late January or early February. During this critical test, ground crews will load more than 700,000 gallons of cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen into the rocket’s tanks and conduct multiple countdown sequences, including several holds and recycles in the final minutes to validate launch procedures.
Artemis Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson said a February launch remains possible but emphasized that the timeline depends on the outcome of upcoming testing. “We need to get through wet dress,” she said during a pre-rollout briefing yesterday.
NASA’s launch window opens February 6, with additional opportunities on February 7, 8, 10, and 11. Due to the orbital mechanics governing the mission’s trajectory to the Moon, only about one week of launch opportunities exists each month, followed by roughly three weeks without viable windows.
A rare launch doubleheader — one that does not involve SpaceX — is planned for today from Cape Canaveral. First, in the afternoon, Blue Origin will make another attempt to get New Glenn off of the pad at LC-36A, and later in the evening, ULA will make a second attempt to launch Atlas V and the ViaSat-3 mission.
Both missions were delayed from their original launch attempts by scrubs: Blue Origin because of weather, then solar storms, ULA by a faulty valve that the company replaced on the rocket.
New Glenn
| Organization | Blue Origin |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | New Glenn |
| Pad | Launch Complex 36A |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 11 / 13 / 2025 2:57 PM |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 11 / 13 / 2025 4:25 PM |
| Destination | Mars Orbit |
| Mission Description | Second flight of Blue Origin’s New Glenn carrying the EscaPADE dual-spacecraft mission (UC Berkeley) to study ion and sputtered escape from Mars, energy/momentum transport from the solar wind through Mars’ hybrid magnetosphere, and how energy and matter flow into and out of the collisional atmosphere. |
| Watch Live | Blue Origin Official Stream (YouTube) | Mission Page |
As of 8:59 AM Thursday November 13, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult BlueOrigin.com for updates.
Atlas-V
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Atlas V 551 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Thursday, 11 / 13 / 2025 10:04 PM |
| Window Closes | Thursday, 11 / 13 / 2025 10:48 PM |
| Destination | Geostationary Transfer Orbit |
| Mission Description | The ViaSat-3 series comprises three Ka-band high-capacity satellites; each is designed for >1 Tbps of network capacity with flexible, regionally targetable coverage. |
| Watch Live | ULA Official Stream (YouTube) | Spaceflight Now Coverage (YouTube) |
Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time.
Oddly, at the time of this writing, the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force’s Launch Delta 45 has removed their Launch Mission Execution Forecast for Blue Origin’s New Glenn. They do have yesterday’s LMEF for Atlas V:
Solar activity is still expected to be high, and Spaceweather.com is saying that, “Currently, storm levels are bouncing between category G1 (Minor) and G3 (Strong) as solar wind blows around Earth faster than 900 km/s. NOAA forecasters say there is also a lingering chance of severe G4-class storms on Nov. 13th.”
While that is an improvement from yesterday, it is still possible that mission managers for either launch may look at the current conditions and demur due to the impacts of Sunspot 2247. One thing is for sure: Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance and the 45th Weather Squadron have better space weather resources — experts, data, etc. — than the general public. If mission managers are confident, it’s with good reason.
As always, take a “we’ll see what happens” attitude, a comfortable chair and something cool to drink while you wait.
LC-36A is clearly visible all the way down Cocoa beach, the closest being the pier at Jetty Park. Also close to SLC-36 is The Banana River Bridge. This will be a relatively big launch, and if you plan to go to one of the more popular spots for Blue Origin’s launch attempt, go early.
