nasa tour kennedy space center

NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

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NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Your Gateway to Space

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Always Exploring at The Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has its origins in 1963 when NASA allowed self-guided tours and later when congress approved funding for a full scale visitor center, Spaceport USA.

Today, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex sits on 42 acres and is America’s front row view to space travel past, present, and future. Historic artifacts, Kennedy Space Center tours, astronaut encounters, rocket launches, and models and simulation of future space travel.

Check Off Your Bucket List

Seeing a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast is on many people’s bucket list, and there’s no way for a civilian to get closer to the action than through special viewing options offered by the Visitor Complex. Common options for major launches include “Feel the Heat” which gives you a front row seat at the viewing area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, only 6 miles from the closest pad. 

April 27, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | 2 x Galileo

Payload consists of two satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation system.

April 28, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-54

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

April 29, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 7-28

April 23, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-53

May 6, 2024

Atlas V N22 | CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test

This is the first crewed test flight of Starliner spacecraft. It will carry NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station.

May 30, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 7-30

Upcoming Space Coast Launches

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the best place to watch a rocket launch on Florida's Space Coast! Check out what's launching soon

Unique Experiences

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is packed full of attractions and artifacts from America’s Space Program. Some of the experiences include:

• U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame – Pay your respects to the great heroes of the United States Space Program and learn about the early days of our journey to the stars
• Apollo/Saturn V Center – Until you’ve stood under it, you cannot understand how massive the Saturn V rocket is. Relive the entire Apollo program with various exhibits built around America’s trip to the moon
• Space Shuttle Atlantis – There are only 4 real space shuttles on display across the country, and we have one here! Space Shuttle Atlantis is presented in all its glory with it’s bay doors open. Don’t miss the Shuttle Launch Experience ride and the full scale replica of the Hubble Space Telescope
• Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex – Step into the modern era of Commercial Government collaboration in space. Check out a real SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and other artifacts from NASA’s commercial partners. Then step into Spaceport USA ride where you can virtually journey to the stars

Tips for Visiting

• Arrive early: There is so much to do at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and so little time to do it. Guests are often disappointed that when they choose to arrive later in the day they end up missing out on large sections of the experience. Your family can explore for 2 days and still not run out of things to discover
• Plan Ahead: Knowing which exhibits you want to and planning your route can help those with limited time get the most out of KSCVC. The Visitor Complex sometimes offers special viewing options for major launches, and this is the best way to get up close to the action, but this is also one of the closest spots to view normal launches as well. If you can time your visit with a launch attempt there are sometimes speakers and events centered around them as well.

• Protect Yourself: While most of the artifacts are inside air conditioned buildings, a good chunk of time is spent out in the Florida sun and rain walking between major attraction areas. KSCVC is surrounded by nature and swampland, and as such, bugs can become an issue at certain times of the day. Check the weather and pack sunscreen, rain gear and bug spray as appropriate
• Know Your Peak Seasons:  Like other Florida theme parks, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is usually busier around the holiday season, and times when families have vacations. Plan your trip accordingly, pack your patience, and be prepared for slightly longer lines

Related Yearly Events

• Yuri’s Night – April: Party with your fellow space nerds, astronauts, and more and celebrate Yuri Gagarin (the first human to leave Earth) and all things Space!
• Space Coast International Air Show – April/May:  South Brevard’s premiere Air Show takes over the skies above Melbourne
• Cocoa Beach Air Show – April/May:  Enjoy the waves and sun, while some of the greatest aircraft in the world put on a show above Cocoa Beach
• Thunder on Cocoa Beach – April/May: Get your adrenaline pumping as power boats and other watercraft race to be king of Cocoa Beach
• Taste of Space/Marstini Shake-Off – Oct-Nov: Sample the special menu at the Visitor Complex and enjoy special food and drink events all month
• Holidays in Space – Dec: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex goes all out for the holidays with special exhibits and decorations

Want to Keep Living Like an Astronaut?

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• Cocoa Beach (1)
• Melbourne and the Beaches (1)
• Port Canaveral (6)
• Titusville (11)

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Space Coast Launches App

Are you obsessed with space? Download our Space Coast Launches App to watch a live stream of every rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center & Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida.

• Locate the exact spot on the horizon to watch during a live rocket launch using the Compass feature.
• Countdown every second with real-time launch clock on the main screen.
• Keep track of upcoming missions including current launch schedule, in-depth mission plans and rocket details.

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• Park Overview Explore Missions Zones
• Heroes and Legends Space Pioneers
• Behind the Gates Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour
• Race to the Moon Apollo Moon Landing
• Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other NASA's Space Shuttle Program
• NASA Now + Next Preparing for Journey to Mars
• All Attractions
• Plan Your Visit
• Hours Of Operation
• Hotel Packages
• Travel Information
• Events Overview
• Event Calendar
• See A Launch
• Groups Overview Plan Events and Tours
• Youth Groups Programs and Field Trips
• Scouts Adventures for Scout Troops
• Private Events Events and Custom Tours
• International Programs and Custom Tours
• Camp KSC Day Camp for Students
• Educators Resources for Teachers
• Programs Educational Programs at KSC
• Accessibility Information

Access to the Restricted Areas of America's MULTI-USER Spaceport

Tour the birthplace of American spaceflight. From the comfort of an air-conditioned motor coach, view restricted areas of Kennedy Space Center, the working spaceflight facility where America launched to the Moon and where NASA plans to send astronauts into deep space.

On the way to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, follow space guide Emily Calandrelli as she visits some of the most mission-critical areas of Kennedy Space Center. As you see larger-than-life facilities from your bus, Emily takes you closer to exclusive areas like launch complex 39B and the Vehicle Assembly Building. While touring this multi-user spaceport, hear from local space experts in their fields and learn how NASA has joined commercial partners to prepare for the future of space exploration. Be sure to include the all-new Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour to your day! Please Note: As NASA and its commercial partners prepare for milestone launches this year, certain roads are currently unavailable to visitor complex buses. The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour has been rerouted in response to these operational requirements, but there is still plenty to learn and see beyond the gates of America’s multi-user spaceport!

BUY ADMISSION

* Last bus tour runs 2.5 hours before park closure.

Tour availability and routes may be altered at any time with or without any notice due to operational requirements. Safety protocols require an alternate tour bus route during days leading up to a launch from Launch Complex 39A.  Check the Daily Schedule once on site for any changes.

