Hey, parents: I know you love your kids deeply and dearly, but c’mon, haven’t you wished sometimes – just for a moment – that you could send them off to another planet to play for a little while, so you could relax and sip a cup of coffee or glass of wine in peace?
Well. Have I got news for you…!
Check out the video below for more information on Kennedy Space Center’s newest attraction, which is – brace yourselves – truly out of this world.
…I’ll show myself out. 😉
It’s been a long, rough road… launch forecasts being issued and retracted, the recovery fleet heading out and then coming back, dates slipping and slipping, again and again… but at long, long last, we may actually have information on the Turksat 5a launch (woooo!)
As of the time of this post, SpaceX’s Turksat 5A mission is now scheduled to launch from pad SLC-40 on Thursday, January 7th at 8:28 pm local time (GMT-5) – but that’s slipped, what, three times in the past three days? so if you’re planning to drive more than a half hour to see this one, seriously, wait until the very last moment before making any plans or spending any non-refundable money on the trip. Due to the late hour and the launch trajectory (pretty much straight out to sea), the best viewing option for this one is probably the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, but other options like U.S. 1 in Titusville and the Max Brewer Bridge will also work. The 45th Weather Squadron is predicting an 80% probability of favorable weather for launch at this time, but also forecasts a cold front moving in, so make sure to bring warm clothing or blankets – and there is a four-hour launch window, so remember snacks and drinks, in case you end up having to wait.
Of course, what comes up must come down, and in SpaceX’s case, that usually means that a drone ship will come cruising into Port Canaveral with a Falcon 9 booster on its back within a few days after launch – as always, you’ll want to keep an eye on @Julia_Bergeron and @SpaceXFleet for further updates on the booster return.
And speaking of things returning from space via Port Canaveral: the Dragon spacecraft launched to the ISS on the CRS-21 mission is expected to splash down off the coast of Cape Canaveral on Monday, January 11th at 9 pm local time (GMT-5):
Stay tuned to Space Twitter for updates, folks!
First it was going to be January 4th, then the 6th, and… there’ve been no updates, the recovery fleet is still in Port Canaveral, and we just don’t know what’s up with this launch.
Stay tuned, I guess? We’ll pass along info when we have some.
Aaaaaargh I forgot to update the site again, and this is important, yo:
SpaceX is launching the NROL-108 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from pad LC-39A this Thursday, December 17th, within a three-hour window that begins at 9:00 am local time (GMT-5) and the reason why this matters is because this is a Return To Launch Site landing, expected to occur at LZ-1, and those are becoming rarer and rarer lately.
For this launch, Jetty Park is going to be the prime location, in order to get the best views of that landing booster. As a bonus, the booster from the SXM 7 launch is expected to arrive in port at dawn, so an exciting day to take a trip to Port Canaveral! Remember to buy your Jetty Park admission in advance; they will scan your admission code at the gate.
Cheers!
ETA: Deadlock broken. ULA’s Delta IV Heavy is scheduled for the 10th; SpaceX will launch SXM7 on the 11th.
If you have looked at the latest launch schedule and noticed that two different launches seem to be happening on the same day, and are wondering what’s up with that?
It’s okay. None of the rest of us know, either.
So, CRS-21 launched this morning from LC-39A, and the view from Playalinda Beach was glorious…
Falcon Heavy on pad LC-39A the day before its historic debut, poised for flight. Photo by Lupi.