SpaceX launches Starfall demo mission from Cape Canaveral. See photos.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 let out a loud, continuous rumble early Tuesday morning, announcing the launch of the company’s new mysterious Starfall spacecraft.
“SpaceX has developed a new spacecraft called Starfall, which is at its core a microgravity lab researchers and entrepreneurs can leverage to develop their products and innovations,” SpaceX Avionics Supply Chain Engineer Zachary Luppen said during the June 23 launch broadcast.
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‘Project Forge’ company eyeing Titusville airport land to build facilities
Project Forge, an unidentified aerospace company, is eyeing Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville as it considers building up to $350 million in Florida facilities for research, development and launch operations.
Three weeks ago, Space Florida’s board of directors approved a request for conduit financing for the code-named aerospace initiative.
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KSC Visitor Complex plans future upgrades to improve rocket-launch viewing
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex officials are planning long-term upgrades over a 15-year span at the Apollo/Saturn V Center to accommodate thousands of additional rocket launch spectators, NASA permitting records show.
Accessible via tour bus, the tourist attraction’s Apollo/Saturn V Center lies within a restricted area on the Banana Creek shoreline less than four miles west of KSC’s high-profile pads 39A and 39B. The 100,000-square-foot waterfront building houses a tremendous 36-story-tall Saturn V rocket, displayed horizontally, and a wide array of moon-themed museum exhibits.
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Artemis II crew could soon make history again with this rare honor
The four people who flew on NASA’s Artemis II mission could join rare company, becoming just the second crew of astronauts ever to be awarded one of the nation’s most prestigious civilian honors.
In a bipartisan effort, U.S. lawmakers have nominated the Artemis II crew for a Congressional Gold Medal. Separate bills were introduced Wednesday, June 24, by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona – a former astronaut – and retiring Nebraska GOP Rep. Don Bacon in both the Senate and House.
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SpaceX readies huge SiriusXM satellite for launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Clocking in at a hefty 15,000-plus pounds — roughly as heavy as a school bus — SiriusXM’s latest high-powered digital-audio radio satellite awaits its nighttime launch into orbit on Sunday, June 28, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will propel the SXM-11 satellite skyward from Launch Complex 40. After delivery into geosynchronous transfer orbit, the huge satellite will position itself so its coverage zone will span more than 8 million miles.
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Todd Halvorson, legendary FLORIDA TODAY space reporter, dies at 68
Todd Halvorson, one of the preeminent journalists covering the space program during the shuttle era, passed away June 22. He was 68.
Halvorson spent nearly three decades covering the space program for FLORIDA TODAY and in the process became one of the most nationally recognized space reporters. His second day on the job was Jan. 28, 1986, when space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members.
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A month after the New Glenn rocket explosion, Blue Origin clears pad
Approaching one month since an explosive setback rocked the Space Coast, Blue Origin is making significant progress on clearing its wrecked New Glenn launch pad, moving quickly toward reconstruction.
Blue Origin’s CEO Dave Limp gave a public update on X (formerly Twitter) on June 25, sharing a video showing the launch pad being cleared of wreckage alongside a timelapse of crews working at the site.
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Kennedy Space Center’s aging infrastructure risks NASA’s moon, Mars goals
As NASA works toward returning astronauts to the moon to stay and then onward to Mars, Kennedy Space Center remains the hub of that ambitious effort — but a June report by the space agency’s chief watchdog warned of major Earth-based risks to these plans.
Everything from bridges to roads, and electrical power to nitrogen and helium gas supplies requires upgrades at a facility built in the 1960s for Apollo program and later modified to support the space shuttle, which retired in 2011.
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Can NASA save the Swift Observatory? Agency has a plan to try
A high-stakes mission is on the cusp of launching an uncrewed spacecraft on a bold journey to save a NASA telescope from certain doom as it plummets back to Earth.
NASA’s Swift Observatory is at risk of falling to its fiery death in the atmosphere after more than two decades of observing the cosmos from Earth orbit.
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Live updates from SpaceX SiriusXM SXM-11 mission from Cape Canaveral
Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Sunday, June 28, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the SiriusXM SXM-11 mission.
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For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly 321 Launch space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY, where he has covered news since 2004. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA updates, SpaceX Starfall launch and Project Forge top space newsletter
Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rick Neale, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