Kennedy Space Center Explore Tour

SpaceX rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral: Best places to watch them

Best place to watch a night rocket launch on the east coast of florida, from volusia county to the treasure coast, is at the beach..

Day or night, watching a rocket launch on the beach is so Florida. We’re especially lucky to see this on the Space Coast — it’s why we earned our moniker.

But it turns out our neighbors to the North and South of us can get a spectacular view of a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral . Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, of course.

Below are suggestions on where and how to watch a rocket launch from Ormond Beach to Fort Pierce and what to know about this weekend’s SpaceX doubleheader.

Is there a rocket launch in Florida today? Rocket launch calendar for Florida

Here's what we know about the rocket launch missions, mentioned in  FLORIDA TODAY's rocket launch calendar  for the month, which is updated frequently. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates because they are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.)

FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides interactive launch coverage at  floridatoday.com/space  with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission.

For questions or comments, email  Space Reporter Rick Neale  at [email protected] or tweet him  @rickneale1  on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. You also can contact Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or tweet her @brookeofstars on X or Instagram .

'What is that?!' A SpaceX rocket that launched from Florida was spotted -- in Texas

When is the next rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida? Saturday, April 27: SpaceX Galileo satellites

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Saturday, April 27, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Galileo satellites for the European Space Agency's global navigation system from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
• Launch window:  8:29 p.m. to 9:11 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 27, 2024
• Location:  Launch pad 39A
• Live coverage:  Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

Is there a rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida? Sunday, April 28: SpaceX Starlink

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Sunday, April 28, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch window:  5:50 p.m. to 10:21 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Location:  Launch Complex 40
• Trajectory:  Southeast
• Local sonic boom:  No
• Booster landing:  Drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean

Where to watch a SpaceX rocket launch from Space Coast of Florida

Pretty much anywhere  in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket  launch. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.

If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.

If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.

Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline, (you can even see the pad from some spots).

Some hotspots to check out:

•  Jetty Park Beach and Pier , 400 Jetty Park Road,  Port Canaveral . Note, there's a charge to park.
•   Playalinda Beach , 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there's a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn't always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
•   Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park , 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
•   Space View Park , 8 Broad St., Titusville
•  Sand Point Park , 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
•   Rotary Riverfront Park , 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
• Alan Shepard Park , 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
•   Cocoa Beach Pier , 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
•   Lori Wilson Park , 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
•   Sidney Fischer Park , 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
•   Sebastian Inlet Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
•   Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
•  South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
•  Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach

Can I see a rocket from Florida’s Treasure Coast? Where can I see a launch in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County?

The best views to watch a rocket launch around here is along the beach.

Visibility in Indian River County,  St. Lucie County  and Martin County, all part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north.

• Sebastian Inlet Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
• Wabasso Beach Park , 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge  in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge  in Vero Beach
• Fort Pierce Inlet , 905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beachside  North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach , 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park , 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park Beachside , 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman's Bay Beach , 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park Beachside , 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove Beach , 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy Beach  in Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park Beachside , 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce
• Walton Rocks Beach , which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach , 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• House of Refuge and beach , 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
•   State Road A1A causeway in Stuart

How about watching a rocket launch in Volusia County ?

Watching a rocket launch  or  waiting for that launch window  while at the beach is a pretty Florida thing to do.

In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County, you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launch.

The  best views to watch a rocket launch from here  is along the beach. Look due south.

• South New Smyrna Beach  (Canaveral National Seashore), there may be parking costs. New Smyrna Beach features 17 miles of white sandy beaches. An eclectic and quaint beach town, despite its reputation as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World," New Smyrna Beach has always been a haven for surfers who come for the waves.

Dinner and a launch:  Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, best waterfront restaurants in Volusia County

• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park , 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach, which is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of beachfront sidewalk,  according to Volusia County's site . The nearby riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river by the park can be a great viewing spot for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.
• Apollo Beach  at  Canaveral National Seashore  (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida's East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill riverfront  is the  southernmost city in South Volusia County .
• Sunrise Park , 275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich's Seafood and Oyster House  back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest national historic site , 211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze Park , 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park , 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.
• Nancy Cummings Park , 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park , 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This location has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the city of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launching facilities.
• A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier , 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the city of Oak Hill site states.
• Bird Observation Pier  on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation pier.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on  Twitter  or Instagram at  @byjensangalang . Support local journalism.  Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper .

SpaceX rocket launch doubleheader this weekend! Where to watch in Sebastian, Vero Beach

Best views to watch a rocket launch is along the beach. visibility in indian river, st. lucie & martin county will depend on weather conditions..

Day or night, watching a rocket launch on the beach is so Florida. But can someone on the Treasure Coast of Florida see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral ?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes. We have suggestions on where and how to watch a rocket launch from Indian River County, Martin County or St. Lucie County below if you keep scrolling.

Is there a rocket launch in Florida today? Rocket launch calendar for Florida

Here's what we know about the rocket launch missions, mentioned in  FLORIDA TODAY's rocket launch calendar  for the month, which is updated frequently. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates because they are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.)

FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides interactive launch coverage at  floridatoday.com/space  with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email  Space Reporter Rick Neale  at [email protected] or tweet him  @rickneale1  on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. You also can contact Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or tweet her @brookeofstars on X or Instagram .

When is the next rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida? Saturday, April 27: SpaceX Galileo satellites

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Saturday, April 27, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Galileo satellites for the European Space Agency's global navigation system from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
• Launch window:  8:29 p.m. to 9:11 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 27, 2024
• Location:  Launch pad 39A
• Live coverage:  Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

Is there a rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida? Sunday, April 28: SpaceX Starlink

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Sunday, April 28, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch window:  5:50 p.m. to 10:21 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Location:  Launch Complex 40
• Trajectory:  Southeast
• Local sonic boom:  No
• Booster landing:  Drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean

Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?

If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage,  FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team  will provide updates at  floridatoday.com/space , starting about 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Where can I see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County?

The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County,  St. Lucie County  and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes  Melbourne Beach , which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.

