ULA plans to launch Vulcan rocket early Thursday; Crew-12 targets Friday
With the launch of NASA’s Crew-12 now pushed back to Friday, those on the Space Coast are still in high spirits as United Launch Alliance now has a clear range to launch its Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral.
A rare sight in the skies of the Space Coast, the Vulcan rocket will take off on a national security mission for the Space Force titled USSF-87. The launch is set for no earlier than 3:30 a.m. Thursday, February 12, from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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NASA and SpaceX will launch the Crew-12 mission to the ISS. Meet the astronauts
Two Americans, a Russian and a French woman are about to leave for the International Space Station for a nine-month stay.
Selected for a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-12, the international contingent of astronauts could be heading to their new space digs as early as Friday, February 13. Once there, they will settle in and prepare to spend their time helping with routine station maintenance and conducting science experiments designed for microgravity.
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The ULA Vulcan rocket faces its biggest test yet before the launch of the space force
The mighty Vulcan rocket faces its biggest test yet as it prepares to launch on its second national security space flight from Florida.
This time, a rocket destined to become the workhorse of the United Launch Alliance will carry the heaviest payload ever on its longest mission.
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Florida-launched spacecraft help make this new discovery on Venus
A spacecraft launched from Florida nearly 40 years ago helped uncover a vast underground tunnel formed by ancient volcanic activity lurking beneath Venus.
Although we have long had evidence that Venus was once a volcanically active world, scientists have been unable to find any sign of the features known as lava tubes that are common on Earth, the Moon and Mars.
Yet.
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Recap of early Thursday’s ULA Vulcan rocket launch in Florida
Mission recap of USSF-87, which launched at 4:22 a.m. on February 12 atop a ULA Vulcan rocket from Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral.
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Sparks seen from the rocket as the ULA Vulcan lifts off from Florida on Thursday
A loud boom rocked the Space Coast early Feb. 12 as a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket soared into the sky above Cape Canaveral, but what many noticed was the rocket’s unexpected light show.
After an initial delay, the Vulcan blasted into the sky at 4:22 a.m. Thursday from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Shortly after liftoff, sparks appeared briefly from the solid rocket area.
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Live recap of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Launch Recap: Scroll down to review live updates from the Friday, February 13, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 soars into space after Friday’s pre-dawn launch from the ISS
Nearly two hours before sunrise, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 began its 34-hour journey to the International Space Station by launching aboard the Dragon Freedom spacecraft on Friday, Feb. 13, from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Crew-12’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off the pad at 5:15 a.m. from Launch Complex 40 after NASA delayed the mission for two consecutive days, citing windy weather off the Atlantic coast.
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Crew-12 launch, delayed Artemis II and Musk’s big change: Space Beat
This week on Space Beat, host Rob Landers and USA TODAY NETWORK Florida Space Team reporter Eric Lagatta discuss the carefully orchestrated dance that NASA and SpaceX completed to prioritize the Crew-12 mission to the International Space Station to make way for the inevitable launch of Artemis II.
That said, Artemis II is now delayed until at least March because a wet dress rehearsal found leak problems with the SLS rocket.
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The Artemis II speech calls the moon “our proving ground” for deep space missions
Although NASA’s ambitious 10-day Artemis II orbit-the-moon-and-back mission is a crewed test flight, it should be considered “one step in a long operational cadence.”
That’s the perspective of Natasha Wiest, program manager for The Boeing Co. responsible for the 212-foot center stage of the powerful Space Launch System rocket. She calls the center stage “the backbone of the rocket.”
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SpaceX releases recap of live updates from Cape Canaveral’s Starlink mission
Launch recap: Scroll down to review live updates from Monday, February 16, of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Starlink mission 6-103.
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For the latest news from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly 321 Launch Space newsletter.
Rick Neale is a space reporter at FLORIDA TODAY, where he has covered news since 2004. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Release: Space news you may have missed in the past week (February 16)