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Moon landing: US clinches first touchdown in 50 years

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China on Friday launched the 11th satellite under a classified Chinese military programme with the country's most powerful rocket.

MGM Resorts says regulators probing September cyberattack

MGM Resorts International disclosed that state and federal regulators were probing a cyberattack on its systems that took place in September and caused a $100 million hit to the company's third-quarter results.

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Privately built lunar lander makes history with successful moon touchdown

A robotic spacecraft made history Thursday becoming the first privately built craft to touch down on the lunar surface, as well as the first American vehicle to accomplish the feat in more than 50 years.

The lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the lunar surface at around 6:23 p.m. ET, overcoming a late-stage glitch with its onboard laser instruments. The Nova-C lander, nicknamed Odysseus, is now the first American spacecraft on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

"Houston, Odysseus has found its new home," the company's Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain radioed back from mission control, as employees cheered and celebrated.

It took several minutes to confirm the landing. As the spacecraft made its final descent, mission controllers lost contact with the spacecraft, as was expected to occur.

The company said it could detect a faint signal from one of Odysseus’ antennas, but more data was needed to determine how the spacecraft landed and in what condition. About two hours later, the team received good news.

"After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data," Intuitive Machines said in an update on X . "Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface."

Intuitive Machines CEO Stephen Altemus called the landing an "outstanding effort" and praised the entire team. "I know this was a nail biter but we are on the surface and we are transmitting, and welcome to the moon," Altemus said.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated Intuitive Machines on the landing, calling the milestone a "triumph."

"Odysseus has taken the moon," Nelson said in a video message that aired during live coverage of the event. "This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity."

Odysseus launched into space on Feb. 15 atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The 14-foot-tall lander then spent six days cruising more than 620,000 miles to reach the moon.

The landing time was adjusted several times Thursday as Intuitive Machines adjusted the spacecraft’s orbit around the moon.

As it descended to the lunar surface, Odysseus targeted a landing site near a crater called Malapert A, close to the moon’s south pole. The moon's south polar region has long been tantalizing for scientists because water ice is thought to be relatively abundant in the region’s permanently shadowed craters.

Odysseus is carrying a mix of commercial cargo and NASA science instruments on its journey. The lander is expected to spend about a week collecting data on the moon before lunar night sets in and the probe loses power.

Roughly an hour before landing, the company also scrambled to resolve a problem with laser instruments designed to help the spacecraft assess the lunar terrain and find a safe and hazard-free spot to touch down. The laser rangefinders aboard Odysseus were not operable but sensors on one of the NASA science instruments aboard the lander were repurposed instead.

The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which the space agency set up to support development of moon landers by private-sector companies. NASA eventually plans to hire these companies to transport cargo and scientific instruments to the lunar surface as part of the agency’s broader ambitions to return astronauts to the moon.

NASA awarded Intuitive Machines $118 million to carry out the moon landing.

Last month, a separate company tried but failed to send a lander to the moon under the same NASA program. That spacecraft, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology, suffered a crippling malfunction shortly after launch that forced the company to scrap the entire mission .

In addition to being the first commercial spacecraft on the moon, Odysseus also joins an elite club: Only the space agencies of the United States, the former Soviet Union, China, India and Japan have successfully carried out a controlled or “soft” landing on the moon.

Denise Chow is a reporter for NBC News Science focused on general science and climate change.

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When is the launch and how can I watch it?

By Kenneth Chang

• Sept. 15, 2021

A five-hour launch window opens Wednesday at 8:02 p.m. Eastern time. The exact time will depend on the weather. Current forecasts give an 80 percent chance of favorable conditions. In an update posted to Twitter at about 1:20 p.m., SpaceX said the rocket’s systems were ready for flight.

If the flight can’t launch during that five-hour time frame, SpaceX could try again on Thursday beginning at 8:05 p.m. Eastern time.

The launch will be streamed live by SpaceX on its YouTube channel , and also by Netflix on its YouTube channel . Or you can watch it in the video player embedded in our coverage here .

Kenneth Chang has been at The Times since 2000, writing about physics, geology, chemistry, and the planets. Before becoming a science writer, he was a graduate student whose research involved the control of chaos. More about Kenneth Chang

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US spacecraft on the moon ‘caught a foot’ and tipped on to side, says Nasa

Intuitive Machines CEO says Odysseus tipped over and ended up on its side as it landed on to south polar region

Odysseus, the first US-built spacecraft to touchdown on the moon in more than half a century, is tipped over on its side, according to an update from Nasa and Intuitive Machines, the company that built and operated the lander.

The robotic lander descended on to the south polar region of the moon on Thursday at 6.23pm ET. But several minutes passed before flight controllers were able to pick up a signal from the lander’s communication systems.