•  Sebastian Inlet Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

•  Wabasso Beach Park , 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso

•  Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)

•  South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)

•  Merrill Barber Bridge  in Vero Beach

•  Alma Lee Loy Bridge  in Vero Beach 

•  Fort Pierce Inlet , 905 Shorewinds Drive

•  Blind Creek Beachside  North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce

•  Blue Heron Beach , 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce

•  Frederick Douglass Memorial Park , 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Dollman Park Beachside , 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  Herman's Bay Beach , 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  John Brooks Park Beachside , 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Middle Cove Beach , 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Normandy Beach  in Jensen Beach

•  Pepper Park Beachside , 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce

•  Walton Rocks Beach , which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  Waveland Beach , 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  House of Refuge and beach , 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart

•  State Road A1A causeway in Stuart

Rick Neale  is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories,  click here .) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or  [email protected] . Twitter/X:  @RickNeale1

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Nasa selects crew for next simulated mars mission, hrp communications team, primary crew, alternate crew, former primary crew.

Editor’s Note, Jan. 26, 2024 : The crew roster for this HERA mission has been updated.

NASA selected a crew of four volunteers to participate in a simulated journey to Mars inside a habitat at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. 

Abhishek Bhagat, Carli Domenico, Kamak Ebadi, and Susan Hilbig will enter the ground-based HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) facility on Friday, Jan. 26, to live and work like astronauts for 45 days during the simulated mission to the Red Planet. Crew members will exit the facility on March 11, after they “return” to Earth. Two additional volunteers are available as backup crew members.

Without leaving Earth, HERA allows scientists to study how crew members adapt to the isolation, confinement, and work conditions astronauts will experience during future spaceflight missions. Crew members will conduct science, operational, and maintenance tasks while facing communication delays with the outside world lasting up to five minutes as they “approach” Mars.

The new crew will participate in 18 human health studies throughout the simulated mission. The experiments will assess the psychological, physiological, and behavioral responses of crew members millions of miles away from their home planet. Ten studies are new to HERA, including seven led by scientists outside the United States. These international studies are collaborations with the United Arab Emirates’ Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre and ESA (European Space Agency).

The upcoming mission marks the first of four simulated missions to Mars that researchers will carry out using HERA in 2024. Each mission will include a different crew of four astronaut-like research volunteers. The final mission is slated to end Dec. 16.

Abhishek Bhagat

Bhagat holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Nagpur University in India, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University in Northridge, and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of North America in Fairfax, Virginia. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. 

Bhagat began working as a consultant at Samsung Telecom America, which paved the way for subsequent consulting roles with Qualcomm and Sprint. He then served in the U.S. Army. When he transitioned out of active duty, he became an electronics engineer for the Federal Aviation Administration. 

Bhagat received the Army Commendation Medal and remains an Army reservist. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, climbing mountains, and riding motorcycles.

Carli Domenico

In pursuit of impactful science communication, Domenico serves as director of academic and professional programming for the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network. Domenico has also taught courses and programs in STEM for students in middle school, high school, and college.

Domenico received a Bachelor of Science with honors from Texas A&M University, College Station. She interned at Johnson, investigating astronaut cognition and sleep for long-duration spaceflight. Her thesis research included an independent study investigating inflammation and chronic pain in humans.

She recently received her certification as a yoga instructor. In her free time, she teaches at her community’s aging center, where she volunteers by leading activities and delivering meals. Domenico lives in Cleveland with her husband, golden retriever, and two cats. She enjoys live music, hiking, yoga, cooking, and soccer. 

Kamak Ebadi

Susan Hilbig

Hilbig’s passion for exploration led her to pursue research at remote field sites as an undergraduate, taking her across the world for various projects. Most notably, she traveled to the village of Tsinjoarivo, Madagascar, where she collected data on wild populations of the only lemur known to hibernate. Prior to graduate school, Hilbig worked as a clinical research coordinator in neuroscience with a focus on non-invasive brain stimulation. She subsequently worked as a physician assistant in Duke University’s emergency department.

Hilbig has experience with simulated extreme environments in hyperbaric chambers at Duke University’s Dive Medicine Center. As an avid cyclist, Hilbig has spent years leading weeklong cycling tours in Europe, with a regional focus on the Balkans and Northern Italy. Hilbig is a triathlete and general outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, swimming, and scuba diving.

Gregory Contreras

During his 20 years in the Navy, Contreras worked as a surface warfare officer aboard the USS Chafee in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He also served as a space systems engineer and technical representative at the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Reconnaissance Office and as an engineering, technical, and logistics adviser on behalf of the United States for the Royal Saudi Navy. 

Contreras earned bachelor’s degrees in naval science and in mechanical engineering in 2007 from the University of Idaho in Moscow. In 2013, he completed a master’s degree in astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. His master’s thesis focused on space controls and robotics. He also earned a second master’s degree in engineering administration from Virginia Tech in Fairfax in 2017.

Contreras and his wife have three daughters — Lucia, Alexandra, and Claire — and a cat named Mimi. His passions include playing with his daughters, diving, surfing, and taking long breaks in nature with the family recreational vehicle.

Ariana Lutsic

Prior to her work at Kennedy, Lutsic volunteered with conservation and rehabilitation programs at the Sea Turtle Healing Center at the Brevard Zoo. She also served as a kayak guide for bioluminescent tours in the Indian River Lagoon in Florida.

Lutsic obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Maryland Global Campus while living in Japan, and earned a master’s degree in space systems from the Florida Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing another master’s degree at the Florida Institute of Technology, with emphases on marine biology and astrobiology. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with STEM programs, coaching youth soccer, and going to the beach with her family.

NASA’s  Human Research Program , or HRP, pursues the best methods and technologies to support safe, productive human space travel. Through science conducted in laboratories, ground-based analogs, and the International Space Station, HRP scrutinizes how spaceflight affects human bodies and behaviors. Such research drives HRP’s  quest  to innovate ways that keep astronauts healthy and mission-ready as space travel expands to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

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NASA’s Psyche Delivers First Images and Other Data

The mission team has celebrated several successes since its launch from Kennedy Space Center on Oct. 13. The latest is the operation of the spacecraft’s cameras.

This mosaic of a star field in the constellation Pisces was made from “first light” images acquired Dec. 4 by both of the cameras on NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. Use the slider to view the star field with and without star names labeled. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is on a roll. In the eight weeks since it left Earth on Oct. 13, the orbiter has performed one successful operation after another, powering on scientific instruments, streaming data toward home, and setting a deep-space record with its electric thrusters. The latest achievement: On Monday, Dec. 4, the mission turned on Psyche ’s twin cameras and retrieved the first images – a milestone called “first light.” ( View the full images here .)

