Latest news with #SpaceCoast
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Start of hurricane season sees SpaceX rocket launch from Florida ahead of weather system
A loud, sustained rumble shook the Space Coast during the first hour of Tuesday − and it wasn't thunder. The loud rumble was a SpaceX rocket taking off on the latest Starlink delivery mission. The liftoff occurred on time at 12:43 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40, despite weather lingering off shore. With hurricane season officially started, the first bit of activity is already seen. However, the National Hurricane Center has predicted this system offshore has a low chance of turning into the season's first hurricane. "Monday evening 6/2: A non-tropical area of low pressure is forecast to form near or offshore of the southeastern U.S. coast within the next 2 to 3 days. The system has a low chance of formation later this week while moving northeastward at 10 to 15 mph," the National Hurricane Center wrote in a May 2 post on X (formerly Twitter). Those hazy conditions over Cape Canaveral provided not just acoustics for the rocket's accent and stage separation, but a murky filter over the glowing rocket. When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral The payload of this mission was the latest batch of 23 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites. These satellites provide internet to customers in the most remote areas on Earth. It was the 21st launch for the first stage, also known as the booster. To date, SpaceX's record for a booster is 28 flights, as seen during a launch last month. Previous missions for this well-flown booster include: 13 other Starlink missions, NASA's Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and TD7. Eight-and-a-half minutes past the lift off, the booster came in for its 21st landing on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instructions, which was stationed out on the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, no Florida sonic booms were heard. Be sure to follow the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team for the latest from Cape Canaveral. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launches from Florida as weather system forms offshore
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘It's absolutely shocking:' Space Coast reacts as Trump administration pulls NASA pick
The search is back on for a new NASA administrator. The Trump administration announced Saturday that they were pulling Jared Isaacman's nomination to lead the agency just days before he was set to face a confirmation vote. The move caused a stir on the Space Coast, with many in the space community expressing shock at the move. So far, no replacement has been named. Isaacman, a billionaire philanthropist and private astronaut, had bipartisan support and had advanced past the Senate Commerce Committee earlier this year. Nearly 30 former astronauts had supported Isaacman's nomination, stating he was uniquely qualified to lead the agency. 'It just came out of nowhere,' said researcher and scientist, Dr. Ken Kremer with Space UpClose, 'Everybody in the space community pretty much was united that this was a great nomination.' Isaacman had been working his way through the confirmation process since December. Kremer said it will likely be months before a new nominee is confirmed. 'Everybody supported his nomination, and it still took a long time,' said Kremer, 'They've got to go through background check, they've got to fill out all kinds of financial forms.' The White House said it's looking for someone to lead the effort to put humans on Mars and plant an American flag. During Isaacman's Senate Committee Confirmation hearing, Isaacman said he believed a mission to the Moon should come first, but also wanted to see a mission to Mars in the future. The White House released a statement saying, 'The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars. It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.' Kremer said that months into the new administration, a new appointment needs to come quickly. 'Like any federal agency, they need a head to fight for their budget, fight for their point of view, lay out to the president why what they're doing is important,' said Kremer. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Brevard's Class of 2025 celebrates graduation
Seniors in the Brevard County Class of 2025 are celebrating as family and friends watch graduation ceremonies across the Space Coast. Ahead of the ceremonies, Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell wished students around the district a "bright and fulfilling future." "Graduates, as you step into the next chapter of your lives, remember that learning doesn't end with graduation," he said. "Embrace every opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally. Stay curious, be resilient, and don't be afraid to take risks. Your journey will be filled with challenges, but it's through these challenges that you will find your true strengths." This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Coast Class of 2025 seniors celebrate graduation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Beachgoers mesmerized by massive swarm of sand fleas spotted on Florida's Space Coast
The Brief Thousands of sand fleas swarming were spotted on the Space Coast. The rare phenomenon caught on camera may have been during a mass mating. SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. - A video of thousands of tiny sand fleas is going viral on the Space Coast. What we know A longtime beachgoer captured the sight in Satellite Beach. Sand fleas are super common by the waterline on the coast of Florida, but it's extremely rare to see that many all at once above the sand. Experts think they could have been mating or eating something in the area they all liked. Sand fleas aren't bugs but actually crabs. They're known for being good bait and totally harmless. But, in other countries, doctors say they can leave parasites in people's skin. What they're saying A massive swarm of sand fleas spotted this week along Florida's Space Coast has beachgoers stunned and experts guessing, as video of the unusual sight spreads across social media. "It was very shocking. That's why I took the video. I didn't think it was going to blow up like that," said Denise Derrick Wright, who took the video she posted on social media. Dr. Todd Osborne, a biogeochemist at the University of Florida, said he's never seen so many gathered in one place. "There may be a lot of that buried in the sand there, or maybe it's a mating thing's going on, and I think that's more likely," said Dr. Osborne. While the sight might be unsettling, Florida's sand fleas are harmless. However, experts note that similar species in other parts of the world can carry parasites. "There are some in other countries that kind of lay eggs under the skin and leave parasites and things like that, but that is not something you have to worry about on Florida's beaches," said Dr. Bobby Ford, who's the ER Medical Director at Orlando Health. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source FOX 35 reporter Esther Bower spoke with several beachgoers, including Denise, who took the video on May 29, 2025. She also connected via zoom with a medical doctor on the possibility of people getting bitten by the fleas and a scientist on zoom about why they could have been swarming like they were. She spoke with other fishermen on the phone about how often they see sand fleas and how they're good for bait.
Digital Trends
6 days ago
- Science
- Digital Trends
After Starship's 9th test, astronaut shares unique view of earlier flights
SpaceX's massive Starship rocket roared skyward for the ninth time on Tuesday, with the test flight delivering mixed results. The upper-stage Starship spacecraft coasted for around 40 minutes before breaking up on reentry, a performance that beat the seventh and eighth tests when the vehicles broke up soon after stage separation. The first-stage Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, exploded on its descent, though SpaceX had said beforehand that this could happen as it was trying out a new system for the return flight that put extra pressure on the booster. Recommended Videos Tuesday's test flight inspired NASA astronaut Don Pettit to share his two favorite shots of earlier Starship launches, captured from the unique perspective of the International Space Station (ISS) as it passed close to the launch site at an altitude of around 250 miles. 'My two best Starship photos from space station,' Pettit, whose most recent ISS stay lasted just over seven months before ending last month, wrote in a message on X. 'Left shows flight 6 launch over Starbase. Right is the flight 8 exhaust trail and debris field after breakup in orbit.' My two best Starship photos from space station. Left shows flight 6 launch over Starbase. Right is the flight 8 exhaust trail and debris field after breakup in orbit. — Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) May 27, 2025 Commenting back in December about his photo of the sixth Starship launch, Pettit put it down to 'dumb luck' for being in the right place at the right time, adding that if the launch had been delayed by 20 minutes, the ISS would have traveled far enough that he wouldn't have been able to see the rocket lift off. He said that once he realized that the ISS was going to be flying over SpaceX's Starbase launch site, it was 'just a question of knowing how to use your your photography equipment, which lens to use, what kind of shutter speeds, exposures, ISO, that kind of stuff.' During his time in orbit, Pettit shared some amazing images, including this absolute stunner of the Betsiboka River estuary in Madagascar, and another showing Earth as you've never seen it before. Want to see more of Pettit's space-based work? Then check out this collection of his best images from his most recent ISS mission.