As it landed, Odysseus “caught a foot in the surface and tipped” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus, ending up on its side.

Still, the lander is “near or at our intended landing site”, he said. Nasa and Intuitive Machines said they have been receiving data from the lander and believe that most of the scientific instruments that it is carrying are in a position to work.

“It really was a magical, magical day,” said Tim Crain, chief technology officer and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, at the Friday press conference.

The area where Odysseus landed, near the crater Malapert A close to the moon’s south pole, is a treacherous terrain, pockmarked with craters – but it was chosen because scientists believe it will be rich with frozen water that could help sustain a permanent lunar base in the future.

Imagery from the landing and a reconstruction of how it happened will likely be available in the coming days.

Nasa paid Intuitive Machines $118m to undertake the journey, as part of the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which awards contracts to private partners. The mission is part of the Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon.

During Odysseus’s seven-day mission, which will be fueled by solar power until the landing site moves into earth’s shadow, Nasa hopes to analyse how soil there reacted to the impact of the landing. The agency has also sent other instruments as part of the lander’s payload, including communication devices.

The 14ft (4.3 metres) hexagonal, six-legged lander used Nasa’s experimental laser navigation system to guide its descent after Intuitive Machines’ laser instrument failed.

An instrument called EagleCam, a cube with cameras designed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was supposed to pop off 30 seconds before touchdown to capture pictures of Odysseus’ landing, but the device was deliberately powered off during descent because the navigation system needed to be switched.

Embry-Riddle’s Troy Henderson said his team will try to release EagleCam in the coming days, so it can photograph the lander from roughly 26ft (8 metres) away.

With lingering uncertainty over Odysseus’s position on the moon, “getting that final picture of the lander on the surface is still an incredibly important task for us,” Henderson told Associated Press.

On Friday, shares of Intuitive Machines, which is the first private company to successfully land on the moon, tumbled by 30% in extended trade, after news that the spacecraft had tipped over.

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Scrub! SpaceX postpones Starlink Falcon 9 launch to Sunday from Cape Canaveral, Florida

Scroll down for FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of Saturday's scrubbed SpaceX Starlink launch attempt from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

After two hours of delays, SpaceX announced it is now targeting 4:34 p.m. EST Sunday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 6-39 mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX, NASA in Florida

Update 7:05 p.m.: SpaceX has scrubbed tonight's launch attempt. No further information has been released as to why.

 Liftoff is now targeted for 4:34 p.m. Sunday, with backup opportunities available if needed until 8:34 p.m.

SpaceX backup opportunities available Sunday

Update 6:33 p.m.: Should tonight's Falcon 9 launch get scrubbed, SpaceX announced that more opportunities are available starting at 4:34 p.m. Sunday.

Launch pushed back again, to 8:59 p.m.

Update 5:39 p.m. SpaceX has again postponed tonight's liftoff target time, per the company website.

Now, launch is scheduled for 8:59 p.m. — four hours later than originally announced.

SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard

Update 5:27 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of the upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 launch.

SpaceX aims for another Starlink launch Wednesday

Update 5:07 p.m.: Assuming tonight's Falcon 9 launch goes as planned, a new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning indicates SpaceX will aim for its next Starlink window on Wednesday — not Tuesday, as initially planned.

Wednesday launch window hours: 11 a.m. to 2:31 p.m.

SpaceX has yet to publicly announce this Starlink 6-40 mission.

Launch now happening after KSCVC closes

Update 4:36 p.m.: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex officials will now close the tourist attraction at 5 p.m., since SpaceX officials postponed the original 4:59 p.m. liftoff target time.

SpaceX pushes back liftoff to 6:41 p.m.

Update 3:40 p.m.: SpaceX has moved back the target liftoff time more than 1½ hours, from 4:59 p.m. to 6:41 p.m.

For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit  floridatoday.com/space .

Rick Neale  is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories,  click here .) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or  [email protected] . Twitter/X:  @RickNeale1

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Home » Home » WATCH LIVE: SpaceX Scheduled to Launch Falcon 9 Rocket Tonight from Cape Canaveral

WATCH LIVE: SpaceX Scheduled to Launch Falcon 9 Rocket Tonight from Cape Canaveral

By Space Coast Daily  //  December 2, 2023

Liftoff is targeted for 11:00 p.m. ET

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting Saturday, December 2 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Liftoff is targeted for 11:00 p.m. ET, with back opportunities available until 11:59 p.m. ET.

If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Sunday, December 3 starting at 11:00 p.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on  X @SpaceX  about five minutes prior to liftoff.  Watch live .

This is the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, and three Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Coverage of the launch can be seen on Space Coast Daily TV.

