These five rocket launches were among the most important rocket launches in the history of space exploration.
The Florida Spaceport will have a busy week after Hurricane Ian halted launches for a few days until the weather improves.
Before Ian made landfall in southwest Florida, NASA’s Artemis-1 rocket, Space Launch System, Had to retreat to the hangar at the Kennedy Space Center. Even as the Gulf Coast made landfall, Central Florida’s Space Coast experienced massive flooding, hurricane-force winds, and rain.
Delayed launch from Hurricane Ian It means that NASA is now targeting November to launch a lunar rocket for the first time. Meanwhile, ULA, SpaceX and NASA have plans for an unrelated back-to-back launch this week that will keep the Space Coast busy for three days.
ULA is targeting 5:36 p.m. EDT Tuesday to launch an Atlas V rocket with SES 20 and 21 communications satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.
The Atlas V rocket will send the satellites into geosynchronous orbit for the SES satellite operator.
SpaceX and NASA are working Towards the launch of four astronauts Wednesday noon from the Kennedy Space Center. Crew-5 launch mission, made up of American, Russian and Japanese space explorers, will be for 6 months to the International Space Station.
The launch has been postponed from October 3 to allow more time to assess KSC facilities for any potential damage from Ian.
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NASA astronauts Josh Cassada, left, and Nicole Mann, second from left, JAXA astronauts, JAXA astronauts, second from right, and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina, right, wearing suits SpaceX, seen as they prepare to leave the ship. Neil A. Operations (Image: NASA)
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The sun sets behind a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center in Florida before the Crew-5 astronaut’s launch. (Photo: SpaceX)
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Astronaut Anna Kekina sits in a mockup of the spacecraft that will transport NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station during a training at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. (Image: NASA)
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NASA astronauts Josh Cassada, left, and Nicole Mann, second from left, JAXA astronauts, JAXA astronauts, second from right, and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina, right, wearing suits SpaceX, seen as they prepare to leave the ship. Neil A. Operations (Image: NASA)
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NASA astronauts Josh Cassada, left, and Nicole Mann, second from left, JAXA astronauts, JAXA astronauts, second from right, and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina, right, wearing suits SpaceX, seen as they prepare to leave the ship. Neil A. Operations. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission is the fifth crew rotation mission from the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Image source: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
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In this aerial view, a house burns after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Sanibel, Florida.
(Joe Riddell) -
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft aboard is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A during a short static fire test ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission is the fifth crew rotation mission from the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Casada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina are scheduled to launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Image source: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
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NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Casada, JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos astronaut Anna Kekina will launch atop Falcon 9 in the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
To wrap up the week, SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch Intelsat’s Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34 commercial communications satellites at 7:07 p.m. EDT Thursday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base.
The Falcon 9 will deliver Intelsat satellites into geosynchronous orbit, providing communications services across North America.
Florida’s rainy season ends with Ian
(FOX weather)
Weather plays a huge role in launching any missile. The Space Force’s 45 Weather Squadron is working with ULA, SpaceX and NASA to provide launch forecasts days, hours and minutes before any liftoff.
Inundated by Ian’s record of rainfall, Florida is experiencing a welcome dry stretch ending the rainy season, but scattered rain is expected to return later in the week.
For those who are going to witness this triple launch week in person or even a single launch, the weather couldn’t be better. The FOX forecast center tracks highs just above 80 degrees or just below over the weekend with partly cloudy skies. A strong chance of rain doesn’t show up in the forecast until next week for the Florida space coast.
ULA has an 80% chance in proper launch weather for a communications satellite launch on Tuesday. The main concern will be cumulus clouds. The chance of a backup launch on Wednesday has a better outlook with favorable conditions at 90%.
(FOX weather)
The NASA Crew-5 launch with SpaceX will continue to take advantage of the cool, dry air from Hurricane Ian. The main concerns are cumulus and rain with a greater than 90% chance of favorable conditions.
The launch of the Galaxy 33 and 34 satellites on the Falcon 9 on Thursday should have excellent weather with more than 90% chances of a favorable take-off. The main concern will be cumulus clouds.
(FOX weather)