Already 16 million miles (26 million kilometers) from Earth , the spacecraft will arrive at its destination – the asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter – in 2029. The team wanted to test all of the science instruments early in the long journey to make sure they are working as intended, and to ensure there would be plenty of time to calibrate and adjust them as needed.

The imager instrument, which consists of a pair of identical cameras, captured a total of 68 images, all within a star field in the constellation Pisces. The imager team is using the data to verify proper commanding, telemetry analysis, and calibration of the images.

A 3D model of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft can be viewed in the agency’s interactive web-based visualization tool, Eyes on the Solar System. Use the fast-forward and rewind controls to follow the orbiter as it journeys toward its destination in the asteroid belt. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“These initial images are only a curtain-opener,” said Arizona State University’s Jim Bell, the Psyche imager instrument lead. “For the team that designed and operates this sophisticated instrument, first light is a thrill. We start checking out the cameras with star images like these, then in 2026 we’ll take test images of Mars during the spacecraft’s flyby. And finally, in 2029 we’ll get our most exciting images yet – of our target asteroid Psyche. We look forward to sharing all of these visuals with the public.”

The imager takes pictures through multiple color filters, all of which were tested in these initial observations. With the filters, the team will use photographs in wavelengths of light both visible and invisible to the human eye to help determine the composition of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The imager team will also use the data to create 3D maps of the asteroid to better understand its geology, which will give clues about Psyche’s history.

Solar Surprise

Earlier in the mission, in late October, the team powered on the magnetometer, which will provide crucial data to help determine how the asteroid formed. Evidence that the asteroid once had a magnetic field would be a strong indication that the body is a partial core of a planetesimal, a building block of an early planet. The information could help us better understand how our own planet formed.

Shortly after being powered on, the magnetometer gave scientists an unexpected gift: It detected a solar eruption, a common occurrence called a coronal mass ejection, where the Sun expels large quantities of magnetized plasma. Since then, the team has seen several of these events and will continue to monitor space weather as the spacecraft travels to the asteroid.

Get the Latest JPL News

The good news is twofold. Data collected so far confirms that the magnetometer can precisely detect very small magnetic fields. It also confirms that the spacecraft is magnetically “quiet.” The electrical currents powering a probe of this size and complexity have the potential to generate magnetic fields that could interfere with science detections. Because Earth has its own powerful magnetic field, scientists obtained a much better measurement of the spacecraft magnetic field once it was in space.

In the Zone

On Nov. 8, amid all the work with the science instruments, the team fired up two of the four electric propulsion thrusters, setting a record: the first-ever use of Hall-effect thrusters in deep space. Until now, they’d been used only on spacecraft going as far as lunar orbit. By expelling charged atoms, or ions, of xenon gas, the ultra-efficient thrusters will propel the spacecraft to the asteroid (a 2.2-billion-mile, or 3.6-billion-kilometer journey) and help it maneuver in orbit.

Less than a week later, on Nov. 14, the technology demonstration built into the spacecraft, an experiment called Deep Space Optical Communications ( DSOC ), set its own record. DSOC achieved first light by sending and receiving optical data from far beyond the Moon. The instrument beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with test data from nearly 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) away – the farthest-ever demonstration of optical communications.

The Psyche team has also successfully powered on the gamma-ray detecting component of its third science instrument, the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. Next, the instrument’s neutron-detecting sensors will be turned on the week of Dec. 11. Together those capabilities will help the team determine the chemical elements that make up the asteroid’s surface material.

More About the Mission

Arizona State University (ASU) leads the Psyche mission. A division of Caltech in Pasadena, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis. ASU leads the operations of the imager instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego on the design, fabrication, and testing of the cameras.

JPL manages DSOC for the Technology Demonstration Missions program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the Space Communications and Navigation program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate.

Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program , managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service.

For more information about NASA’s Psyche mission go to:

http://www.nasa.gov/psyche

News Media Contact

Gretchen McCartney

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-393-6215

[email protected]

Karen Fox / Alana Johnson

NASA Headquarters, Washington

301-286-6284 / 202-358-1501

[email protected] / [email protected]

Science | Space Coast launch schedule

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Science | madeline soto: stephan sterns charged with first-degree murder, upcoming missions from kennedy space center and cape canaveral.

The Space Coast set a new launch record in 2023 with 72 orbital missions from either Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The pace of launches could ramp up by the end of 2024 to a near twice-weekly rate with as many as 111 missions possible.

Check back for the latest information on upcoming launches.

By The Numbers:

2024: 30 Space Coast launches in 2024 (updated April 23) | 21 from Cape Canaveral, 9 from KSC | 28 from SpaceX (28 Falcon 9s), 2 from ULA (1 Vulcan, 1 Delta IV Heavy) | 2 human spaceflight ( Ax-3 , Crew-8 )

2023: 72 Space Coast launches in 2023 | 59 from Cape Canaveral, 13 from KSC | 68 from SpaceX (63 Falcon 9s, 5 Falcon Heavy), 3 from United Launch Alliance (1 Delta IV Heavy, 2 Atlas V), 1 from Relativity Space | 3 human spaceflights ( Crew-6 , Ax-2 , Crew-7 )

Details on past launches can be found at the end of file.

April 23 (Delayed from April 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-53 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:17 p.m. This was the 30th Space Coast launch of the year, with all but two coming from SpaceX. It also marked the 300th successful recovery of a first-stage booster among Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Of note, the launch came 16 minutes ahead of a Rocket Lab launch from New Zealand. Read more .

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-54 mission carrying Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during four-hour window from 5:50-9:50 p.m.

May 6: (Delayed from July 21, 2023; April 22, 2024): Boeing CST-100 Starliner atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 10:34 p.m. on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station followed by a parachute-and-airbag-assisted ground landing in the desert of the western United States. Read more .

TBD, 2nd quarter of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. The Vulcan first-stage received its 2nd of two Blue Origin BE-4 engines by April 17, and the Dream Chaser is on its final round of testing at NASA’s Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio that began in March and continued through mid-April before it will be shipped to Kennedy Space Center. Support equipment arrived April 17 to KSC’s Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) ahead of its arrival. Read more .