| Spot | Approx. Distance | Sightline | Amenities | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetty Park Beach & Pier (Cape Canaveral) | ≈8–10 mi | Clear ocean horizon; pad slightly south of due-east line | Parking (fee), restrooms, concessions | Fills early on major launches; allow extra time for port traffic. |
| SR-401 Observation Turnouts (Port Canaveral North Side) | ≈7–9 mi | Low coastal view across Canaveral harbor | Limited shoulder parking; no facilities | Arrive early; obey posted signs; bring water and sun protection. |
| Cherie Down Park (Cape Canaveral) | ≈9–11 mi | Beachline view; ascent over the ocean | Parking, restrooms, beach access | Neighborhood streets can clog; respect residential parking rules. |
| Cocoa Beach Pier | ≈11–13 mi | Open Atlantic horizon with pier foreground | Food, restrooms, paid parking | Good for photo framing; crowds vary by season and event size. |
| Alan Shepard Park (Cocoa Beach) | ≈12–14 mi | Broad shoreline horizon | Parking (often paid), restrooms, beach access | Arrive early on weekends; check for lot closures during events. |
| Lori Wilson Park (Cocoa Beach) | ≈13–15 mi | Unobstructed shoreline view | Parking, restrooms, boardwalks | Shade helps during long holds; wildlife area nearby. |
| SR-528/520 Causeway Pull-offs (Banana River) | ≈13–17 mi | Low river-level sightline; wide eastern sky | No facilities | Use only legal shoulder areas; stay well off traffic lanes. |
| The Space Bar — Courtyard Titusville | ≈12–16 mi | Farther angle but elevated rooftop view | Food & beverage, restrooms | Reservations may be required for big launches. |
More or less the same spots will work later in the evening for Atlas V, but given that SLC-41 is further north than LC-36A, the southern Titusville Parks or roadside off of 528W at the Banana River bridge might be a wee bit better than the beaches.
Free Advice
Watch the YouTube streams for the latest/greatest information. Things change pretty fast as the countdown heads towards zero, and Will Robinson-Smith on Spaceflight Now or the announcers on Blue Origin’s live stream will keep you up to date.
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.
The Next Spaceflight mission page is an excellent resource to follow the countdowns.
| Streaming Source | Availability |
|---|---|
| Blue Origin YouTube (Official) | Typically ~30 minutes before liftoff |
| Blue Origin — Mission/Live Page | Updates + embedded stream when live |
| NASA Live (if simulcast) | TBD; often ~30–60 minutes prior |
| Spaceflight Now | About one hour prior to liftoff |
| NASASpaceflight | Live coverage one hour prior to launch |
| NextSpaceflight — Launch Page | Comprehensive launch info |
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued an emergency order restricting commercial space launches and reentries to overnight hours only, a move that will significantly impact operations here on the Eastern Range.
Effective November 10, 2025, the FAA will prohibit commercial spaceflight activity between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm. local time, citing air traffic controller staffing shortages and growing concerns about strain on the National Airspace System (NAS).
The decision is part of a broader set of temporary limitations designed to reduce pressure on the country’s aviation infrastructure during the federal shutdown.
Section IV.b. — Prohibition on Commercial Space Launches and Reentries During Peak Hours
“Accordingly, with respect to commercial space launches and reentries, under the authority provided to the FAA Administrator by 49 U.S.C. §§ 40103, 40113, and 46105(c), and authority delegated to the FAA Administrator under 51 U.S.C. § 50909(a), it is hereby ordered that, beginning at 6:00 a.m. EST on November 10, 2025, and until this Order is cancelled, commercial space launches and reentries will only be permitted between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. local time.”
— FAA Emergency Order, November 6, 2025
The FAA’s emergency order may impact several upcoming missions. That depends on the mission’s classification—whether it is purely commercial in nature or conducted under federal contract on behalf of a federal agency. Here are our unconfirmed educated guesses:
ViaSat-3, a commercial communications satellite operated by ViaSat Inc. and launched by ULA aboard Atlas V, is clearly affected. As a fully commercial mission, it falls under the FAA’s order and cannot be launched between 6 am and 10 pm without a waiver. Any future ViaSat launches will need to comply with the restricted launch window until the order is lifted.
ViaSat-3 has no launch date as of the time of this writing after two scrubs in the past two days.
NG-2 ESCAPADE, the NASA science mission destined for Mars, is launching aboard Blue Origin’s New Glenn as soon as Sunday afternoon. As a federally funded deep space mission on a contracted launch on a commercial rocket, ESCAPADE will likely be granted priority treatment and probably would not be subject to the commercial launch restriction should the launch get delayed from its current planned launch on Sunday afternoon.
Northrop Grumman’s NG-2 mission occupies a more complex position. It is part of NASA’s Commercial Resupply program to ISS,. While the launch vehicle is commercial, the mission itself is flown under a NASA contract. That government link will probably allow it to proceed during restricted hours.
