SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from Florida ahead of thunderstorm
May 24 (UPI) -- SpaceX on Saturday afternoon launched 23 more Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida before a thunderstorm struck the area.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Pad 40 at 1:19 p.m. The first-stage booster landed about eight minutes later on the private company's drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the booster's 24th mission, including 18 Starlink missions and a commercial resupply services flight to the International Space Station.
SpaceX has completed 451 booster landings since Dec. 2015 from Florida and California.
It was the 44th Starlink launch of the year from Florida at Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center, Florida Today reported.
At 11:55 a.m., the temperature was 89 degrees with a heat index of 100, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
After liftoff, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the area until 4:30 p.m. There were scattered to severe storms across east central Florida with hail, damaging winds and lightning, according to Space Coast Daily.
On Friday, SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
From the Kennedy Space Center on June 8, SpaceX is planning to launch the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. Liftoff for the Falcon 9 is scheduled for 9:11 a.m. from Pad 39A. The four astronauts plan to spend 14 days at the ISS.
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Study: Some parts of New Orleans' flood walls sinking nearly 2 inches per year
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Some residents living in the Michoud neighborhood on the city's east side — one of the areas identified in the study as sinking more rapidly than others — are concerned that maintenance won't be prioritized. Michoud resident Synthia Viltus pointed out that potholes and other smaller infrastructure issues in her neighborhood have remained unresolved for months. "I have zero faith in state federal leaders to keep the levies updated," Viltus said. The study did find a positive — some areas where industrial activities had been halted had actually caused the land to lift back up. The study's authors also hope their work will help guide other coastal cities who may be facing similar challenges to New Orleans. "This research shows that land movement isn't uniform, and understanding these patterns is crucial for protecting lives and property in a city where inches truly matter," Fiaschi said in the statement. "However, it's crucial to remember that our results still require careful ground-truthing. This is especially true for critical areas like the floodwalls, where on-site verification was not possible during this project." Ricky Boyett, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, said the urgent levee systems in the city were designed and built to withstand projected levels of land sinking until 2057. "Every levee system in South Louisiana is subject to settlement, subsidence and sea level rise," Boyett said in a statement. "As a result, periodic levee lifts are required to maintain the established level of risk reduction, whether that be the New Orleans Hurricane system, Mississippi River levees or other systems in the region." The USACE says it's already planning a major upgrade overhaul to the infrastructure so it can withstand a half-century of time passing — and the expected changes in elevation that may unfold throughout those years — until 2073. Meanwhile, the Tulane researchers say they were commissioned to conduct this study by the state, which manages the levees. They say this study was only the first phase of a two-part series. Phase two will use the same technology to examine wetland sinkage along the southernmost areas of Louisiana's coast — the first line of defense to protect against a hurricane's surge. Breaking down major Supreme Court ruling on nationwide injunctions Saturday Sessions: Gordi performs "Lunch at Dune" Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez set for star-studded wedding in Venice