June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy on its 10th launch ever with payload of the GOES-U satellite for the NOAA from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A.

No earlier than mid-August 2024: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Crew-9 mission. Crew is NASA astronauts Zena Cardman making her first flight and the 10th of 11 members of the Turtles to fly to space; pilot Nick Hague making his third flight including one mission abort from Russia, mission specialist Stephanie Wilson, who flew three times on Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-121, STS-120, and STS-131 logging 42 days in space, and Roscomos cosmonaut and mission specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov, making his first trip to space.

October 2024: SpaceX Falcon Heavy on the Europa Clipper mission to travel 1.8 billion miles to investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s detailed investigation of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.

No earlier than October 2024: Axiom Space was awarded the right to fly Axiom-4. No crew has been announced, but NASA requires it to be commanded by a former NASA astronaut with experience on the space station such as the Ax-1, Ax-2 and Ax-3 commanders. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay, and will fly up with one of the SpaceX Crew Dragons. The launch date is dependent on spacecraft traffic to the ISS and in-orbit activity planning and constraints that have to be coordinated with NASA.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2024

TBD, early 2024: United Launch Alliance Atlas V on USSF 51 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD, Summer 2024 (Delayed from summer 2023): Polaris Dawn mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Resilience from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The private orbital mission will bring billionaire Jared Isaacman to space for a second time after 2021′s Inspiration4 mission. It’s the first of up to three planned Polaris missions, and will feature a tethered spacewalk. Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon. Both Gillis and Menon are SpaceX employees. Read more .

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on first of four planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Dependent on ULA completing both Certification 1 and Certification 2 flights.

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on second of four planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on third of four planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD, 2nd half of 2024: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on fourth of four planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41.

TBD: First launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. On the Space Force manifest for September 2024, according to Space Force officials.

November 2024: SpaceX Falcon Heavy flying Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. It will include NASA’s Artemis lunar rover, the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover, or VIPER, which will explore the relatively nearby but extreme environment of the moon in search of ice and other potential resources. This mobile robot will land at the south pole of the moon in late 2024 on a 100-day mission. The critical information it provides will teach us about the origin and distribution of water on the moon and help determine how to harvest the moon’s resources for future human space exploration.

December 2024: Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with the company’s second Nova-C lander featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples. Also flying is the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, a small satellite designed to provide an understanding of the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the moon, as well as the lunar water cycle.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2025

TBD, no earlier than early 2025: Boeing Starliner-1 on ULA Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 41. NASA astronauts Scott Tingle and Mike Fincke will be commander and pilot, respectively. This Starliner previously flew on Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Depending on data from CFT mission, this could become SpaceX Crew-10 mission.

September 2025: NASA Artemis II mission to send four crew on 8-day orbital mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more .

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2026

September 2026: NASA Artemis III mission to send four crew on lunar landing mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more .

LAUNCHED IN 2024

Jan. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Ovzon 3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:04 p.m. This was the first launch of 2024. The 3,968-pound Ovzon 3 satellite is the first privately funded and developed Swedish geostationary satellite ever to be launched, headed for a geostationary transfer orbit where it will then propel itself to its geostationary orbit over 3-4 months at 59.7 degrees east at 22,236 miles altitude. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

Jan. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-35 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:35 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 16th flight having previously flown on two crewed and two cargo missions to the International Space Station among others. It managed its recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

Jan. 8 (Delayed from May 4, Dec. 24-26): First-ever launch of United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on Certification-1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:18 a.m. Primary payload was commercial company Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander headed to the moon. Also flying will be another human remains payload for Celestis Inc., this time brining the ashes of more than 200 people to space including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan who played “Scotty” on the TV series. Read more .

Jan. 14 (Delayed from Jan. 13): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew its 12th mission and with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was the fourth launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more .

Jan. 18 (Delayed from Jan. 17): SpaceX Falcon 9 with a Crew Dragon Freedom for Axiom Space’s Axiom-3 mission launched at 4:49 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The crew includes one astronaut each from Italy, Turkey and Sweden while the mission is led by Axiom’s chief astronaut Michael López-Alegría who is making his sixth trip to space. The customers are Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, who will act as pilot. In the two mission specialist roles are Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden. All three have served in their respective nations’ air forces. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay with docking planned for Saturday at 5:15 a.m. The first-stage booster made a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

Jan. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-38 mission with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:10 p.m. liftoff on a southerly trajectory from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A. The first-stage booster made its 18th flight, with past missions including the crewed flights of Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and had a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

Jan. 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on the NG-20 mission to resupply the International Space Station at12:07 p.m.. This was the first ISS launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, which SpaceX has been redeveloping to support future crewed missions in addition to KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. This was the first of at least three SpaceX flights of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft as part of a deal after its 10-year run of launches atop Antares rockets ended with the Aug. 1 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia because of issues with Russian- and Ukrainian-made rocket engines and first stage parts that are being redeveloped with Firefly Aerospace for a future Antares rocket not expected until at least 2025. Following launch, the space station’s Canadarm2 will grapple Cygnus no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 1, and the spacecraft will attach to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading by the Expedition 70 crew. The first-stage booster made its 10th flight and returned for a touchdown at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

Feb. 8 (Delayed from Feb. 6, 7): NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:33 a.m. PACE will advance the assessment of ocean health by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web, as well as clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. The first-stage booster flying for the fourth time made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

Feb. 14: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the USSF-124 mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 p.m. Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2. Read more .

Feb. 15 (Delayed from Nov. 14, Jan. 12, Feb. 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 for the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission with the company’s Nova-C lunar lander Odysseus from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 1:05 a.m. This could end up being the first NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission to land on the moon after the failure of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander. The IM-1 has a suite of six NASA payloads as part of a CLPS delivery and another six privately organized payloads. Landing would take place Feb. 22. Read more .

Feb. 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Merah Putih 2 mission, a communications satellite for Telkom Indonesia, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:11 p.m. into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This was the 11th launch from the Space Coast in 2023 and 300th successful Falcon 9 launch since its debut in 2010, having only had one mid-launch failure in 2015. This was the 17th launch of the first stage booster, and it made a recovery landing downrange on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

Feb. 25 (delayed from Feb. 24): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-39 mission sending up 24 Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:06 p.m. This was the 12th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more .

