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SpaceX launches Space Force Falcon Heavy mission from Florida, lands at Cape Canaveral

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches the Space Force's USSF-67 mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023. The rocket's side boosters landed at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station while the center core was expended.

SpaceX

Florida's Space Coast, already known for the rumble of rockets and window-rattling sonic booms triggered by their return landings, will hear even more of the latter moving forward thanks to launch performance changes made by SpaceX.

For several years, crewed launches to the International Space Station have featured Falcon 9 booster landings on drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean, but the company this week said it was able to take advantage of "extra performance" to start landing boosters at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during those missions. Over the course of a year, that could translate to up to a half dozen more booster landings at Landing Zones 1 and 2 and just as many sonic booms when those 162-foot boosters return.

"We have a little bit of extra Falcon performance," Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability, told reporters during a pre-launch briefing this week. "It's advantageous to get the first stage back to the landing site because then we don't have to worry about recovery weather and the drone ship."

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Having "extra performance" ultimately translates to fuel. When SpaceX began using the upgraded Crew Dragon capsule in 2020, there wasn't enough fuel left over after launch to justify flying all the way back to the Cape, so drone ships have met the boosters "halfway" in the Atlantic. Since then, SpaceX has refined the process to the point where there is not only enough performance, but with a comfortable margin.

"We've always had this kind of capability before," Gerstenmaier said. "We just weren't sure that we would always get the performance but the number of Falcon flights we've flown have allowed us to say that performance is available and can be used where it's needed to be used moving forward."

Gerstenmaier's comments came during a pre-launch briefing for SpaceX's next crewed mission: Ax-2, a private flight to the International Space Station organized by Houston, Texas-based Axiom space. The team of four Peggy Whitson, John Shoffner, Ali AlQarni, and Rayyanah Barnawi is slated to launch from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A at 5:37 p.m. EDT Sunday, May 21.

After liftoff, the rocket's 162-foot booster will return to Landing Zone 1 and generate its signature triple sonic boom along the way, though it sounds more like a single boom by the time it reaches some spectators. Though startling, sonic booms are largely harmless to humans, wildlife, and infrastructure.

Since the first touchdown at the Cape in 2015, SpaceX has successfully landed boosters 192 times.

For the latest, visitfloridatoday.com/launchschedule.

ContactEmre Kellyataekelly@floridatoday.com. Follow him onTwitter,Facebook,andInstagramat @EmreKelly.

Axiom-2: Brevard braces for heavy traffic Sunday with SpaceX launch, boat races

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Florida will hear more sonic booms as SpaceX squeezes performance out of Falcon 9 rocket - Florida Today

Crewed launch, high-profile events could lead to heavy traffic on Brevard roadways

Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik has a prediction for what traffic will be like Sunday afternoon in Brevard.

"It will be super gnarly, and quite a &$^%show!"

Call it the grand conjunction. The alignment of the planets. The perfect storm. Or any one of a dozen other cliches, but this Sunday afternoon, Brevard is going to experience chaos on local roadways.

"Get to the beach and pick a spot super early and avoid A1A as much as possible," Malik said about traffic in his beachside city with thousands of visitors expected for multiple events through the weekend, but particularly on Sunday.

Why?

Axiom-2, SpaceX's second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station for Axiom Space and NASA, is "go" for launch aboard aSpaceXFalcon 9 and Dragon capsule. The launch is scheduled for 5:37 p.m. Many spectators will likely want to wait for the sonic boom about nine minutes after liftoff because SpaceX, for the first time with a crewed mission, will target a booster landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

"We can see as many as 100,000+ people for a crewed launch," said Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism. "We expect this weekend to be very busy and encourage people to plan their routes and timing carefully."

As with all crewed launches, once the excitement is over, those same spectators will get in their cars to head home, to a Brevard restaurant or some other destination clogging the east-to-westbound traffic arteries leading from the barrier island to the mainland.

But Cranis is quick to say the convergence this weekend is still likely just a fluke even with an increased launch schedule.

"I think this is a bit unique," said Cranis on Sunday traffic expecations. "But during crewed launches, (residents) should be prepared for larger crowds."

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Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings

Add to that the thousands of residents and visitors to the Space Coast who are expected for Thunder on Cocoa Beach. Thunder on Cocoa Beach is considered one of the Space Coast's largest tourism-related events of the year and is expected to bring in upwards of 100,000 people from out of the area.

The high-speed boat races will take place all weekend, but the offshore races happen on Sunday starting around 10 a.m. with the final race of the day scheduled between 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The races are held from Alan Shepard Park to Coconuts on the Beach and many of those spectators will likely linger to watch the launch.

Cranis said that last year more than 36,000 people from outside of Brevard County came to the Cocoa Beach event and more than 100,000 people attended the event over four days.