Starlink flights are directly impacted. SpaceX launches these missions for its own broadband satellite constellation and are entirely commercial in nature. As such, they must be scheduled during the FAA’s permitted overnight launch window unless an exception is granted. SpaceX has already been mostly launching Starlink at night, so the limitation may affect them less than one might think. Project Kuiper, the same: it is a commercial enterprise flying on a commercially contracted mission. That means overnight until further notice.
You can download the PDF version of the order below, or here at the FAA website.
SpaceX launched the Bandwagon-4 mission aboard Falcon 9 this morning in a beautiful launch that flew into mostly cloudy skies. Liftoff was at the first 01:09:59 AM of the night; daylight savings time ended less than an hour after the launch and it was 1am all over again.
At the Booster B1091 put on an incredible display after staging as it turned to return to Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral. Shortly after touching down at the T+07:46 mark, a familiar pair of sonic booms washed over the Space Coast, heralding the return of the booster while Stage 2 continued on to orbit. It and the payload of some eighteen assorted satellites achieved that orbit at T+09:38 after liftoff.
Orbit is estimated to be ~510 × 510 km (± 20 km), at a 45º ±1º mid-inclination Low Earth Orbit.
At 1:28 AM EST, SpaceX confirmed the deployment of all payloads, indicating another successful mission for the company. This was SpaceX’s 585th mission overall, its 145th mission of 2025 and the 558th Falcon 9 mission to date.
| Payload Name | Operator/Customer | Description | Integrator |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOREA ADD (Satellite 1) | Agency for Defense Development (ADD), South Korea | Reconnaissance satellite | KOREA ADD |
| KOREA ADD (Satellite 2) | Agency for Defense Development (ADD), South Korea | Reconnaissance satellite | KOREA ADD |
| Starcloud-1 | Starcloud (part of Vast) | AI satellite testing on-orbit AI capabilities with NVIDIA H100 GPU | Starcloud/Vast |
| Lumen-1 | Vast | Technology demonstration satellite for in-orbit data center operations and edge computing capabilities | Vast |
| Tomorrow-R3 | Tomorrow Companies Inc. (Tomorrow.io) | Weather radar satellite for Earth observation and weather forecasting | Tomorrow Companies Inc. |
| Tomorrow-R4 | Tomorrow Companies Inc. (Tomorrow.io) | Weather radar satellite for Earth observation and weather forecasting | Tomorrow Companies Inc. |
| Orbit Guard #2 | EPIC Aerospace | Technology demonstration satellite for in-orbit inspection/servicing (via CHIMERA OTV) | Exolaunch |
| Fergani-DEMO 1 | Fergani | Technology demonstration satellite | Fergani |
| TAURUS 1 | Türkiye | Picosatellite for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and technology validation | Exolaunch |
| TAURUS 2 | Türkiye | Picosatellite for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and technology validation | Exolaunch |
| TAURUS 3 | Türkiye | Picosatellite for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and technology validation | Exolaunch |
| TAURUS 4 | Türkiye | Picosatellite for Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity and technology validation | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 1 | Exolaunch Customer (Argentina) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 2 | Exolaunch Customer (Czechia) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 3 | Exolaunch Customer (Finland) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 4 | Exolaunch Customer (Netherlands) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 5 | Exolaunch Customer (United States) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 6 | Exolaunch Customer (International) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
| Unnamed Payload 7 | Exolaunch Customer (International) | Earth observation, IoT, or science/technology demonstration CubeSat | Exolaunch |
Links are included only where publicly available official pages exist; unnamed Exolaunch customers currently have no public payload pages.
| Organization | United Launch Alliance |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Atlas V 551 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 41 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Wednesday, 11 / 05 / 2025 10:24 PM |
| Window Closes | Wednesday, 11 / 05 / 2025 11:08 PM |
| Destination | Geostationary Transfer Orbit |
| Mission Description | The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites expected to deliver >1 Tbps of network capacity with flexible, dynamically directed service to where customers are located. |
As of 4:58 PM Sunday November 2, 2025. Launch assignments and times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult ULA for updates.
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