321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week (June 2)
As of Tuesday afternoon, SpaceX has officially confirmed the next rocket launch is set for 9:30 a.m. on May 28 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
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Launch recap: Scroll down to read updates from the SpaceX launch of Starlink satellites at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
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After major setbacks during the past two Starship flights, SpaceX was counting on success this time as it launched the massive Starship on its ninth test flight from Texas — however the May 27 launch saw yet another dramatic ending.
From launch to loss of the ship, high-quality footage was sent to the live coverage via Starlink. The world watched as once again things did not go as hoped for the massive launch system, which will eventually launch from Florida. The May 27 flight was aimed at testing much more than what transpired.
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A SpaceX rocket took to the Florida sky during the bright, early hours of Wednesday, May 28.
The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicted an 85% chance of favorable weather during the early window, and just as predicted, skies were clear and a heat index of 91 degrees was felt.
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Space Florida has authorized leasing 25 acres on northern Merritt Island for Project Beep, an undisclosed aerospace company that plans to build a future quarter-billion-dollar facility and create about 1,000 jobs just outside NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Little information has been publicly released about this confidential company.
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Look for a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to propel a GPS III satellite into orbit for the Space Force during an afternoon launch Friday, May 30, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Falcon 9 will lift off with the Lockheed Martin-designed and -built satellite at 1:37 p.m. for this GPS III-7 mission, SpaceX announced. The launch window will expire one minute later.
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As Florida leaders call for moving the nation's space-agency headquarters to Brevard County, Space Florida is launching a study about how NASA and U.S. Space Force operations could be merged at Cape Canaveral.
Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long on Wednesday told board members of the state aerospace agency that a 'unified model' would support the ongoing growth of commercial space operations and ensure government missions can be more efficient and sustainable.
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Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Friday, May 30, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on the GPS III-7 mission for the Space Force.
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Dodging raindrops, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket bolted off the pad on a Space Force mission Friday, May 30, shortly after a wave of thunderstorms and showers soaked Cape Canaveral and surrounding areas.
The rocket deployed a GPS III satellite into medium-Earth orbit after the 1:37 p.m. liftoff from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — where a special marine warning had advised boaters of steep waves, gusty winds and possible hail offshore.
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Two veteran astronauts were inducted May 31 into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame — and one of them had to miss the induction ceremony as she's preparing to launch on yet another mission.
Organized by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, the annual ceremony was held under Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new inductees are Bernard Harris and Peggy Whitson, bringing the total number of astronauts in the Hall of Fame to 111.
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With the new NASA budget proposal that includes deep cuts heading to Congress and NASA still without a leader, a surprise twist came May 31: Jared Isaacman was being dropped as President Trump's choice to become the next NASA administrator.
Isaacman's confirmation as the head of NASA had been expected Monday. But instead the White House announced Isaacman was no longer in the running. Trump said on Truth Social that he will propose a new nominee.
Read the full story here.
Scrub recap: Scroll down to read updates from the scrubbed SpaceX Starlink 12-19 mission, which was set to liftoff early June 2. The next launch attempt is no earlier than 12:42 a.m. on June 3.
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 Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week (June 2)
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