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Today in History: June 27, Hurricane Audrey makes Gulf Coast landfall

Fri, 06/27/2025 - 01:00

Today is Friday, June 27, the 178th day of 2025. There are 187 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On June 27, 1957, Hurricane Audrey slammed into coastal Louisiana and Texas as a Category 4 storm, causing as many as 600 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1844, Mormon leader Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois.

In 1950, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution calling on member nations to help South Korea repel an invasion from the North.

In 1991, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first Black jurist to sit on the nation’s highest court, announced his retirement.

In 2005, BTK serial killer Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders that had spread fear across Wichita, Kansas, beginning in the 1970s.

In 2006, a constitutional amendment to ban desecration of the American flag died in a U.S. Senate cliff-hanger, falling one vote short of the 67 needed to send it to states for ratification.

In 2011, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted by a federal jury in Chicago on a wide range of corruption charges, including the allegation that he’d tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. (Blagojevich was later sentenced to 14 years in prison; his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump in February 2020, and he received a full and unconditional pardon from Trump in February 2025.)

In 2018, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose vote often decided cases on abortion, gay rights and other contentious issues, announced his retirement.

In 2022, in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Supreme Court ruled that a high school football coach who sought to kneel and pray on the field after games was protected by the First Amendment.

Today’s Birthdays:

Musician Bruce Johnston (The Beach Boys) is 83.
Fashion designer Norma Kamali is 80.
Fashion designer Vera Wang is 76.
Actor Julia Duffy is 74.
Actor Isabelle Adjani is 70.
Cinematographer Janusz Kamiński is 66.
Country singer Lorrie Morgan is 66.
Actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai is 63.
Writer-producer-director J.J. Abrams is 59.
Actor Tobey Maguire is 50.
Reality TV star Khloé Kardashian is 41.
Actor Sam Claflin is 39.
Actor Ed Westwick is 38.
NFL linebacker Bobby Wagner is 35.
Actor Madylin Sweeten (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 34.
Singer-songwriter H.E.R. is 28.
Actor Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”) is 26.

Disturbance shows up over east coast of Belize, Yucatan peninsula

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 21:18

A disturbance arose on Thursday night over the the east coast of Belize and the Yucatan peninsula, though it was given a low chance of development.

The National Hurricane Center described it at 8 p.m. on Thursday as an area of showers and thunderstorms over the northwestern Caribbean sea and adjacent land areas which was expected to move west-northwestward into the Bay of Campeche sometime Saturday.

A low pressure area could form after that time if the system remains over water, but the chance of development over the next 48 hours was listed as 10% with the seven-day likelihood at 20%.

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season got its first named storm of the year on Tuesday, when Tropical Storm Andrea formed and quickly dissipated in the Central Atlantic Ocean.

In most years, the Atlantic hurricane season has generated at least one storm by this time, more than three weeks into hurricane season, and Andrea represented the latest since 2014 that tropical activity hasn’t bred a tracked system to start a season. That year, the first tropical depression didn’t form until June 30.

Heat agree to two-way contract with undrafted former FAU center Vlad Goldin

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 20:32

MIAMI — In the wake of going without a selection in Thursday night’s second round of the NBA draft, the Miami Heat swiftly moved to sign undrafted Michigan center Vladislav Goldin, the former Final Four Florida Atlantic Owl, to a two-way contract.

Teams are allowed to sign up to three players to two-way contracts, deals that pay half the NBA minimum salary and allow players to be on active rosters for 50 of the 82 regular-season games.

As of Thursday night, Goldin stood as the lone prospect signed to a two-way contract by the Heat for next season, although the Heat has a qualifying offer in place to return guard Dru Smith on such a deal for 2025-26.

The Heat closed this past season with Smith, Isaiah Stevens and Josh Christopher on two-way deals, with Christopher no longer eligible for such a contract due to the length of his NBA tenure.

Neither Stevens nor Christopher are listed on the Heat’s roster for summer league, likely indicating their departures.

The Heat are well familiar with Goldin, having held their training camps on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton Campus.

Goldin’s addition provides the Heat depth in a power rotation that has Bam Adebayo, Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic and Kevin Love currently under standard contracts.

The pre-draft profile at NBA.com said of Goldin, “Goldin’s collegiate track record speaks for itself. The big man dominated at every step in a variety of ways and is an intriguing older prospect that could contribute right away. He’s got great footwork in the post, an array of moves and can finish with both hands. However, he’s a more efficient player when rolling or popping after setting a ball screen. Goldin is also a menace on the glass, offensively and defensively, which should be his best trait as a professional. Defensively, Goldin will anchor the paint and protect the rim.”

The Athletic’s draft preview wrote of Goldin. “Goldin has an interesting profile that could lead to him turning into a backup center in the NBA. He has good hands, has some skill level around the rim and is defensively viable in drop coverage against ball screens. He’s also absolutely enormous. It’s hard to overstate how important it is that he’s a legitimate 7-footer with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. That gives him potential to take up enough space in ball screens defensively while also having potential to finish over the top of NBA size.”

