United Launch Alliance names new CEO after multi-month search
After its longtime chief stepped down in December to join Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance (ULA) named a new CEO on Aug. 17 — a leader who has been with the company throughout development of its Vulcan rocket.
With former CEO Tory Bruno serving as Blue Origin’s president of national security, United Launch Alliance has been running without a CEO for more than eight months. On Monday, the company released a statement saying Mark Peller had been chosen as the new CEO.
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Next ISS spacewalk due to make history. Here’s why, how to watch
A little bit of history will be made when two astronauts exit the International Space Station to conduct the second spacewalk of August.
For NASA astronaut Anil Menon, the planned Aug. 18 trip into the vacuum of space will be not just his second spacewalk ever, but his second in a row following his recent Aug. 6 venture. Joining him will be Sophie Adenot, an astronaut with the European Space Agency who NASA says will become the first French woman to conduct a spacewalk.
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After record rocket doubleheader, SpaceX preps for Thursday launch in Florida
Look for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to take flight across sunny Brevard County skies Thursday, Aug. 20, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The 230-foot rocket — which will deploy 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit — has a four-hour launch window extending from 11:19 a.m. to 3:19 p.m.
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SpaceX Starship recovery spotted by photographer, ‘incredible to see’
Just 11 days after SpaceX’s Starship recovery efforts appeared to be faltering, the vehicle was spotted being towed ashore at Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean by a wildlife photographer.
When photographer Chris Bray headed out with his gear, he had no idea he’d capture an image that would set the spaceflight community buzzing.
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After Artemis II wowed, Florida rocket launches are only due to climb
In April, the world watched in awe as four intrepid astronauts were launched into space from Florida toward the moon atop NASA’s most powerful rocket ever.
That mission, known as Artemis II, captivated the public for 10 days as three Americans and one Canadian made a trip around the moon and back to Earth. To many observers, Artemis II signified the dawn of a new era of space exploration as NASA aims to return Americans to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years.
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Merritt Island firm lands $250M Space Force contract to help boost launch capacity
In a major development, Merritt Island-based All Points Logistics has secured a $250 million Space Force contract to design and build a large spacecraft processing center at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Technicians at this future West Coast facility will process, integrate, fuel and encapsulate space vehicles ahead of launch. Vandenberg SFB remains on pace to blow past last year’s pace of 71 space launch and missile tests — the installation’s highest launch rate since the 1970s.
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Look back at this year’s Florida rocket launches, captured in photos
SpaceX, Blue Origin, United Launch Alliance, and NASA have launched a combined total of 52 rockets this year from Florida.
As in previous years, SpaceX remains in the lead with 45 rockets from the Space Coast. United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin sent off missions earlier in the year. Meanwhile, NASA launched its SLS (Space Launch System) once on the Artemis II mission.
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NASA photos show giant crater where SpaceX rocket slammed into moon
A NASA lunar orbiter has caught a glimpse of a crater the size of a six-story building left on the surface of the moon after a chunk of a SpaceX rocket careened into it earlier in August.
For days, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter had searched for the aftermath of the crash as it orbited the moon. Then, between Aug. 11-12, the spacecraft was able to capture a series of images of the crash site from 60 miles high as it circled about once every two hours.
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Starship recovery, Roman Space Telescope and more launches: Space Beat
This week on Space Beat, host Rob Landers talks with Space Team Reporter Eric Lagatta about the spectacular splashdown of a Starship upper stage rocket and the difficult process of recovery from the Indian Ocean. Also, the team talks about the upcoming launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and a report that show we could be looking at a rapidly increasing launch cadence in the U.S.
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Scrub! SpaceX halts Starlink launch countdown with just 28 seconds left
Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Thursday, Aug. 20, scrubbed launch attempt of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the Starlink 10-39 mission.
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Live updates from SpaceX Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Friday, Aug. 21, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the Starlink 10-39 mission.
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See images of SpaceX rocket blazing across sky on Florida’s Space Coast
The morning after a scrubbed liftoff attempt, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, Aug. 21, on another Starlink satellite mission.
Liftoff occurred at 11:14 a.m. from Launch Complex 40 at the military installation. In a noteworthy event, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster concluded its 30th flight minutes later by landing atop the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Isaacman says Artemis III could launch from Kennedy Space Center in June 2027
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Friday that the agency’s Artemis III mission could launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as June 2027 — a fast-approaching target.
The Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce 8th Space Coast Symposium hosted Aug. 21 at the Radison Conference Center in Cape Canaveral brought together space industry leaders to discuss the latest economic scene on Florida’s Space Coast. Much discussion focused on the workforce in Brevard County and the continued growth of the space industry.
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Will I be able to watch August lunar eclipse in Florida?
You won’t need special glasses to see the lunar eclipse coming to Florida and North America next week.
While Florida residents won’t see a total lunar eclipse, the Earth’s shadow — known as the umbra — will cover almost 94% of the moon.
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Relativity Space expansion, plans to hire thousands could remake North Brevard
Relativity Space — a relatively new industry player on Florida’s Space Coast run by the former CEO of Google — has announced ambitious plans to construct a manufacturing facility for its hulking 284-foot Terran R rocket and hire thousands of workers by the end of 2034.
Few geographic details have been publicly released since last month’s high-profile announcement that the company has committed to expand its operations on the Space Coast. But a North Brevard Relativity Space expansion with high-paying jobs would provide an economic boost for the Titusville area, which historically was hit hard after NASA retired the Apollo and space shuttle programs, said Don Platt, director of the Florida Institute of Technology’s Spaceport Education Center.
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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 Artemis III update, Relativity Space, Starship photo top space newsletter
Reporting by Rick Neale, Florida Today / Florida Today
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By Rick Neale, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
