The Space Coast

29/06/2024

Steve Vaughn, new and improved is good! was it a Palace coup, or a putsch? 😊

26/06/2024

from SpaceX in a post-launch release: Falcon Heavy GOES U, 6 25 24

05/06/2024

Starliner docked with the Iss, confirming hard capture...

05/06/2024

even got the Centaur carrying on...😎🐕📷🚀lb n Opie

05/06/2024

Starliner headed north this morning n an Ts V, up from SLC 41, with crew, 😎🐕📷🚀lb n Opie

30/05/2024

This morning sharply at 10 am, ULA train engines started rolling out the Atlas V N22 rocket coupled with the Boeing CFT-1 StarLiner Calypso space craft which is set to liftoff on Saturday PM @ 12:25 on a N.E. trajectory, carrying Butch Wilmore & Suni Williams to a rendezvous with the ISS

08/05/2024

over Blue Sawtooth Studio, in Palm Bay Florida, this afternoon, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-56...from Opie n lb...😎🐕📷🚀🛰

06/05/2024

SpaceX had a scheduled flight ahead of this evenings launch of the ULA/Boeing CFT @ 10:34 PM. This afternoon at 2:14, SpaceX launched their workhorse Falcon 9 rocket carrying another batch of StarLink satellites. Hundreds of tourists, residents, boaters & photographers crowded Jetty Park to witness the launch

06/05/2024

Thank you Graham Smith for the Cape art. ‘This afternoon with 2 other busloads of photographers from throughout the world, we were given access to Launch Complex 41 where the ULA Atlas V N22 rocket is sitting poised with the Boeing StarLiner "Calypso" for a scheduled liftoff tomorrow evening @ 10:34 PM. Weather is 95% go and this will be Boeings first manned launch and is carrying Barry Wilmore & Suni Williams to the International Space Station where they are scheduled to remain for a week’

02/05/2024

where we're at now, th is is an inside skinny on the Space Race ...free, excellent writing, I mostly never spend more than 2 minutes per day. US vs USSR, they are up, we are not, 1960?

Atlas Fails Again

30/04/2024

Last month, SpaceX launched CRS-30 (Cargo Resupply Ship) to the ISS with roughly 3 tons of supplies & experiments. This morning, CRS-30 blazed through the atmosphere at 01:31 lighting up the skies in the Gulf of Mexico about 65 miles off the coast of Tampa. I had positioned myself looking out Hurricane Pass at Honeymoon Island & captured the return.

28/04/2024

With continuous winds hovering around 17-18 knots at Titusville's Veterans Park with on & off again rain, SpaceX was able to launch the Falcon9 rocket carrying the European Galileo FM25 & FM27 satellites on a N.E. trajectory. The first stage was jettisoned into the ocean.

24/04/2024

from Graham Smith, Starlink 6-53, 6:17 pm ET, 4 23 24

22/04/2024

Tonites scheduled launch @ 7:10 PM of SpaceX StarLink 6-53, has been scrubbed & is rescheduled for tom0orrow evening @ 6:15 PM

18/03/2024

Standing at Turn 11 facing a setting sun shortly after 6:15 PM, I captured the # 62 Ferrari 296 GT 3as it made a "small" error in determining the apex of the turn and came off of the track, The next 3 shots were trash as I & 2 other photographers were vacating our positions by the catch fence. Luckily, the Ferrari made it back onto the track.

02/03/2024

courtesy of Julia Bergeron and NSF, this shot of Blue Origin's New Glenn from the ocean side, on Pad 36, for first tanking tests

05/01/2024

Emerging from its sarcophagus i.e. VIF (Vertical Integration Facility) photographers got a first glimpse as it rolled to Pad 41 for an expected launch at 02:18 AM on Monday. This will be the maiden flight for this new rocket the Vulcan VC2S from ULA.

04/01/2024

Per some request recently here is a video recap of last night's SpaceX Falcon 9 launch & RTLS (return to landing site) LZ-1 of Swedish satellite Ovzon-3 from launch complex 40 Cape Canaveral Florida at 6:04 PM 1-3-24 into thick clouds over the launch pad. Double sonic booms at landing & Photos are at end of video clip.

Due to the mid level cloud deck it made this launch louder than normal.

Video by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com & Live Storm Chasers

Great to see a lot of the launch was visible from Marco Island over 200 miles away in a straight line.

29/12/2023

In less than three hours the SpaceX team launched Falcon Heavy USSF-52 carrying the X-37B space plane at 8:07 PM from LC-39A and Starlink Falcon 9 6-34 at 11:01 PM!

