For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – Weather is looking very good for the dinnertime launch of the oft delayed United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket hosting a top secret spy satellite payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Thursday, Dec. 10, from Florida’s spaceport. To date the launch of this triple
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched a top secret National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) national security spysat using new solid rocket boosters during a stunning Friday sunset from the Florida Space Coast The spectacular Atlas V NROL-101 spysat blastoff tonight finally came after multiple delays from
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket has again rolled out to launch pad 41 for launch of the top secret NROL-101 spysat currently targeting Friday, Nov. 13, following multiple delays from erratic Hurricane and Tropical Storm Eta that once again hit central Florida with high winds
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – Erratic Hurricane Eta is once again threatening central Florida and the rescheduled Atlas V launch of the top secret NROL-101 spysat currently targeting Nov. 12 following Thursday’s scrub due to a ground system LOX valve issue. Further weather delays are entirely possible – and another factor is the
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – United Launch Alliance (ULA) called off their planned Election Day launch of a clandestine surveillance satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) to resolve technical issues impacting and potentially damaging the payload’s environmental control system umbilicals that likely arose from powerfully high winds buffeting the rocket and launch pad
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is all set for the first sampling attempt at Asteroid Bennu targeted to happen Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 20 – after a four year journey from Earth and arriving in orbit 2 years ago for detailed science imaging, spectroscopy, analysis and site selection! This is NASA’s first asteroid sample
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM CAPE CANAVERAL, FL – Veteran NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson who commanded the last NASA space shuttle flight in 2011 and who was to command the first crewed Boeing Starliner commercial crew mission on a test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) next year has announced that he will step down from leading the three person crew
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER/CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FL – The Florida Space Coast continues to be afflicted by a possibly unprecedentedly bad case of ‘scrubitis’ – with near endless rocket scrubs for America’s two premier rocket makers United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX aborting 2 launches moments before liftoff today just over 9 hours apart –
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – Continuing a string of bad luck the past few days harkening back to the endless repetitive time-loop dream ala ‘Groundhog Day’ the trio of back to back Space Coast rocket launches that had planned to light up the Central Florida skies reset to start just past midnight Monday morning from America’s
For SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – In what seems like an endless repetitive time-loop dream ala ‘Groundhog Day’ the trio of back to back Space Coast rocket launches that had planned to light up the Central Florida skies starting this Sunday morning from America’s two premier rocket makers United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX over the next