Category: News & Updates

Launch news and updates from the Space Coast.

Next Up: CRS-21 (maybe?) 12/5

So, yeah, it’s totally not like I’ve been busy with holiday stuffs and slacking on the rocket-ish things… Anyway, as of now there’s only a 40% chance that weather will allow it, with moderate risk of upper-level winds and high risk of bad recovery weather, but if the Fates are kind, SpaceX will be launching their Cargo Dragon to the ISS on its CRS-21 mission on a Falcon 9 from pad LC-39A on Saturday, December 5th at 11:39 a.m. local time (GMT-5).

12/3 ETA: Improving weather outlooks might? increase the PGO from 40% to a better number? Keep an ear to the wind with this one; don’t make any non-refundable travel plans just yet.

Starlink L15 Now Sunday; Crew-1 Booster Returns to Port, Askew

So if you were thinking, “gee, I really don’t feel like watching a rocket launch on Saturday night,” well, guess what? You are in luck, because SpaceX’s Starlink L15 launch has now slipped to Sunday, November 22 at 9:56 p.m. local time (GMT-5). Playalinda will be closed, so U.S. 1 in Titusville is probably the best option.

The Crew-1 booster, expressing its individuality via nonconformity with parallel lines upon its return to Port Canaveral on Thursday.

Meanwhile, yesterday morning the Crew-1 booster, B1061.1, returned to Port Canaveral aboard the drone ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) and apparently it was practicing its ballet moves while at sea, for it danced into port nearly en pointe, one landing leg right up against the edge of the ship with another raised up in the air, holding a truly spectacular pose. According to tweets by SpaceX executive meme-lord Elon Musk, this seemingly major alignment disorder is a relatively simple fix, and will not prevent the booster’s planned reuse for Crew-2, NASA/SpaceX’s next crewed launch. No word as yet on whether Musk and/or SpaceX will be funding B1061.1’s future dance training and potential career.

Stay tuned for further Space Coast updates!

Next Up: Port Return, Starlink

Yeah, yeah, Crew-1 is awesome, but here on the Space Coast it’s always all about the next launch – which will be this Saturday, November 21, at 10:17 p.m. Nope! Sunday, November 22, at 9:56 p.m. local time (GMT-5), when SpaceX launches another batch of Starlink satellites (designated V1.0-L15) aboard a Falcon 9 from pad SLC-40 in Cape Canaveral AFS.

Before that, however, we expect to see the SpaceX ship Just Read The Instructions (JRTI) arriving at Port Canaveral with the recovered first stage from the Crew-1 launch (B1061.1) some time tomorrow (Thursday, November 19)…

Crew-1: The Morning After

So last night, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 did in fact yeet the Crew-1 Dragon capsule Resilience toward the International Space Station; it was a spectacular launch, and the photos are still rolling into social media, and all around the Space Coast, people are slowly waking up and perhaps wondering what to do with themselves now that the Big Event is past…

Crew 1: T-1 Day Roundup

Today, Saturday the 14th of November, is not Launch Day. Tomorrow… so far, so good.

As announced yesterday, the NASA/SpaceX Crew 1 launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station has moved to Sunday, November 15th at 7:27 p.m. local time (GMT-5), and so, as everyone scrambles to change their plans, here’s a few things to keep in mind:

(At One Point) Crew One (Was) Proceeding On Schedule, Somehow

UPDATE: Crew 1 has slipped one day due to weather at the recovery location – to Sunday, as noted below. If you have Gray Line tickets, check your email for important re-booking information! -WP

Despite Tropical Storm Eta bouncing around the Gulf like a pinball, plans are still proceeding apace for the Crew One mission to the International Space Station, launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than Sunday, November 15th, at 7:27 p.m. local time (GMT-5), according to the Flight Readiness Review that concluded today.

NROL-101: Where to Watch

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

Launch And A Movie at KSCVC: SpX GPS III SV04 and Hubble

Yeah, okay, that title’s a little ambiguous: SpaceX is NOT re-launching Hubble. What is happening is that Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is once again offering their Launch And A Movie package for the SpaceX GPS III SV04 launch, originally slated for September and October but now scheduled for November 5th at 6:24 p.m.

For an admission cost of $50 per vehicle, you’ll be able to watch the launch from the comfort of your car, followed by a showing of Hubble on the big screen. Snacks, souvenirs and restrooms will be available; RVs are welcome. More details (including information for those holding tickets for the previous attempts at this launch) are available at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex website.

While your view of the launch is obstructed at ground level by the treeline for this launch, you will still have a close view once it’s in the air, and the webcast & movie on the big screen, as well as the festive atmosphere, makes this an event worth checking out!

Darmok and Jalad at Playalinda, watching Starlink

Yo. Folks. Let’s talk about Starlink at Playalinda.

Y’know how it is when you watch a movie, or a launch webcast, and everything’s so BIG, and so CLOSE, and it’s RIGHT THERE IN YOUR FACE… And then you go watch a launch in person, and you’re miles away, and it’s still amazing, but… you want it to be bigger, brighter, more?

Okay, so. Yeah. Starlink at Playalinda.

STILL AVAILABLE: Crew-1 Viewing Opportunities at KSCVC Apollo/Saturn V

Brace yourselves – Crew-1 is coming! No, not on Halloween as originally announced – the launch is now set for Saturday, November 14, 2020 at 7:49 pm EST – but already, preparations are being made to cheer on the astronauts of Crew-1 as they head to the ISS.

THE BIG NEWS: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, working in cooperation with Gray Line Orlando, are offering transportation and launch viewing for the Crew-1 launch at the Apollo/Saturn V Center! Unavailable to visitors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Apollo/Saturn V Center will be the closest available viewing location for this launch, so you won’t want to miss out on this one! This premium viewing package will be available at a cost of $229 per person; more details are available at the link below.

Purchase tickets at the Gray Line Orlando site (click here!)

(Tickets are STILL AVAILABLE, get ’em while they last!)

After a temperature check, guests will board Gray Line buses from one of four locations in Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista or Merritt Island, and be taken to Kennedy Space Center, where they will go through security and have a little time to explore the main complex before reboarding Gray Line buses to go to the Apollo/Saturn V Center. At the conclusion of the day, the buses will return directly to their departure locations.

This viewing package is an excellent opportunity for those who can’t easily make the drive out to the Space Coast, as well as, y’know, anyone who wants to see the launch from the best possible spot. We’ll have more info as it becomes available!

In addition to the Gray Line excursion above, KSCVC is also offering viewing at the main visitor complex’s Atlantis South lot (the Feel The Fun package, from the Atlantis north lawn, is already sold out). This location is 7.5 miles from the launch pad, and viewing of the launch will be obstructed at ground level by the treeline – but the atmosphere provided by Kennedy Space Center provides a fitting backdrop to such a momentous occasion. Those tickets are available at the Kennedy Space Center website (click here).

Be sure, in either case, to review the launch scrub policy carefully prior to purchase, and pay attention to the COVID-19 precautions in effect: masks will be required at these viewing sites, and temperature checks will be performed prior to entry.

We’ll have more information on other viewing locations and opportunities as the Crew-1 launch approaches, so be sure to check back soon. You can follow us on Twitter @LaunchRats to receive updates every time we post!