The sky was cloud free for both launches and each launch had a different trajectory. Falcon Heavy USSF-52 was a norhteastern trajectory and Starlink 6-34 was the typical southeastern streak. USSF-52 also had both side core first stages land at LZ-1 & LZ-2 and Starlink had their booster land on ASOG. Three successful landings in such a short period of time is impressive. Starlink first stage B-1069 made its 12th flight to space. Falcon Heavy USSF-52 had B-1064 & B1065 both with five trips & landings at LZ-1 & LZ-2.

This marks the 95th & 96th launch in 2023 from all three California and Florida launch pads for just Falcon 9 rockets this year a new company record. The end of year cumulative milestones for this company stands now at 293 total launches, 256 total landings and 228 total re-flights of Falcon 9 boosters.

Photos by Scott Schike for spacenewsfl.com
Additional photos are on the website.

29/12/2023

Last night at 8:07 PM, after several previous delays, SpaceX launched another Falcon Heavy carrying a classified Dept of Defense cargo from Launch Complex 39A. Earlier in the day, heavy gray clouds & drizzle moved on and left a clear sky for fantastic viewing of the launch as well as the 2 side boosters returning to the Cape.

07/12/2023

SpaceX launched their 92nd mission in 2023 with the Starlink 6-33 launch at 12:07 AM Thursday morning in clear skies and diminishing winds.

The weather forecast for this launch was 95% favorable with only a slight risk of high liftoff winds and a moderate risk for the Falcon 9 booster landing on drone ship JRTI Just Read The Instructions East of the Bahamas. First stage booster B-1077 made its ninth flight to space and made a successful landing on JRTI.

SpaceX company wide milestones after this mission are the 289th total launch, 252 total landings, 224 total reflights of a Falcon 9 booster, 90th reflight of a booster in 2023, the 178th consecutive landing, 92nd launch in 2023 and the 159th SpaceX launch from SLC-40.

Three different long exposure streak shots are on spacenewsfl.com with a couple in flight shots.

Summary & Photos by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com

10/11/2023

Incredible beauty tonight with the NASA SpaceX CRS-29 ISS resupply mission from liftoff at 8:28 PM ET to the clearest nebula boost back burn and an RTLS landing at LZ-1 Kennedy Space Center November 9th 2023! This launch was also visible from Naples. Marco Island & Ft. Myers! The last photo is from Marco Island approximately 200 miles away in a straight line.

The spacecoast had extremely clear skies and the images captured during the entire mission are truly stunning to look at for this successful mission so far. Ontop of the first stage booster B-1081-2 (it's 2nd flight) was the second flight of Dragon 2 cargo capsule C-211 packed with science investigations, food, clothes, and maitenace equipment for the International Space Station and the astronauts on board this orbiting labatory in low Earth orbit.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster also made a pinpoint landing back on land at LZ-1 on the Cape Canaveral side of the two bases. The nebula which occurs down range during first stage seperation, 2nd stage ignition and the first stage boost back burn was incredible to view. It truly looks out of this world and always stunning to witness!

Back to back launches this week had a weather forcast of greater than 95% go for launch during this instantaneous window and cloud free skies at liftoff.

SpaceX milestones are their 81st launch in 2023, 280 total SpaceX launches, 243 total booster landings, 215th re-flight of numerous boosters in their fleet and their 167th consecutive booster landing.

The Dragon capsule should dock with the ISS autonomously on Saturday November 11th 2023.

Congratulations to all four teams NASA, SpaceX , ISS and the SLD 45th Space Wing!

Additional extra photos on spacenewsfl.com

Photos and Summary by Scott Schilke for SipaUSA & spacenewsfl.com

04/11/2023

SpaceX Sets New Corporate Record & New Flight Leader B-1058 18th Flight & Landing Starlink 6-26 At 8:37 PM Nov. 3rd 2023!

Another SpaceX Elon Musk milestone completed with their first 18th flight first stage Falcon 9 booster carrying Starlink 6-26 internet satellites to space and landing back on their drone ship ASOG in the Atlantic Ocean at 8:37 PM November 3rd 2023.

The 45th Space Wing had predicted 80% Go For Launch weather but it was even better than that at liftoff. The clouds cleared about an hour before launch on a crystal clear spacecoast evening over space launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Florida.

SpaceX is pushing the flight certification on their reflown Falcon 9 rockets in a hopes of reaching 20 flights in routine fashion. Tonight was the 60th launch from Kennedy Space Center / Cape Canaveral in 2023.

The booster landing tonight marks the 241st booster landing with 213 reflown rockets and the 278th total launch for SpoaceX,

Congratulations to the entire team for tonights success on further pushing their re-useability goals for the Falcon 9 workhorse!

Photos & Summary by Scott Schilke for spoacenewsfl.com

22/10/2023

The 77th Launch In 2023 For SpaceX Is Complete With Starlink 6-24 Liftoff At 10:17 PM From SLC-40 Cape Canaveral Florida On October 21st 2023!

On a calm cloud free space coast evening SpaceX Starlink 6-24 rumbled through the night at 10:17 PM Liftoff with first stage Falcon 9 booster B-1080-4 making its 4th flight into space and landed on ASOG downrange in the Bahamas. Weather was 95% Go For Launch this evening.

Additional SpaceX statistics are the 266th Falcon 9 launch, the 210th re-flight of a first stage booster, the record 164th consecutive booster landing, the 77th launch for SpaceX in 2023 so far, the 150th launch from SLC-40.

Congratulations to the entire SpaceX Elon Musk team for tonights success.

Additional launch photos are on spacenewsfl.com photos by Scott Schilke from Marco Island Florida

18/10/2023

From 294 miles away Marco Island Florida to Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:39 PM this SpaceX Starlink 6-23 launch was simply incredible to witness in a crystal clear cloud free night sky! You could see the 2nd stage nebula all the way over Miami in this southeastern trajectory.

First stage booster B-1062 made it's sixteenth trip to space and re-landed on a drone ship near the Bahamas successfully.

Simply beautiful! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team and SLD-45 Space Force.

Photo by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com

15/10/2023

Very surprised to find one remote pad water logged & drenched camera did record liftoff of NASA SpaceX Falcon Heavy Psyche Mission from LC-39A on lucky Friday the 13th October 2023 at 10:19 AM in cloudy skies. Two additional videos from the NASA press site with a very cool crowd reaction when this triple candle is lit. Congratulations to everyone at SpaceX and NASA!

Video by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com

14/10/2023

Took some camera damage on this launch due to two days of drenching rain storms (Wed. & Thurs.) during the scrub attempt on Thursday but definitely worth the cost to document only the 8th ever SpaceX Falcon Heavy liftoff propelling NASA's Psyche asteroid probe to an escape trajectory wirh the help of 5.1 million pounds of thrust. Both side boosters made perfect landings back at LZ-1 & LZ-2 for the 233rd & 234th booster landings by SpaceX. The new center stage was expended for mission success.

Psyche has now started a 2.2 billion mile journey to its namesake asteroid and will arrive in 2029 for its scientific investigation of this ancient planetary metal core.

The journey began at 10:19 AM Friday the 13th October 2023 in partly cloudy skies after two previous days of strong thunderstorms.

Full sequence of over 30 liftoff photos from three different angles around LC-39A are on spacenewsfl.com for your enjoyment and viewing.

Photos by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com

11/10/2023

Update: Launch has now pushed to Friday the 13th at 10:19 AM!

NASA SpaceX Falcon Heavy Psyche Mission Poised For Liftoff But Weather May Cause A Delay On Thursdays October 12th 2023 Launch Attempt 10:16 AM!

Weather for tomorrows launch attempt is not good with a forcast of 80& POV possiability of violation of many weather criteria from the 45th Space Launch Delta USSF for Cape Kennedy on the 12th. In fact the weater for the next three days Thursday, Friday and Saturday range from 80%, 50%, & 60% for the next three days respectively.

The NASA Psyche payload weighs 2,747kg or 6,056 pounds and will take till 2029 to reach the Psyche asteroid on a 2.2 billion mile journey of exploration. It is believed that Psyche is a remnant metal core from a distant planet and will be the first time NASA has explored an asteroid like Psyche. The center core is B-1079-1 and will be expended to help achieve an escape trajectory for this mission. The two side boosters are B-1064-4 and B-1065-4 which will both attempt a LZ-1 & LZ-2 simultaneous landing.

If a launch does occur this will be the 55th launch so far this year from Cape Kennedy / Canaveral and will mark SpaceX 73rd launch this year between both California and Florida launch pads. Other SpaceX milestones will be the 233rd & 234th first stage booster landings, the 205th & 206th re-flight of a booster and the 71st & 72nd re-flight of a booster in just 2023.

Spacenewsfl.com wishes both the NASA team and the SpaceX team much success on this important mission to learn more about the origin of our own universe. Ad Astra

Article and Photos by Scott Schilke for spacenewsfl.com