Feb. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-40 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:30 a.m. This was the 13th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 11h time and made recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. Read more .

March 3 (delayed from Feb. 22, 28, March 1, 2): SpaceX Crew-8 on Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A  at 10:53 p.m. Bad weather on the ascent corridor took the first three launch options on March 1 and 2 off the table. It’s the eighth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Its four crew members are NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Michael Barratt, Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin. They flew up in the Crew Dragon Endeavour making its fifth trip to space. The first-stage booster made its first flight. The mission had originally been targeting Feb. 22, but that was the target day for the Intuitive Machines attempt to land on the moon, and NASA chose to move the launch to “deconflict” NASA support operations that day. Read more .

March 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-41 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:56 p.m. The first stage booster flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship  A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

March 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-43 mission sent up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:05 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 11th time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 16th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more .

March 15 (Delayed from March 13, 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-44 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 8:21 p.m. after scrubbing launches on both Wednesday and Thursday with about 2 minutes on the countdown clock. The booster flew for a record-tying 19th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

March 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-30 resupply mission with a Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:54 p.m. This was the first Dragon launch from SLC-40 since the addition of a crew access arm to support Dragon launches from more than one Space Coast pad and augment normal launches from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The first-stage booster made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

March 23 (delayed from March 22):  SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-42 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 11:09 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for 19th time.

March 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-46 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:42 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship.

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Eutelsat-36X mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a landing on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This was 20th SpaceX launch from the Space Coast in 2024 and 21st among all companies. Read more .

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-45 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:30 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

April 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-47 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:12 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. It was the 275th recovery of a Falcon 9 booster for SpaceX. Read more .

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the the Bandwagon-1 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 7:16 p.m, The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time and made a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit. This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO. Read more .

April 9 (Delayed from March 28): United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 12:53 p.m. This was the final Delta IV Heavy rocket launch ever, and last of any Delta rocket, which has been flying for more than 60 years. The Space Force has one more launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket before future missions transition to ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur. Read more .

April 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-48 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:40 a.m. The first-stage booster made its second flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

April 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-49 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:40 p.m. The launch set a turnaround record for launches from SLC-40 at two days and 20 hours since the Aug. 10 launch. The previous record was Aug. 3-6, 2023 at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. The first-stage booster also flew for a record 20th time making a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

April 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-51 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 12th flight and landed downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more .

April 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-52 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:40 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more .

LAUNCHED IN 2023

Jan. 3: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Transporter-6 mission carrying 114 payloads for a variety of customers blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:56 a.m. Read more .

Jan. 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb at 11:50 p.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more .

Jan. 15: The fifth-ever flight of SpaceX’s powerhouse Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off at 5:56 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A on a mission for the Space Force dubbed USSF-67. Read more .

Jan. 18: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the GPS III Space Vehicle 06 mission for the Space Force rose through the pink, orange and blue horizon at 7:24 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more .

Jan. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 5-2 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launched at 4:32 a.m. sending up 56 Starlink satellites. Read more .

Feb. 2: Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-3 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 2:43 a.m. 200th successful flight of Falcon 9 on mission to send up 53 Starlink satellites. Read more .

Feb. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Amazonas-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 lifted off at 8:32 p.m. Payload is communications satellite for Hispasat known also as the Amazonas Nexus. Read more .

Feb. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-4 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 launched 55 Starlink satellites at 12:10 a.m. This set a then-record turnaround between launches from the same pad for SpaceX coming just five days, three hours, and 38 minutes since the Feb. 6 launch.  Read more .

Feb. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Inmarsat’s I-6 F2 satellite launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:59 p.m. The second of six planned communication satellite launches, the first of which came in 2021 with the final coming by 2025. Read more .

Feb. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:13 p.m. carrying 21 of the second-generation Starlink satellites. Read more .

March 2: Crew-6 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Crew Dragon Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 12:34 a.m. A Feb. 27 attempt was scrubbed with less than three minutes before liftoff. Flying were NASA astronauts mission commander Stephen Bowen and pilot Woody Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, heading to the International Space Station for around a six-month stay. It’s the sixth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Read more .

March 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb launched at 2:13 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

March 14: After arrival of Crew-6 and departure of Crew-5 to make room for a cargo Dragon, SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft on CRS-27, the 27th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 8:30 p.m. Read more .

March 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 18 and 19 mission, a pair of communication satellites set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Set a record for SpaceX mission turnaround with launch only four hours and 17 minutes after a Starlink launch from California. Read more .

March 22: Relativity Space Terran-1, a 3D-printed rocket awaiting company’s first-ever launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 16 at 11:25 p.m. While first stage successfully separated, the second stage engine did not get it into orbit. Read more .

March 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:43 a.m. carrying 56 Starlink satellites to orbit. The booster made its 10th flight. Read more .

March 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launched at 4:01 p.m. The booster making its fourth flight landed on Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more .

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Intelsat 40e mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. Read more .

April 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Starlink 6-2 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:31 a.m. with 21 Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its eighth flight with a recovery on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 03b mPOWER-B mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:12 p.m. Read more .

April 30: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch of ViaSat-3 Americas’ communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 8:26 p.m. All three boosters were expended, so no sonic boom landings. Also flying were payloads for Astranis Space Technologies and Gravity Space headed for geostationary orbits. It’s the sixth-ever Falcon Heavy launch. The launch pad endured a lightning strike on April 27, but SpaceX said the rocket was healthy for the attempt. Read more .

May 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with 56 Starlink satellites at 3:31 a.m. The first-stage booster making its eighth flight was recovered once again on the droneship called A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

May 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launnched at 1:03 a.m. Read more .

May 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:19 a.m. carrying 22 second-gen Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in Atlantic.  Read more .

May 21: Axiom 2 mission with four private passengers launched to the International Space Station for an eight-day visit flying on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with Crew Dragon Freedom from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 5:37 p.m.  The first-stage booster flew for the first time with a return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. This is only the second crewed mission from the U.S. in 2023 following March’s Crew-6 mission. The second Axiom Space private mission to the International Space Station following 2022′s Axiom 1 mission. Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander with aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni. Read more .

May 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ArabSat BADR-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 14th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more .

