NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN on CARNIVAL VENEZIA CRUISE SHIP – Dec 1, 2025. If you want a chance to see a rocket launch while cruising you might consider joining the Space UpClose team of Jean Wright and Ken Kremer!
Even on vacation we do space outreach wherever its reasonable
So, Just hours after departing on our 2-week cruise aboard the Carnival Venezia Cruise Ship on 30 Nov to the Eastern Caribbean we watched the launch of the SpaceX Starlink 6-86 mission in the middle of the night after its launch was significantly delayed into the window
The SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-86 mission finally lifted off at 2:44 a.m. EST (0744 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Dec. 1.
Since the rocket flew on a south-easterly trajectory upon departing from Florida’s Space Coast we were able to see it since our ship was also heading south east and we were positioned near the Bahamas off the coast of Fort Lauderdale when the Falcon 9 finally did take flight.
Enjoy our photos for Space UpClose.
As there were a lot of thick clouds rolling by we did catch sight of it for about 30 seconds near the horizon while looking north from the back upper decks of the ship before it was obscured
Another cruise ship sailing in the distance north of us – was visible on the horizon and is seen in my lead photo here.
Luckily as it rose it again became visible in a clearing looking northeast of the ship and soaring almost over us.
We were joined by over two dozen eager folks who were uniformly thrilled – see photos.
We hope to see another 3 or more launches during the trip as we continue southward ultimately sailing towards and visiting as far as away the islands of Grenada, Barbados and St Lucia and more – known as the Leeward and Windward Islands of the Southern and Eastern Caribbean.
They all are located along the southeastward flight path of the Falcon 9 which was coincidentally our cruise route.
This was the fourth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which has now launched four Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the first stage B1095.4 landed on the Just Read the Instructions (JRTI) droneship, about eight and a half minutes later and which was prepositioned and stationed in the Atlantic Ocean near and east of the Bahamas.
F9 B1095 previously launched Starlink missions 12-15, 10-56 and 10-52.
This was the 144th landing on this vessel and the 541st booster landing to date, according to SFN.
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