Tag: ula

December 10th Launch Update: WTAF?

posted on 7th December, 2020 9:24 am by

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.

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Next Up: Okay, Wait, What?

posted on 5th December, 2020 1:30 am by

As I write this, it’s 12:37 a.m. on the morning of the fifth and we don’t know yet whether SpaceX’s CRS-21 is going to launch today (ETA: it isn’t; Sunday the 6th at 11:17 am local (GMT-5), instead) and yet already I’m looking past that, because the launch schedule ’round these parts nowadays is just weird.

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NROL-101: Where to Watch

posted on 3rd November, 2020 3:18 pm by

As per the latest news, ULA is currently scheduled to launch NROL-101 on its Atlas V rocket from SLC-41 on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, at 5:54 pm local time.

Based on the visibility map posted by ULA to Twitter for the previous launch date, the northeasterly trajectory of this launch suggests strongly that Playalinda Beach is the place to be for this launch. As for why this is so: see my previous post about watching Starlink launches from Playalinda…

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Post-Launch Updates: Starliner, SpaceX OCISLY Return

posted on 21st December, 2019 5:03 pm by

After a picture-perfect launch aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket early Friday morning, the Boeing Starliner capsule missed its proper orbital insertion to rendezvous with the International Space Station as planned, and will instead land in White Sands, New Mexico tomorrow morning at 7:57 AM EST. Coverage will be shown live on NASA TV starting at 6:45 AM EST.

Due to what is believed to be a software issue, Boeing’s capsule did not make the planned burn to reach the orbit needed for ISS rendezvous. The problem occurred due to automation and a communication challenge with TDRS, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites; according to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine during a press conference yesterday morning, if the capsule had been crewed, the astronauts aboard might have been able to provide data and take action to complete the mission as planned, and in any case, would have been safe. ULA CEO Tory Bruno confirmed during the same press conference that ULA’s Atlas V rocket performed nominally throughout the launch to spacecraft separation. Despite the issues encountered, a great deal of information is being gathered to help ensure that future problems of this sort can be prevented. At this time, it has not been determined whether there will be another uncrewed test mission prior to the first crewed launch of the Starliner capsule.

Meanwhile, the launch itself was viewable along the eastern coast of the United States, resulting in spectacular photos from viewers far north of Florida, as well as the usual stunning work by the recurring cast of Space Coast launch photographers:

And while all the pre-launch prep and post-launch drama was going on elsewhere, SpaceX’s drone ship Of Course I Still Love You sailed serenely into port on Thursday, carrying the landed booster from the successful JCSAT-18/Kacific1 launch on December 16th. By Friday evening, the booster was horizontal and being offloaded from OCISLY.

Don’t forget to tune into NASA TV tomorrow for coverage of the Starliner capsule landing, and stay tuned for more exciting Space Coast rocket launches!

Upcoming Launches: SpaceX JCSAT 18, ULA Starliner OFT, SpaceX Starlink 2

posted on 12th December, 2019 9:52 pm by

UPDATED: 16 December 19, 11:26 AM, with Jetty Park Viewing Info

Looks like it’s going to be a busy month on the Space Coast!

Monday, December 16th, 7:10 pm EST: SpaceX will be launching a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral bearing the JCSAT 18/Kacific 1 communications satellite. The launch window will be open for a little less than an hour and a half, closing at 8:38 pm. Landing is planned to take place on the SpaceX drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, and therefore is not expected to be viewable from land. Viewing Locations: Exploration Tower is offering VIP launch viewing for $30 per person. Jetty Park will be open, and have 4 food trucks on site for visitors’ convenience; parking for non-Brevard County residents is usually $15 per car. Free locations include SR 528/A1A and any of the parks along U.S. 1 in Titusville, like Space View Park. Playalinda Beach will not be open due to the time of day. UPDATE! Kennedy Space Center has just opened up premium viewing for this launch at their Apollo/Saturn V Center! This will be the closest available viewing, and will cost $20 per person on top of regular daily admission (or annual pass). Get your tickets before they sell out, at the KSCVC website. (Thanks, Gordy L., for the heads up!)

Friday, December 20th, 6:36 am EST: ULA will be launching Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner capsule on its Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Center, the penultimate uncrewed test flight before ULA/Boeing begin carrying astronauts to and from the ISS. This launch will be on an Atlas 5 rocket, launching from SLC-41 in Cape Canaveral. Due to the pre-dawn timing of this launch, there is a very high chance of the noctilucent effect, leading to some amazing launch viewing! As with all ISS launches, this one has an instantaneous launch window, so it will either launch on time or not at all. Viewing Locations: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering their Feel The Heat viewing package at the Apollo/Saturn V Center for $195 per person; this is the closest available viewing for this launch. (The Feel The Fun package, at the Atlantis North Lawn, will have launch viewing obstructed by the treeline, and is less recommended for that reason.) Exploration Tower has stated that they will be offering VIP launch tickets, but no information is available yet. Jetty Park will be open starting at 5 am; parking for non-Brevard County residents is usually $15 per car. Free locations include SR 528/A1A and any of the parks along U.S. 1 in Titusville, like Space View Park. Playalinda Beach will not be open due to the time of day.

Monday, December 30th, 11:40 pm EST: SpaceX will be launching a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral bearing the third batch of satellites for their Starlink broadband network. It is expected that this will also be a first-stage landing at sea on one of SpaceX’s drone ships, and thus not viewable from land. Viewing Locations: Jetty Park will probably be open; parking for non-Brevard County residents is usually $15 per car. Free locations include SR 528/A1A and any of the parks along U.S. 1 in Titusville, like Space View Park. Kennedy Space Center is NOT offering premium viewing, Playalinda Beach will not be open due to the time of day, and Exploration Tower has not stated whether they will be offering VIP viewing packages at this time.

For the two SpaceX launches, assuming all goes as planned, the drone ships will return to Port Canaveral bearing the landed boosters within a few days; at that time, the drone ships and boosters should be briefly viewable from Port Canaveral’s “restaurant row” (for example, Fishlips Waterfront Bar & Grill) as the booster is being unloaded. Booster returns are a sight not to be missed! Do try to catch one if you can.

If you need further guidance on any of these, please feel free to reach out via the Contact links – we’re happy to help people on their launch viewing journeys.

Stay tuned for further updates!