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• [ February 20, 2024 ] SpaceX launches Indonesian satellite on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Falcon 9

SpaceX launches first of planned back-to-back Falcon 9 Starlink missions

Update 8:40 p.m.: The first Falcon 9 of the night lifted off at 8:10 p.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center.

SpaceX is preparing for a busy week to close out the month of January. Two Starlink flights are set to kick things off as the company prepares to launch a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft to the International Space Station for the first time.

First up to bat is the Starlink 6-38 mission, which will send 23 more satellites to low Earth orbit. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket supporting this mission is set for Sunday, Jan. 28, at 8:10 p.m. EST (0110 UTC).

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning approximately one hour before liftoff.

SpaceX is calling upon Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to launch this mission. It will be the 74th launch of a Falcon rocket from this pad (including nine Falcon Heavy rockets) and the 167th launch overall.

The first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1062, will be making its 18th flight, having last flown in late November. It previously supported two crewed launches, a pair of GPS satellites and 10 Starlink launches to date.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1062 will land on the droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ This will be the 58th booster landing on this vessel and the 267th overall landing of a Falcon 9 first stage booster.

Assuming an successful launch on Sunday, these will be the most current stats:

• 18th launch & landing of B1062
• 74th SpaceX launch from LC-39A
• 167th orbital launch from LC-39A
• 293rd Falcon 9 launch
• 58th landing on ASOG
• 267th Falcon 9 booster landing
• 6th orbital launch from Florida in 2024
• 8th SpaceX launch in 2024
• 19th orbital launch in 2024

Juggling act

Assuming a successful launch of the Starlink 6-38 mission Sunday evening, it will be followed less than four hours later by another Falcon 9 flight: Starlink 7-12 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

That mission is targeting liftoff at 6:16 p.m. PST (9:16 p.m. EST, 0216 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E). It will add 22 more Starlinks to the constellation in LEO.

While both missions are in flow, SpaceX, NASA and Northrop Grumman are working through final preparations for the NG-20 launch, the latest cargo resupply mission to the ISS.

This will be the first time SpaceX is launching a Cygnus spacecraft. It’s the first of three such planned missions while Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace continue working on a joint rocket, dubbed Antares 330.

That cargo flight is set to launch from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Amid all of this, SpaceX is also continuing to support the private astronaut mission, Ax-3, which is roughly halfway through its two-week stint onboard the ISS. The four astronauts, led by Michael López-Alegría, are set to board their Dragon spacecraft and return to Earth next weekend, weather permitting.

• Starlink 6-38

Related Articles

SpaceX launch dazzles, delivering 10 more satellites for Iridium

Putting on a holiday light show for Southern California and much of the desert southwest, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fired into a twilight sky from the Pacific coastline Friday night to add 10 new satellites to Iridium’s upgraded communications network.

Live coverage: SpaceX launches NRO payload, lands booster at Cape Canaveral

SpaceX’s final Falcon 9 launch of the year carried a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. SpaceX aborted a launch attempt Thursday morning to assess a second stage sensor reading, but the Falcon 9 successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) Saturday. The rocket’s stage landed back at Cape Canaveral eight minutes later.

Photos: Sunset sendoff for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket

A final set of photos shows Friday’s Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral with the SES 9 communications satellite.

SpaceX getting busy again after a slower start to the year than they had wanted due to some technical issues and weather. Glad they are working hard to get back on track. Looking forward to the April launch of a ULA Vulcan Centaur with Sierra Aerospace’s Dream Chaser space shuttle. That will be a “biggie”. Thanks for all the good coverage and especially the “stats” which are often hard to find from SpaceX themselves.

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Updates: SpaceX Starlink launch Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida

Watch Falcon 9 launch 23 @Starlink satellites to orbit https://t.co/T7sKKUa9uc — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023

Updates: Following is live coverage of the 8:37 p.m. EDT Friday liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 6-26 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team live coverage of SpaceX's Falcon 9 Starlink 6-26 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

SpaceX is now targeting 8:37 p.m. EDT for an evening launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

If delays arise, three backup launch opportunities are available from 9:01 p.m. to 10:22 p.m. EDT, SpaceX reports.

After liftoff, the two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9 will deploy another batch of 23 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.

No local sonic booms are expected along the Space Coast. After soaring skyward along a southeastern trajectory, the rocket's first stage booster will target landing aboard a drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean about 8½ minutes after liftoff.

Countdown Timer

SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands

Update 8:45 p.m. EDT:  The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX's drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas out on the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 18th mission.

