On a humid Florida night, at 11:50 p.m., SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 carrying the Starlink 5-15 mission to low Earth orbit. The first stage utilized on this mission, designated B1060, completed its 16th successful flight after landing on the droneship “A Shortfall Of Gravitas” some 640 km (~398 miles) downrange. Upon payload deployment, … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: SpaceX ViaSat-3 Launch
On April 30 at 8:26 p.m., SpaceX launched its second Falcon Heavy mission this year. On this flight were two satellites, one weighing in at 300 kg. (~660 lb.) and the other a whopping 6,400 kg. (~14,100 lb.)! Both communication satellites will reside in a geostationary orbit, meaning they will essentially hover over one location, around 36,000 km (~22,400 miles) above Earth, … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: Comet Close Approach
Over the past couple of years, astrophotographers and observers alike have been graced with approximately one brilliant comet per year. In 2020, we had Neowise, 2021 Leonard, and 2022 comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) was discovered on March 2, 2022, by the Zwicky Transient Facility – hence the acronym ZTF attached to the comet’s name. The comet was … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: SpaceX’s 60th Launch of 2022
On Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 4:34 a.m., we witnessed SpaceX’s 60th launch of 2022. The clear conditions made for optimal viewing from Lake Nona as Falcon 9 arched over The Wave Hotel, illuminating the early morning skies. The payload included 54 Starlink satellites that were delivered to low Earth orbit. This was the first mission dedicated to the second-generation Starlink … [Read more...]
To Nona & Beyond: SpaceX’s 60th Launch of 2022
On Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 4:34 a.m., we witnessed SpaceX’s 60th launch of 2022. The clear conditions made for optimal viewing from Lake Nona as Falcon 9 arched over The Wave Hotel, illuminating the early morning skies. The payload included 54 Starlink satellites that were delivered to low Earth orbit. This was the first mission dedicated to the second-generation Starlink … [Read more...]