"It will no doubt be a busy and exciting weekend from fast boats to faster rockets," Cranis said.

"A lot of these people, I would venture to guess, are going to come and stay the day," said Kerry Bartlett, executive director of Space Coast Super Boats LLC, promoter of Thunder on Cocoa Beach.

Bartlett said many of the people coming for the races would also have planned to come over for the launch.

"It may not be another 100,000 people, it may be another 50,000 people," he said adding that parking is going to be a major issue for people who want to see the launch from the beach. "Parking on the beach is already going to be occupied by people from the boat races and if they know there's a launch at 5:30, they aren't going to leave that parking spot."

Bartlett suggested that residents walk or bicycle to the beach accesses in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral to avoid traffic and parking frustrations.

Residents wanting to watch the launch will want to avoid State Road A1A altogether and should consider these alternatives:

"Typically in launches like this, pedestrians take over the Max Brewer bridge," said Marcia Gaedcke, development director of the Titusville Playhouse and former executive director of the Titusville Chamber of Commerce.

Titusville should provide an easier route out to Interstate 95 from U.S. 1 via Garden Street and state roads 50, 405 and 46.

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There is a Space Coast Chess Foundation tournament at the Radisson at the Port this weekend. Sunday is the last day of the event, with matches at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. It will likely draw players from outside of Brevard.

According to Sean Malone, foundation vice president and secretary, the tournament will draw around 250 players plus an addition 100 or so in parents, organizers, tournament directors, etc.

Malone cautioned that some of those final matches won't end until hours after they start. "A round can last up to four hours," Malone said. "Not everyone will be finished with their game at the same time." Players from the tournament will be trickling out of the Radisson through the afternoon and evening.

On the mainland, the 2 p.m. matinee and final performance of Cocoa Village Playhouse's production of "Mary Poppins" will be getting out. Adding another nearly 500 people trying to navigate heavy traffic on U.S. 1 and State Road 520 in Cocoa Village.

Practically perfect: 'Mary Poppins' flies into Cocoa Village Playhouse

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Likewise, the Titusville Playhouse's 2 p.m. matinee of "Sunday in the Park with George" will let out between 4:30 to 5 p.m.

According to Gaedcke, the playhouse is expecting a crowd of about 250 to 300 people for the Sunday performance with many of those coming from outside of Titusville.

Gaedcke said patrons wouldn't need to worry about parking because they would be at the show early enough to avoid the onslaught of people coming for the launch, but that traffic leaving the playhouse might be a little tricky.

Rob Landersis a veteran multimedia journalist for the USA Today Network of Florida. Contact Landers at321-242-3627orrlanders@gannett.com. Instagram:@ByRobLandersYoutube:@florida_today

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SpaceX Axiom-2 launch, Thunder on the Beach: Brace for heavy traffic - Florida Today

The four crewmembers of the second-ever private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS) are eager to leave their home planet behind, at least for a little while.

That mission, known as Ax-2, is scheduled to launch toward the ISS atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday afternoon (May 21) and the four astronauts who will fly it are counting down the days.

"To say I'm excited to be here would be a gross understatement," Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner said during a press conference on Tuesday (May 16).

"I feel like I've been preparing for this my entire life," Shoffner added. "I've been a fan of space since I was a child I grew up in the age of the early space race so getting here now and having a chance to fulfill that excitement is very, very powerful to me."

Related: SpaceX to launch 1st Saudi woman to space on private Ax-2 mission

Shoffner is a paying customer on Ax-2, which will be the second flight to the orbiting lab organized by Houston-based company Axiom Space. The first, the pioneering Ax-1, launched and landed in April 2022.

Ax-2 will be commanded by Peggy Whitson, a record-breaking former NASA astronaut who now flies for Axiom Space. The other two crewmates are Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, mission specialists who are members of Saudi Arabia's first astronaut class.

Alqarni and Barnawi will become the first Saudis ever to visit the ISS, and Barnawi will be the first woman from the kingdom to reach space. (The first, and so far only, Saudi to make it to the final frontier was Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who flew on the STS-51-G mission of the space shuttle Discovery in 1985.)

"We are really honored and privileged to have you guys and to be part of this amazing mission," Alqarni said during Tuesday's press conference.

He and Barnawi, Alqarni added, "are really thrilled and excited for our mission and to represent Saudi Arabia on this journey."

If all goes according to plan, that journey will take the Ax-2 quartet to the ISS in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The Dragon will dock on Monday morning (May 22) and spend eight days attached to the orbiting lab before returning home for an ocean splashdown.

The four Ax-2 crewmembers will spend their time in orbit conducting more than 20 different scientific experiments, including one that will grow stem cells in microgravity.