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, completing the first 18th launch and landing of a booster pic.twitter.com/GIjqVFR4hc — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023

Update 8:37 p.m. EDT:  SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The first-stage booster should land on a drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean in 8½ minutes.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/dSMnF0tx9Y — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023

SpaceX live launch webcast begins

Update 8:33 p.m. EDT: SpaceX's live launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted at the top of this page.

Liftoff is scheduled in four minutes.

SpaceX launch only 10 minutes away

Update 8:27 p.m. EDT:  With only 10 minutes remaining before SpaceX's scheduled 8:37 p.m. EDT Falcon 9 launch, the countdown appears to be proceeding as planned.

Fueling is well underway at Launch Complex 40.

SpaceX booster to land on drone ship at sea

Update 8:16 p.m. EDT:  Tonight's mission marks the 18th flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reports.

Following stage separation, the booster is slated to land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas out on the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 27 seconds after liftoff.

SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway

Update 8:03 p.m. EDT: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, SpaceX just announced.

This critical step means the Starlink 6-26 mission is now committed to lift off at 8:37 p.m. EDT, or else the launch must be postponed.

"All systems and weather are currently go for launch," SpaceX officials announced.

Propellant load has begun for tonight’s launch of 23 @Starlink satellites from Florida. All systems and weather are currently go for launch — SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023

SpaceX launch countdown timeline

Update 7:34 p.m. EDT:  Here's a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 countdown timeline. T-minus:

38 minutes:  SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for propellant load.

35 minutes:  Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.

16 minutes:  Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.

7 minutes:  Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.

1 minute:  Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.

45 seconds:  SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.

3 seconds:  Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.

0 seconds:  Liftoff.

SpaceX targeting Cape's 60th launch of 2023

Update 7:14 p.m. EDT: Tonight's Falcon 9 liftoff is slated to be the record-breaking 60th of the year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.

The previous record of 57 launches was established last year.

Space Force: 80% chance of good weather

The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron pegs the odds of "go" launch weather at 80% at the Cape for the Starlink 6-26 mission. Scattered cumulous clouds ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet above ground level should dot the sky, with isolated showers and northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph at 200 feet of elevation.

"A strong surface high is settling over the eastern United States and providing continuous onshore flow over the Space Coast. The influence of this surface high will keep the mid-levels quite dry and confine moisture to the lower levels," the launch forecast said.

"As a result, the Cumulus Cloud Rule will be the primary concern as onshore showers may move over the pad," the forecast said.

More: See how SpaceX's Starlink is driving record rocket launches on Florida's Space Coast

When is the next scheduled launch from Florida's Space Coast?

NASA's SpaceX CRS-29 mission — a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station — is now targeted for launch at 8:28 p.m. EDT Thursday. This marks the second delay since Sunday's former target launch time. Some quick facts:

Rocket:  SpaceX Falcon 9.

Location:  Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Trajectory:  Northeast.

Weather:  TBD.

Landing:  Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Landing Zone 1.

Live coverage:  Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

About:  This marks SpaceX’s 29th commercial resupply mission for NASA to the ISS. A Dragon cargo capsule will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies and equipment to the international crew. The research includes laser communications and work to understand interactions between Earth's weather and space.

For the latest schedule updates at the Cape, visit  floridatoday.com/launchschedule .

Rick Neale  is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories,  click here .) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or  [email protected] . Twitter/X:  @RickNeale1

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Updates: SpaceX Starlink launch Friday from Cape Canaveral in Florida

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SpaceX to launch 24 Starlink satellites from Florida today

Liftoff is scheduled for 4:34 p.m. ET today (Feb. 25).

SpaceX plans to launch 24 of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida today (Feb. 25), on the company's 18th mission of 2024 already.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday during a four-hour window that opens at 4:34 p.m. EST (2134 GMT).

You can watch the action live via SpaceX's X account . Coverage will begin about five minutes before the window opens.

Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky

The Falcon 9's first stage will come back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, if all goes according to plan. It will make a vertical landing on the SpaceX droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

It will be the 13th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description . Eight of its 12 flights to date have been Starlink missions.

The rocket's upper stage, meanwhile, will continue powering its way toward low Earth orbit , eventually deploying the satellites there about 65 minutes after launch.

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Today's launch will be the 18th of the year for SpaceX. And many more will follow over the coming weeks and months: The company aims to launch 144 orbital missions in 2024 .

SpaceX's most recent two launches have been milestone missions. On Tuesday (Feb. 20), the company lofted an Indonesian telecom satellite called Merah Putih 2 on the 300th successful Falcon 9 liftoff to date. 

And a Starlink launch on Thursday (Feb. 22) was the 19th flight for that Falcon 9's first-stage booster, tying SpaceX's rocket reuse record .

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Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with  Space.com  and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ties 19 flight-record with launch from California (video)

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