June 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 second-generation Starlink satellites at 8:20 a.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight and was able to land down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch came 13 years to the day since the first Falcon 9 launch in 2010. It was the 229th attempt of a Falcon 9 launch with 228 of the 229 successful. Read more .

June 5 (Delayed from June 3, 4): SpaceX Falcon 9 on CRS-28 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft, the 28th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at at 11:47 a.m. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and SpaceX recovered it downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This is the fourth flight of the crew Dragon, which will be bring up nearly 7,000 pounds of supplies, dock to the station 41 hours after launch and remain on the station for three weeks. Read more .

June 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 53 of the company’s internet satellites at 3:10 a.m.  The first stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

June 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the PSN MSF mission to launch the Satria communications satellite for the Indonesian government and PSN, an Indonesian satellite operator. This satellite will provide broadband internet and communications capability for public use facilities in Indonesia’s rural regions. Liftoff was at 6:21 p.m. with the first-stage booster making its 12th flight and once again landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more .

June 22: United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on NROL-68 for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37B lifted off at 5:18 a.m. This was the second-to-last Delta IV Heavy launch with the final one expected in 2024. Read more .

June 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 5-12 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 carrying 56 Starlink satellites at 11:35 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time and landed on a droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more .

July 1: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ESA Euclid space telescope mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:12 a.m. The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky. Read more .

July 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:58 p.m. The booster made a record 16th flight and was recovered again downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.  Read more .

July 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-15 mission with 54 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:50 p.m. (early Friday scrubbed 40 seconds before launch, and early Saturday option passed over) Booster made a record-tying 16th fligh landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic.  Read more .

July 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:50 p.m. carrying 22 of its v2 mini Starlink satellites. The booster flew for the sixth time and made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.  Read more .

July 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-7 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:01 a.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. Booster flew for the 15th time including crewed launches Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and made recovery landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. The launch set a record for turnaround time for the company from a single launch pad coming four days, three hours, and 11 minutes since the July 23 launch. The previous record was set from Feb. 6-12 at five days, three hours, and 38 minutes.  Read more .

July 28: SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A that launched a telecom satellite for Hughes Network Systems called the Jupiter 3 EchoStar XXIV at 11:04 p.m. The two side boosters were recovered at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This was the third Falcon Heavy launch of 2023 and seventh overall. Read more .

Aug. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Intelsat G-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1 a.m. The first-stage booster made its sixth flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more .

Aug. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:41 p.m. with 22 Starlink V2 minis. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. The turnaround time between the Aug. 3 Intelsat G-37 mission and this mission broke SpaceX’s previous record for time between launches from a single launch pad. Previous record was from July 24-28 with a turnaround of four days, three hours, and 11 minutes. This one came in at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. Read more .

Aug. 11: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 a.m. Payload is 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more .

Aug. 16: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its 13th flight and SpaceX was able to recover it again on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more .

Aug. 26: SpaceX Crew-7 mission on a Falcon 9 launching the Crew Dragon Endurance from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A lifted off at 3:27 a.m. liftoff. It’s the seventh SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Flying are NASA astronaut and mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut and pilot Andreas Mogensen, mission specialist JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and mission specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. This will be Endurance’s third spaceflight after having been used on the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The launch will use a new first-stage booster. The crew will arrive at 8:50 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. with hatch opening about two hours later. It will stay docked about 190 days. Read more .

Aug. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:05 p.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. The first stage flew for the third time and landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Aug. 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-13 mission carrying 22 of the v2 Starlink minis from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:21 p.m. It was SpaceX’s ninth launch of the calendar month matching the record nine launches it had in May. It was the company’s 60th orbital launch of the year. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more .

Sept. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-12 mission carrying 21 of the v2 Starlink minis from Kennedy Space Center’s Space Launch Complex 39-A at 10:47 p.m. It marked the 62nd SpaceX orbital launch in 2023 besting the 61 launches the company performed in 2022. The first-stage booster on the flight made its 10th launch and was able to make its recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

Sept. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-14 mission carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 took off at 11:12 p.m. The first-stage booster made its seventh flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more .

Sept. 10 (delayed from Aug. 29): United Launch Alliance Atlas V on the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 for the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Force from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 8:47 a.m.. Delayed because of Tropical Storm Idalia. This was the second ULA launch of 2023. SILENTBARKER’s classified mission is to improve space domain awareness to support national security and provide intelligence data to U.S. senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. It will provide the capability to search, detect and track objects from space-based sensors for timely custody and event detection. Read more .

Sept. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-16 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission made its fifth flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. It marked SpaceX’s 65th orbital launch of the year including missions from Canaveral, KSC and California. Read more .

Sept. 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-17 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. This was a record reuse flight for the first-stage booster flying for a 17th time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Short Fall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

Sept.23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-18 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster made a record-tying 17th flight with a recovery landing down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

Sept.29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-19 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10 p.m. The booster on this flight made its 10th launch having flown on CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19 and five Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 69th launch of the year, its 49th from the Space Coast, 39th from Cape Canaveral and the other 10 from KSC. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it was the Space Coast’s 52nd overall. Read more .

Oct. 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-21 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:36 a.m.  The booster made its eighth flight with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 70th launch of the year, its 50th from the Space Coast, 40th from Cape Canaveral. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it is the Space Coast’s 53rd overall. Read more .

Oct. 6: United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:06 p.m. Payload was Amazon’s two test Project Kuiper satellites that were set to fly on ULA’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket, but switched to one of the nine Atlas rockets Amazon had previously purchased from ULA as Vulcan had been delayed to no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2023. Read more .

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 12): A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Psyche probe into space launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A at 10:19 a.m. The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029. Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away. The two side boosters returned for a land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more .

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 8): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-22 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:01 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 14th flight, and made another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas down range in the Atlantic. The launch came 8 hours and 42 minutes after the Falcon Heavy launch from nearby KSC earlier in the day. Read more .

Oct. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-23 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:36 p.m. This is the first-stage booster made its 16th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. This marked the Space Coasts’ 57th launch of the year, which matched the total it had in 2022. Read more .

Oct. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-24 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:17 p.m. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This became the record 58th launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more .

Oct. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-25 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:20 p.m. This was the 59th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and made a  recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more .

Nov. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-26 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:37 p.m. This was the 60th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for a record 18th time and made a  recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more .