They'll also do a variety of educational and outreach work, especially activities designed to spark a love of science, technology, engineering and math in students around the world.

"We're very excited for the part that will be engaging with kids from all over Saudi Arabia and all over the world, talking about our experiments, talking about space and having them trigger their curiosity towards space," Barnawi said.

"I'm sure that we're gonna enjoy this mission," she added. "We're almost five days away, so our excitement is above the limits!"

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Ax-2 private astronauts can't wait for their May 21 SpaceX launch to the space station - Space.com

ISS astronauts clear spot for Axiom crew

Like shuffling cars around in the driveway, space station astronauts moved a Crew Dragon capsule to make room for an incoming Axiom crew.

NASA

Weekend weather conditions around Kennedy Space Center look mostly favorable for SpaceX's next launch, which will send four private astronauts to the International Space Station.

The Axiom-2 mission for Axiom Space and NASA, set for liftoff at 5:37 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 21, has a 60% chance of "go" conditions according to a Space Force weather report released Thursday. Pad 39A will host.

After liftoff, former NASA astronautPeggy Whitson, Axiom-2 mission commander, joined by private spaceflight participantJohn Shoffnerand government-sponsored Saudi Arabian astronauts Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, will spend about a day in orbit catching up to the ISS. If Falcon 9 launches as planned on Sunday, Crew Dragon should arrive at the ISS at 9:30 a.m. EDT Monday, May 22.

The crew is planned to spend eight days docked to the space station to experience what it's like to live in orbit. They will spend time working on numerous science, communication, and educational outreach projects before they return for a splashdown landing in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

Astronauts in space: Can they eat, tweet, shower, FaceTime, use TikTok or Spotify? Mostly yes

Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings

Everything we know: Meet the private Axiom-2 crew set for launch from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday

A weather system likely to produce thunderstorms during the afternoon this weekend may pose a threat to launch conditions.

"Another boundary begins to move into the Southeast U.S. on Saturday, extending the lower storm coverage near the spaceport," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said Thursday.

The primary concerns for liftoff on Sunday are cumulus and anvil clouds that could produce lightning.

"On Sunday, the boundary will likely be close to Central Florida, again providing a focusing mechanism for afternoon and evening convection," forecasters said. "Luckily, the prevailing flow will allow the east coast sea breeze to move inland, keeping most storms away from the spaceport."

Shortly after liftoff, the Falcon 9 booster will somersault and target Landing Zone 1 at nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, bringing with it sonic booms. Forecasters listed conditions for booster recovery as "low risk."

The 230-foot rocket and crew capsule must launch exactly on time during the instantaneous window or delay to another day. Unfortunately, weather conditions are expected to deteriorate substantially for the backup launch opportunity about 24 hours later on Monday, May 22.

"The primary launch weather concerns for a Monday evening attempt include cumulus, debris, and anvil clouds associated with the thunderstorms," forecasters said, predicting only a 20% chance of "go" conditions for Monday.

Beyond Monday, NASA officials said teams would have to stand down until a future date could be determined to best fit into a busy summer at the station, which includes the first crewed flight demonstration of the Boeing Starliner capsule in July and NASA's Crew-7 mission with SpaceX no earlier than August.

Look for FLORIDA TODAY's live launch coverage to begin 90 minutes before liftoff athttps://www.floridatoday.com/space/. For the latest, visitfloridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Jamie Groh is a space reporter for Florida Today. You can contact her at JGroh@floridatoday.com. Follow her onTwitter at @AlteredJamie.

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources.Please support it with a subscription here.

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Weather OK for Sunday's SpaceX Axiom-2 private astronaut launch to ISS - Florida Today

What goes up must come downif you dont do anything about it.

NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, and in the decades since scientists have benefitted from its unprecedented views far beyond our galaxy. And even though its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, is now performing its own exploration even further into the cosmos, the Hubble can do plenty of useful astronomy.

But Earths gravity and atmosphere will inevitably pull the bus-sized telescope back to the planet, perhaps as soon as 2028. NASA will need to safely bring it back down to crash into the Pacific Ocean, or better yet: Lift it into a higher orbit so it can continue its mission, which has already cost the US about $16 billion since the idea for the telescope was conceived in 1977.

Its a tantalizing idea for space companies of all stripes. Elon Musks SpaceX has partnered with Jared Isaacman, the founder of payments company Shift4, on a series of space tourism missions onboard its crewed Dragon spacecraft. One project Isaacman has proposed is flying to the Hubble and raising its orbit to keep it at work for another decade or more.

Now, two space start-ups that have emerged in SpaceXs wakethe space servicing company Astroscale and the space tug builder Momentushave teamed up with their own proposal to rescue the iconic observatory. The firms are developing the technology needed to fly a robot to the Hubble, have it grapple the telescope with a robotic arm, and use a water-fueled propulsion system to slowly lift it 100 km (62 miles) higher.

