On the evening of May 16, thunderstorms were rolling through Central Florida. Space enthusiasts in the area, including ourselves, nervously awaited for the skies to clear as a particularly special celestial event loomed overhead. The event in question was a total lunar eclipse! The last one that was visible from the Lake Nona area was all the way back in 2019. This was before … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: Transporter-3 Mission
Up until recently, there had been very few RTLS (Return To Launch Site) SpaceX missions. This is where a Falcon 9 first stage boosts back toward the coast after separating from the second stage and then lands at Cape Canaveral. The first month of 2022 brought an end to this RTLS drought! In January, there were two such missions: Transporter-3 on Jan. 13 and CSG-2 on Jan. 31. In … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: Türksat 5B Launch From Lake Nona
On Dec. 18 at 10:58 p.m., SpaceX’s Türksat 5B mission took to the skies. On board the Falcon 9 rocket was a 4,500-kg. (~9,900-lb.) communication satellite manufactured by Airbus Defense & Space. The satellite’s purpose is to provide telecommunication and broadcasting services to various countries in Afro-Eurasia. The mission was ultimately a success. The first stage, … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: The National Air and Space Museum
This month, we ventured beyond Central Florida and traveled to Washington, D.C., for the National Air and Space Museum. We had the opportunity to explore the galleries while learning more about early human aviation flight and its progression to spaceflight. Perfect for all ages, the museum’s mission is to “Commemorate, Educate, Inspire,” and it delivers! We recommend a visit … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: The Lucy Probe
Atlas V’s rocket exhaust painted the morning sky of Cocoa Beach on Oct. 16. It was a beautiful send-off of the Lucy space probe, starting its 12-year mission to explore the ancient remains of our solar system. The name Lucy is derived from the fossilized hominid skeleton, which was discovered in 1974. This paleontological find gave scientists an unprecedented look into one of … [Read more...]