Nov. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-27 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 12:05 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 11th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 61st launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more .

Nov. 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 with cargo Dragon on the CRS-29 mission to carry supplies to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-B at 8:28 p.m. It’s the 29th resupply mission for SpaceX with its cargo Dragon filled with 6,500 pounds of supplies for the Expedition 70 crew with an expected arrival to the ISS about 5:20 a.m. Saturday. It includes NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) science experiment to measure atmospheric gravity waves and how it could affect Earth’s climate and the Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low-Earth-Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T), a technology demonstration for laser communications among the ISS, an orbiting relay satellite and a ground-based observatory on Earth. The first-stage booster flew for the second time and landed back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more .

Nov. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40  at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:08 p.m. First stage made its 9th flight with a recovery landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more .

Nov. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-28 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:05 a.m. with 23 Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the 11th time and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions This was the 64th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. This launch came hours ahead of the Starship and Super Heavy launch attempt in Texas. Read more .

Nov. 22: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-29 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:47 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This marked the 65th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more .

Nov. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-30 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40at 11:20 p.m. This was a southerly trajectory launch. The booster flew for the 17th time (3rd booster to do so) and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. It was the 66th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 62nd from SpaceX in Florida, and 87th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions. Read more .

Dec. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-31 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11 p.m. First stage booster flew for the sixth time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It marked the 67th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 63rd from SpaceX in Florida, and 89th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions.

Dec. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:07 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 68th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more .

Dec. 18 (Delayed from Dec. 11, 12, 13) SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-34 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:01 p.m. Read more .

Dec. 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:33 a.m.  This was a record 19th flight for the first-stage booster having flown previously on Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-11, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3 and 13 Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 70th Space Coast launch of the year. Read more .

Dec. 28 (Delayed from Dec. 10, 11, 13): SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A on USSF-52, the third mission for the Space Force, launching the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on its seventh trip to space at 8:07 p.m. The side boosters flew for the fifth time, previously used on the Psyche mission, two Space Force missions and one commercial flight with another double land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more .

Dec. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-36 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 11:01 p.m. This was the 12th flight for the first-stage booster with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC. Read more .

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NASA Selects New Aircraft-Driven Studies of Earth and Climate Change

NASA has selected six new airborne missions that include domestic and international studies of fire-induced clouds, Arctic coastal change, air quality, landslide hazards, shrinking glaciers, and emissions from agricultural lands. NASA’s suite of airborne missions complement what scientists can see from orbit, measure from the ground, and simulate in computer models.  

Funded through the agency's Earth Venture program, the missions center around the use of instruments mounted on aircraft to make measurements in finer detail—both in spatial resolution and shorter time scales—than can be made by many satellites. Competitively selected, the missions provide opportunities to supplement satellite observations and make innovative measurements.

"These missions will help us interpret what our current satellites are seeing from space and test new ideas and techniques for our upcoming Earth System Observatory," said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division. "There is also a strong focus on actionable Earth science—gathering fundamental observations that have connections to our economy and societal decision-making and information needs." 

Roughly $120 million has been allotted for the six missions, which will deploy at various times from 2026 to 2029. Three lead investigators were chosen for each mission, with at least one required to be an early career scientist. Full staffing of the science teams and selection of complementary instruments will be competed in the coming months. These changes in the selection process were made to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the teams.  

"We are constantly looking to foster the growth of the next generation of scientists," said Barry Lefer, the program manager who led the Earth Venture selection panels at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This round of missions will put an extra emphasis on bringing new people into mission planning and leadership."

The six missions include:

Arctic coastal change

Maria Tzortziou of the City College of New York will lead a project to observe changes in river systems on the North Slope of Alaska. Known as FORTE (short for Arctic Coastlines–The Frontlines of Rapidly Transforming Ecosystems), the project will combine optical and radar measurements from planes, helicopters, boats, and drones to measure water flows and chemistry and observe how ecosystems respond to changing climate. The team will collaborate with indigenous communities to sustain observations over time.

Clouds created by fire

In PYREX—the Pyrocumulonimbus Experiment—David Peterson of the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington will lead a study of pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which form when wildfires burn hot enough to make their own weather. Flying over the western U.S. and Canada, researchers will examine the fire characteristics that produce pyrocumulonimbus, while exploring the mechanisms that lead these clouds to inject smoke into the stratosphere, where it can have climate effects.

Urban air pollution

James Crawford of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will lead HAMAQ (Hemispheric Airborne Measurements of Air Quality), a project that capitalizes on the recent launches of NASA's TEMPO pollution-monitoring satellite instrument and comparable measurements made by Korean and European satellites. Over Mexico City and a U.S. city to be determined, scientists will investigate areas of poor air quality and test how satellite information can help improve ground-based forecasting and mitigation strategies.

Shifting weather, shifting lands

Climate change is leading to more extreme droughts and rainfall events that affect the stability of hillslopes and the soil and rock on them. Led by Alexander Handwerger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, LACCE (Landslide Climate Change Experiment) will combine airborne measurements with land-based sensors to track the way slopes and landslides are changing as water moves differently across the landscape.

Glacier retreat

John Holt of the University of Arizona will lead Snow4Flow, a project to quantify the retreat of glaciers and ice sheets in ways that can lead to better projections of land-ice change. In Alaska, southeastern Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, and Svalbard, the team will use microwave and high-frequency radar sounders to measure snow accumulation, ice melting, and changes in ice thickness and motion.

Agricultural emissions

While the burning of fossil fuels remains the leading source of carbon in our atmosphere, farmlands and ranchlands are also substantial sources of gas and particle emissions. In the NTERFAACE (Nitrogen and Carbon Terrestrial Fluxes: Agriculture, Atmospheric Composition, and Ecosystems) mission, led by Glenn Wolfe of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, researchers will measure the amount of greenhouse gases, nitrogen, and other pollutants that are emitted from agricultural lands across the United States.

The PYREX and Snow4Flow missions are funded at $30 million each, while the other four projects will each receive $15 million. These six investigations were selected from 42 proposals. The 2024 selections represent the fourth series of NASA Earth Venture investigations, which were first recommended by the National Research Council in 2007.  

For more on NASA Earth Science, visit: science.nasa.gov/earth

Related Terms

Climate Change

• Earth System Observatory (ESO)
• Natural Disasters
• Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO)

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