The Hubble Space Telescope has been serviced in orbit five times before, most recently in 2009, with astronauts using the Space Shuttle and its robotic arm to latch onto the telescope. Then, they could perform space walks to install new scientific instruments, change batteries, and notably repair a damaged mirror. Humans were required because robots werent capable of the delicate work.

With the Space Shuttle retired, the only way to get astronauts to the Hubble is onboard the Dragon. The vehicle doesnt have its own robotic arm, and its not clear exactly how it would link up to Hubble. But Dragons experience docking autonomously with the International Space Station gives it the tools it needs to maneuver close to the Hubble, and its propulsion system has the power to raise its orbit.

However, unlike past missions where astronauts had to get inside the Hubble, theres no obvious reason this mission requires people in proximityand keeping astronauts alive and comfortable in space is expensive and difficult. A robotic mission would likely be cheaper and just as effective, and the technology to robotically service satellites is now coming into its own with potential for broad use.

Notably, Northrop Grumman has used an autonomous vehicle to grapple a communication satellite and extend its life an additional five years and is developing additional missions based on that design. The US government has a national strategy to develop the kinds of complex software, sensors, and robotic systems to fix and dispose of satellites in orbit. These capabilities are seen as a precursor to more ambitious plans to manufacture goods in space.

Astroscale and Momentus are both working on products intended to be the infrastructure for orbital activity.

Astroscale, a Japanese company with subsidiaries in the US and UK, is focused on space debris and satellite servicing; its first mission saw its ELSA-D spacecraft rendezvous, inspect, and grapple with a target. Now, among other tasks, it is working with Japans space agency launch a mission to inspect a rocket body in orbit, and to develop the tools neededto service different satellites.

Momentus was founded to build orbital transfer vehicles or space tugs, which can be used to deploy satellites to specific orbits after launch, or carry payloads like sensors or communications tech as virtual satellitesfor other companies. It was originally founded by Mikhail Kokorich, a Russian space entrepreneur, but when Momentus went public through a SPAC transaction in 2021, Quartz reported that Kokorich was under a federal investigation and had been forced out of previous US space firms because of rules designed to protect technology with military applications from rival nations. After agreeing to a $7 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Momentus transitioned to a new management team led by CEO John Rood, and recently completed its first orbit-raising maneuver with its Vigoride spacecraft.

That speaks to the complementary nature of the two firms Hubble proposal: Momentus will supply a Vigoride spacecraft and the companys water-fueled propulsion system, which CTO Rob Schwarz says strikes a balance between the efficiency of an electric thruster and the power of a chemical rocket engine. Astroscale will add the package of sensors and software to carefully approach another spacecraft, and a robotic arm to latch onto the space telescope. Then, the vehicle could slowly lift the Hubble to a higher orbit over a period of about 64 days. The companies think they could have the mission ready in less than two years.

A robotic solution is not only the solution thats best suited to accomplishing the objectives of the mission cost-effectively, Ron Lopez, the president of Astroscale US, told Quartz. [This is] also an opportunity as a matter of good public policy to invest into this growing segment of the market of on-orbit servicing and in-space manufacturing.

SpaceX interest in the Hubble mission (and Isaacmans apparent willingness to take it on at no cost to the government) led NASA to ask interested companies to share how they would go about boosting the Hubblefor free. NASAs request for information notes that [p]artner(s) would be expected to provide...the launch vehicle, spacecraft, crew if applicable to the approach, and mission operations...necessary to successfully perform the demonstration.

Between SpaceXs resources and Isaacmans deep pockets, that might not be a big deal. Momentus and Astroscale, however, are still young companies with limited resources. Part of the logic of their joint venture is to share the costs of the mission, which would likely be on the order of tens of millions of dollars, far less than flying the Dragon, which costs more than $200 million for a four-person NASA mission.

For Momentus, performing the mission would be an advertisement for its capabilities and a chance to impress NASA, one of the largest buyers of space services.

A lot of other assets that are not Hubble class would benefit from a servicing mission, but it would have to be a low-cost servicing mission. The business case can still close, Schwarz says. If we do invest, we get to demo our tech, get a lot of public visibility.

Astroscales Lopez held out hope that NASA might be willing to invest in the mission through a public-private partnership with a fixed price contract, though he didnt share specific figures. He noted that NASA has seen good return on investments in other commercial technology, like SpaceXs Falcon 9 rocket, and that European and Japanese space agencies are funding more missions focused on space sustainability.

This is an opportunity for NASA to do what it has always done, Lopez said. To enable and engender innovation.

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A pair of space upstarts are competing with SpaceX to rescue the ... - Quartz