Get ready for a decade of stunning space images from this new observatory
A groundbreaking telescope’s decade-long campaign to observe the cosmos like never before is officially underway.
For scientists, the milestone promises the enticing potential of unlocking secrets of the universe that have long remained elusive. And for the rest of us, well, get ready for years and years of one more source of jaw-dropping photos of the known universe.
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To aid aging KSC infrastructure, Florida senator pitches ‘Space Ready Act’
With the number of launches increasing on Florida’s Space Coast while the infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center shows its age – and on the heels of a warning from NASA’s top watchdog — a Florida senator proposed a solution to the Cape’s woes.
Senator Ashley Moody visited Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on July 7 to announce the Space Ready 2.0 Act. While it will not provide new funding, the Space Ready 2.0 Act aims to give NASA a new vehicle to accept contributions from commercial partners. It would be a pilot program.
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Inside Blue Origin’s plan to fly New Glenn rocket again before 2026 ends
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin wants to launch its towering New Glenn rocket before the end of 2026 – and it has a plan to do it.
As you may remember, the massive heavy-lift launch vehicle was due to get off the ground on what would have been its fourth-ever flight when it exploded at the end of May in a dramatic fireball, sending shockwaves across Florida. In the weeks since, teams have been clearing the Cape Canaveral launch site of debris and beginning the arduous process of rebuilding.
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SpaceX plans early morning Falcon 9 launch Thursday from Florida
SpaceX plans a July 9 wake-up call for Space Coast residents as the company prepares to launch its next Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.
The liftoff is set for no earlier than 5:05 a.m. Thursday from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If needed, SpaceX has until 9:05 a.m. to make the launch window.
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SpaceX launch recap: Early Thursday liftoff from Florida creates predawn ‘jellyfish’
Recap of the SpaceX Starlink 10-42 mission from Cape Canaveral, which launched 5:25 a.m. July 9 from Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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Artemis II crew returns to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for first time
More than three months following their launch from a Kennedy Space Center launchpad, the crew of Artemis II returned to the Cape on July 8 and got an opportunity to visit the spacecraft that took them around the moon.
Launching atop the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket on April 1 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39B, the four flew around the moon in their Orion spacecraft, breaking the record for the farthest space flight, which had been 248,655 miles from Earth set by the Apollo 13 crew. Artemis II flew 252,760 miles from Earth.
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Final NASA Space Shuttle crew reflects under Atlantis 15 years later
The final four shuttle astronauts returned to Kennedy Space Center this past weekend and addressed a crowd underneath their ride, Space Shuttle Atlantis, reflecting on that last flight of the space shuttle era 15 years ago.
Commander Christopher Ferguson, Pilot Douglas Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim launched aboard Atlantis on July 8, 2011, from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission to the International Space Station lasted 13 days, landing back at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility on July 21.
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World’s largest rocket to launch again as SpaceX preps for Florida
SpaceX will launch the world’s largest rocket for the second time in 2026 as the race heats up for Elon Musk’s spaceflight company to be ready for NASA’s next moon mission.
The gargantuan Starship rocket, standing more than 400 feet tall, last got off the ground May 22 at SpaceX’s South Texas headquarters. The flight test marked not only the first Starship launch of 2026, but the highly anticipated debut of a new-and-improved rocket prototype.
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SpaceX plans overnight rocket launch from Florida early Tuesday
SpaceX is set to launch its next Falcon 9 — an overnight liftoff that will mark Florida’s 47th rocket launch of the year.
The liftoff is set for now no earlier than 5:10 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. If needed, SpaceX has until 7:15 a.m. to make the launch window.
Read the full story here.
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: FLORIDA TODAY’s 321 Launch space newsletter roundup of our latest coverage
Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Rick Neale, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
