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News from Cape Canaveral is written by Spaceline Founder and President Cliff Lethbridge, who has been covering the Cape as a professional journalist since 1979. Visit frequently for the latest news updates and stories from Cape Canaveral.

Spaceline News Archives

November 2021

Falcon 9 Starlink 4-1 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Starlink 4-1 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Launches 53 Starlink Satellites

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 53 Starlink satellites at 7:19 a.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Launch was scheduled for November 12, 2021 but was postponed 24 hours due to bad weather at the launch site and at the booster recovery area. The mission, designated Starlink 4-1, employed a first stage booster being flown for the ninth time. The booster previously supported the DM-2 mission, the ANASIS II mission, the CRS-21 mission, the Transporter-1 mission and four Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. The batch of 53 Starlink satellites launched today brings to a total of 1,844 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink, a constellation of SpaceX-owned and operated broadband Internet satellites, is intended to provide space-based Internet service to users throughout the world, primarily in unserved or underserved areas.

Falcon 9 Starlink 4-1 In Flight, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Starlink 4-1 In Flight, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Launch, Photo Courtesy NASA

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Launch, Photo Courtesy NASA

Crew-3 Launches To International Space Station

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) at 9:03 p.m. EST today from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Launch was scheduled for October 31, 2021 but was postponed due to a minor medical issue with one of the crew members and then to allow time for the Crew-2 astronauts to return to Earth from ISS. The first stage booster employed today flew once previously, having supported the CRS-22 mission. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral.

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

This mission, named Crew-3, employed a brand new Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance by its first crew. Endurance is set to dock to ISS on Thursday, November 11, 2021 at about 7:00 p.m. EST. NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer are flying the Crew-3 mission, the fourth manned flight in NASA's Commercial Crew Program contract with SpaceX. Crew-3 will spend about six months aboard ISS prior to a return to Earth in Spring, 2022. Raja Chari is commander of the Crew-3 mission and is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to reentry. He is making his first space flight. Tom Marshburn is the pilot of the spacecraft and is responsible for Crew Dragon systems and performance.

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Launch, Photo Courtesy Cliff Lethbridge, Spaceline

Falcon 9 Crew-3 Launch, Photo Courtesy Cliff Lethbridge/Spaceline

He is making his third spaceflight, having flown aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-127 in 2009, the Expedition 34/35 mission to ISS which concluded in 2013 and now Crew-3. He is only the sixth astronaut to fly into space on three separate vehicles, namely the Space Shuttle, a Russian Soyuz rocket and the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon. Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer are mission specialists for Crew-3 and will be working with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during launch and reentry. They are both making their first trips into space. Once aboard ISS, the Crew-3 astronauts will be a part of the Expedition 66 mission. The Crew-3 spacecraft also carries a number of scientific experiments to be carried to ISS. These include investigations in fiberoptics, disease prevention in space, plant growth in space, and retinal observations to study eye health in space.

Crew-3 Astronauts, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

Crew-3 Astronauts, Photo Courtesy SpaceX

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