Launch Rats

After weather conditions forced a postponement of the launch originally scheduled for yesterday, SpaceX successfully launched their Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-40 to the International Space Station today at 12:29 pm EST.

Yesterday’s weather was unseasonably cold for those brave souls who ventured out to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and elsewhere to watch the launch, but the low temperature wasn’t the cause of the scrub. Rather, it was upper-level winds – everyone’s least-favorite launch party guest – that were responsible for the delay.

pic.twitter.com/fThKZEuUw2

— UPPER LEVEL WINDS (@upperlevelwinds) December 4, 2019

Even when wind conditions near the ground seem mild, high winds in the upper atmosphere can cause control problems for a rocket in flight, making launches a Very Bad Idea. Despite the delay, prospective launch viewers remained undaunted, showing a strong attendance at Kennedy Space Center’s Banana Creek viewing area for the rescheduled launch today.

SpaceX's CRS-19 mission lifts off from Cape Canaveral, deftly evading the giant finger that appears in the sky just after Max-Q. As seen from the Banana Creek viewing area at @ExploreSpaceKSC. pic.twitter.com/8aBBrpjt19

— Wayward Plane ✈️ (@WaywardPlane) December 5, 2019

Following a liftoff accompanied by enthusiastic cheers, SpaceX brought the Falcon 9’s first stage to a landing on its drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, as the Dragon capsule hurtled onward toward the ISS. While normally an ISS launch would be accompanied by a RTLS landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, testing of a 6-hour coast using stage 2 required the use of more fuel, thereby necessitating a landing at sea. This, of course, means there will eventually be a booster return at Port Canaveral, so stay tuned for more news of that.

Falcon 9 booster has landed on Of Course I Still Love You – SpaceX’s 46th landing of a rocket booster pic.twitter.com/ZstOcN22KH

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 5, 2019

When the Dragon arrives at the ISS, it will be the fourth spacecraft docked there (sharing parking space with Cygnus-12 and Soyuz MS-13 and MS-15) and deliver more than 5,700 pounds of NASA cargo and science investigations, including a next-generation imaging system called HISUI, experiments testing the malting of barley in microgravity, and a new group of intrepid mousetronauts to investigate methods of preventing muscle and bone loss during spaceflight. Unlike CRS-16, which coincidentally launched a year ago today, moldy mouse food was not a factor in today’s launch.

They take too good care of those mice for me to make it back 🙁

— Moldy Mouse Food (@MoldyMouseFood) December 5, 2019

The Dragon capture will be handled by Expedition 61 Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA, with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan acting as backup, and NASA’s Jessica Meir monitoring telemetry. Coverage of the Dragon capture will begin on Sunday, December 8th at 4:30 am on NASA TV and at NASA Live, to be followed by coverage of robotic installation to the Harmony module at 8:00 am. Be there! or be… asleep, probably.

Obligatory post-launch Wayward squiggle photo. #CRS19 pic.twitter.com/5GAWVM9yCe

— Wayward Plane ✈️ (@WaywardPlane) December 6, 2019

UPDATED, 23 Nov 19: Per Star*Fleet Tours, “It appears CRS-19 may be landing on the droneship, not LZ-1 as everyone expected. We’ll be in the ideal spot if it’s close to shore, but if it’s far then other viewing sites are likely a better choice for launch-only. HOLD HOLD HOLD on ticket sales while we clarify. Thanks!” ( per Twitter )

Star*Fleet Tours is once again pleased to announce the availability of launch viewing from their boat fleet for the upcoming SpaceX CRS-19 mission! Watch the launch and landing from a unique perspective on the water (yet safe – no wayward boats here!) Tickets will go on sale at 12:00 noon EST this Saturday, November 23rd – these tickets may sell out quickly, so be prepared! More information can be found at https://star-fleet.tours/current/

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has just announced launch viewing availability for SpaceX’s CRS-19 launch on a Falcon 9, set for no earlier than Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 at 12:51 pm EST. LC-39 Gantry tickets are available for $49 per person in addition to KSCVC daily admission, and will provide the closest possible view of the launch. Viewing from the Apollo/Saturn V Center will be included with daily admission, and will offer the second-closest view of launch. More information available here: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2019/december/rocket-launch-spacex-falcon-9-crs-19

As SpaceX CRS missions to the International Space Station are generally RTLS missions, featuring boosters landing at LZ-1 in Cape Canaveral, some may prefer to seek this vantage point. For those, Jetty Park is the preferred viewing location. (Exploration Tower and SR-401 may or may not be available, depending on whether SpaceX has reserved the space for their own use.)

Hope to see you at the launch!

Is the long launch drought over? Looks like it might be!

Currently on the Space Coast launch schedule (per spaceflightnow.com) is SpaceX’s Starlink 1 launch, slated for Monday, November 11th at approximately 10 AM EST, launching from SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral AFS. Good viewing spots for that pad include KSCVC’s Apollo/Saturn V Center (if available), the Max Brewer Bridge, and any of the parks along U.S. 1 in Titusville. For the best view of landing (if there is a landing?) you’ll want to try Jetty Park or perhaps SR-401 – though the latter is iffy, nowadays; parking is far more restricted, and the area is often reserved for SpaceX use. Spaceflight Now is also showing a prospective launch for Starlink 2, also from SLC-40, as “TBD” for the month of November. Stay tuned for more details on that.

December is shaping up to be potentially much busier, with SpaceX’s CRS-19 cargo mission to the ISS currently slated for Wednesday, December 4th at 12:48 pm EST, and SpaceX’s JCSAT 18/Kacific 1 listed for Sunday, December 15th at 7:10 pm EST. Also on the schedule is ULA/Boeing’s CST-100 Orbital Flight Test on Tuesday, December 17th at 7:45 am, in which a ULA Atlas 5 rocket will launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on an unpiloted test flight to the ISS. Also listed as “TBD” possibilities are SpaceX Starlink 3 and 4 launches, and – this is a very big deal! – SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Demo 2, which (when it happens) will be the first crewed launch from American soil since Shuttle days. Note that all launches are subject to change, and the CST-100 and Crew Dragon launches particularly so… don’t make travel plans just yet!

Stay tuned to this site and all the usual information outlets for further news on any/all of these, and check out Launch Rat Jared-Base’s Beginners Guide to SpaceX site at spacex-guide.weebly.com for more info on those SpaceX launches!

As of 6th August, 2019, upcoming launches scheduled from the Space Coast are as follows:

August 6, 6:50 pm EDT: SpaceX Amos 17, launching on a Falcon 9 from SLC-40, CCAFS – Kennedy Space Center is offering premium launch viewing opportunities at the Banana Creek Viewing area; more info here. LC-39 Gantry is now SOLD OUT. Other launch viewing locations include Playalinda Beach, Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, and any of the many coastal parks along US-1 in Titusville.

August 8, 5:50 am EDT: ULA AEHF 5, launching on an Atlas V 551 from SLC-41, CCAFS (launch window closes at 7:50 am) – Kennedy Space Center has converted all Gantry viewing to Banana Creek and is offering partial refunds if you still want to go, full refunds if you no longer can. Check with them for more info. VIP launch viewing tickets are currently available for Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral, and can be purchased here. Jetty Park will be open for launch viewing; Playalinda will not. The coastal parks along US-1 in Titusville remain a solid choice.

August 22, time TBD: ULA GPS 3, launching on a Delta IV Medium+ from SLC-37B, CCAFS – As the time of this launch is not yet known, no premium or other launch viewing information is available at this time; when in doubt, head for US-1 in Titusville.

At this time, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean that may present weather problems for Florida in the coming days. This may affect launch scheduling (among many other things). If you are planning a trip for the Amos 17 or AEHF-5 launches, keep a close eye on weather forecasts and all the usual launch news outlets for further updates.

As always, we wish you the best of luck in your launch viewing journey!

(Last edited: 6th August, 4:52 pm.)

Static fire for the ARABSAT6A mission was successfully completed on 5th April. Per the Titusville, FL Police Department, SpaceX is now targeting Wednesday, 10th April 2019 for this launch. Chance of weather violation (which would prevent launch) is currently 20% for Wednesday.

If you have Feel The Heat or other premium launch tickets, contact Kennedy Space Center for details and updates on scheduling for those; keep an eye on social media and relevant sources (ChrisG et al.) for cutting-edge news on what happens next.

(Last updated: 8th April 2019, 12:02 pm EDT)