While rosters for summer league can be fluid, with non-contract players at times switching between teams over the course of the summer schedules, the Heat on Thursday night listed a summer roster of:

– Heat 2025 first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis, the playmaking guard taken No. 20 pick out of Illinois on Wednesday night.

– Heat 2024 first-round pick Kel’el Ware, the 7-footer taken at No. 15 last June out of Indiana who was named second-team All-Rookie this past season.

– Heat 2024 second-round pick Pelle Larsson, the guard out of Arizona who saw spot rotation minutes this past season.

— Heat 2024-25 player Keshad Johnson, the forward who went undrafted out of Arizona last June and was converted from a Heat two-way contract to a standard deal in December.

– Heat 2024-25 G League player Bryson Warren, who was a member of last summer’s Heat championship roster at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

– Heat 2025-25 G League player JC Butler, the son of Heat assistant coach Caron Butler.

– 2024-25 G League players Kira Lewis, Erik Stevenson, Myron Gardner and Javonte Cook, who spent this past season on G League rosters other than the Heat’s.

– Undrafted Michigan center Vladimir Goldin.

– Undrafted University of San Francisco guard Marcus Williams

– Undrafted Temple forward Steve Settle III

– Undrafted Memphis forward Dain Daina

– Undrafted Indiana center Oumar Ballo

Heat go without selection in Thursday night’s second round of NBA draft; roster set or fluid?

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 19:30

MIAMI — As expected, the Miami Heat sat out Thursday night’s second round of the NBA draft, after entering the night without a selection.

The Heat had the ability to purchase a selection, but, by rule, by sending out cash in such a transaction it would have hard-capped the team at the second-apron of the NBA luxury tax for the entire 2025-26 season.

Instead, next up is the free-for-all that follows the draft as teams stock summer rosters with undrafted free agents.

The Heat pick in Thursday night’s second round was dealt in 2019 to the Indiana Pacers as part of a package of three future second-round picks for the draft rights of KZ Okpala.

At what would have been the Heat’s No. 41 slot, the Phoenix Suns, who acquired the pick earlier Thursday, selected Kentucky guard Koby Brea.

Last year, for the first time since 2019, the Heat actually emerged from the second round with a selection, acquiring the second-round rights to No. 44 pick Pelle Larsson, the guard out of Arizona.

This time around, as in 2023, ’22, ’21 and ’20, the Heat went without a second-round pick.

Among the factors – beyond the prospect of a hard cap – in sitting out Thursday night’s second round was the Heat already with a packed roster at the moment.

With teams allowed to carry up to 15 players under standard contract during the regular season, the Heat currently count 14 players toward that total: Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, Kyle Anderson, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love, Terry Rozier, Keshad Johnson, Wednesday night’s first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis and Larsson.

Should restricted free agent Davion Mitchell return, that would put the Heat at the 15-player standard-contract maximum, unless there is a trade or Robinson unexpectedly invokes his early-termination option by Sunday’s 6 p.m. deadline.

For the Heat, it is now somewhat of a rapid turnaround between Thursday night’s conclusion of the draft and the start of their two summer leagues, to open play at the California Classic on July 5 at Chase Center in San Francisco on the court of the Golden State Warriors.

Beyond those to be added in the wake of the draft from this year’s draft class, among those expected back for summer league for the Heat are Larsson, Ware, Johnson and possibly 2024-25 two-way player Isaiah Stevens, who is a free agent. The Heat’s summer roster will again be guided by assistant coach Eric Glass.

Following play at the California Classic, which features four teams, the Heat will move on to the July 10-20 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which features summer rosters from all 30 teams.

Gators backcourt trifecta complete as Alijah Martin, Will Richard drafted in 2nd round

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 19:01

GAINESVILLE — Florida guard Alijah Martin was positioned for a good night when the NBA invited him to the green room for the second round of the draft.

The odds backcourt mate Will Richard would hear his name called were not nearly as favorable.

By night’s end, the Gators’ national championship backcourt completed the trifecta.

Martin didn’t have to wait too long Thursday night at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, landing with the Toronto Raptors just nine picks into the second round in the No. 39 spot. With four picks to go in two-round, 60-player event, Richard landed with the Golden State Warriors after the Memphis Grizzlies selected him at No. 56 and traded him, similar to the fate of Walter Clayton Jr. a night earlier.

Florida guard Alijah Martin celebrates after a slam dunk during the NCAA Final Four college basketball game of Florida versus Auburn at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Florida won the game 79-73 to advance to the championship game. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

ESPN caught up with an emotional Martin following his selection.

“It’s a bunch of emotions, excited, nervous,” he said. “Just ready to get to the next level and show what I can do.”

Undersized at 6-foot-2, but a strong and explosive 215 pounds, Martin’s role in the Gators’ national championship success along with strong workouts for NBA teams placed him in the second round of many mock drafts.

Clayton was the 18th player selected Wednesday when Washington drafted him, and then immediately traded him to the Utah Jazz. Going in the top-20 was higher than expected, but everyone figured Clayton as a first-rounder following his remarkable postseason concluded with the school’s third national championship.

Martin and Richard played critical roles themselves, or else the Gators would have been denied along the way.

Martin had 14 points in the first half on 6-of-9 shooting to keep UF close to two-time defending national champion UConn during the second round. Richard then had 13 in the second half of a 77-75 come-from-behind win highlighted by Clayton’s clutch play in the final minutes.

Martin combined for 14 rebounds during wins in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively, against Maryland and Texas Tech, two teams with strong inside games to match the Gators. During a 65-63 win against Houston in the national title, Richard kept the Gators afloat with 14 points during a first-half struggle ending with UF trailing 31-28.

Florida guard Will Richards (5) shoots during the NCAA Final Four college basketball game of Florida versus Auburn at the Alamodome in San Antonio Texas on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Florida won the game 79-73 to advance to the championship game. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

Yet, Martin and Richard’s postseason performance did not ensure either a shot in the NBA.

Yahoo Sports projected Martin to go No. 37 to the Detroit Pistons, describing Martin as “a hyper-athletic, high-energy guard who plays bigger than his size and impacts the game with his toughness, rebounding and defensive grit.”

The Web site had Martin higher than anyone, but was not far off its prediction about the versatile and tireless Mississippi native who helped FAU to the Final Four before he transferred in 2024 to UF, where he immediately and infused a new attitude on defense that was critical to a 36-win season and the school’s third national title.

Martin was second to Clayton averaging 14.4 points, to go with 4.5 rebounds a night, 56 total steals and the ability to handle the toughest defensive assignment on the perimeter.

The 6-foot-4, 206-pound Richard offers more length and superior shooting ability — he made 201 3s during three seasons at UF. He also Gators with 69 steals.

Richard, though, did not consistently slip into any mock drafts, hinting he likely would end up an undrafted free agent. Instead, he will head to Golden State with a chance to play with legend Steph Curry and coach Steve Kerr, winners of four NBA titles since 2015.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Canadian man held by immigration officials dies in South Florida federal facility, officials say

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:02

MIAMI (AP) — A Canadian man being held by immigration officials in South Florida has died in federal custody, officials said.

Johnny Noviello, 49, died Monday afternoon at the Bureau of Prisons Federal Detention Center in Miami, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement press release said. The cause of death was under investigation.

Noviello was being detained pending removal from the U.S., officials said. He entered the U.S. in 1988 on a legal visa and became a lawful permanent resident in 1991. He was convicted of drug trafficking and other charges in 2023 and sentenced to a year in prison, officials said.

Noviello was picked up by ICE agents at his probation office last month and charged with removability because of his drug conviction, authorities said.

Seven other immigration detainees have died in federal custody this year, with 11 deaths reported in 2024.

Daily Horoscope for June 27, 2025

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 17:00

General Daily Insight for June 27, 2025

This is a day when we all ought to say what we mean and mean what we say. The Moon kicks things off by jumping into expressive Leo, so we’ll probably be happy to find ourselves in the spotlight, literally or metaphorically. We won’t be able to keep a lid on it when the Moon conjoins chatty Mercury! However, it is important to remember that words carry weight when Mercury trines stoic Saturn in Aries at 11:52 pm EDT. Avoid gossip and unnecessary blabbing.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

You have a voice, and you ought to use it. Mercury in your 5th House of Creativity is reaching out for a lovely trine to masterful Saturn, currently touring your 1st House of Self-Expression. This alignment wants you to refine the way you express yourself, but refining does not mean “stymying” or “watering down.” Rather, this is an opportunity to be unapologetically authentic, one which will allow you to show yourself in a better light to the world. Do not hide your talents!

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Don’t attempt to keep your emotions to yourself. There is profound inner work to be done, due to Mercury in your 4th House of Foundations trining Saturn in your 12th House of Release. This aspect shows off your depth, motivating you to dive into darkness. Some old issues may need to be brought to the surface so that you can let go of them, once and for all. You should feel worlds lighter for the effort. Gift yourself that sense of relief.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Allow others to show you the way forward. A special trine between your ruler, Mercury, in your chatter zone, and karmic Saturn in your networking sector is encouraging you to connect with others. Give them the space to influence your life in positive and meaningful ways, though the conversation could be complicated. At any moment, someone may tell you something pivotal that changes your whole outlook. Trust that people mean well, even if they don’t tell you exactly what you want to hear.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

The work you do now is potentially more important than ever. You are in a grounded frame of mind with mental Mercury in your income sector, and that can have a far-reaching impact as the messenger planet trines masterful Saturn in your work zone. They’re helping you secure success both now and in the long run. A project you’ve been hammering away at may finally be ready for a reveal, or perhaps a VIP finally recognizes your previous work. Your accomplishments deserve to be rewarded.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

It isn’t a bad idea to consider your words carefully before you speak them. It will be tempting to say anything and everything while verbose Mercury is in your 1st House of Action, giving you the gift of gab. Opposingly, