NASA has been launching rockets from Florida’s Space Coast for more than 60 years, and a lot has changed since the first rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950.
Rocket launches were once a reason to leave school or work and marvel at the sky, but they’re much more common now.
And Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets have made up 94% (47 out of 50) of the rocket launches that blasted off from Cape Canaveral so far in 2024.
Now, with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets launching on an almost weekly basis, watching a rocket launch is a lot more casual than it used to be.
Why does SpaceX launch so often? Here’s what’s on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets and why they launch so frequently.
Rocket launch schedule: These are the upcoming SpaceX and NASA rocket launches from Florida
Why does SpaceX send up so many rockets? What’s on the Falcon 9 rockets? What is Starlink?
Although SpaceX does launch crewed missions, the space agency frequently launches rockets loaded with satellites that are carried into the earth’s orbit to support Elon Musk’s Starlink network, which is an internet service provider.
There is also the occasional satellite launch for paying customers, and even cargo resupply missions for the International Space Station.
Starlink aims to serve people who live in remote areas across the world, who don’t have access to high-speed internet, via its network of thousands of satellites that orbit close to earth in the atmosphere.
“The satellite provider offers service on all seven continents and now reaches three million users in 99 countries. Starlink continues to launch new satellites at a rapid pace, concerning some scientists who say the deluge of satellites is interfering with astronomical photos and data collection,” according to EarthSky and USA TODAY.
How many rockets will SpaceX launch in 2024?
How many of SpaceX’s scheduled launches are actually successful this year depends on weather conditions for each launch day.
In 2023, SpaceX completed a record-breaking 72 successful launches and is expected to break that record again this year.
When is the next rocket launch in Cape Canaveral or NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Florida?
➤ Click on this link for FLORIDA TODAY’s rocket launch calendar, which is updated frequently.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. To sign up for FLORIDA TODAY’s weekly space newsletter, visit https://profile.floridatoday.com/newsletters/manage.
You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team provides up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes or two hours before liftoff (depends on the launch and mission). You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where can you see a SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center?
Brevard County aka the Space Coast of Florida: Pretty much anywhere on the Space Coast, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and cloud cover. 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).
Volusia County aka the Fun Coast of Florida: Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Volusia County area, specifically Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill and Port Orange.
Indian River County, Stuart County or Martin County aka the Treasure Coast of Florida: Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches − especially night ones − from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area, particularly from Sebastian Inlet, Vero Beach or other parts of Indian River County. Rocket launches have been spotted in Stuart and Jensen Beach, Florida, too.
Is SpaceX still grounded? Why did the FAA ground SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets?
The FAA did put a two-week hold on Falcon 9 rocket launches in July 2024 due to a failed launch from California, grounding all of its Falcon 9 rockets (including in Florida) starting July 11, 2024. But that hold lifted on July 25, 2024, and launches were back on the schedule for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral. Why so many?
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Publish date : 2024-08-08 08:35:00
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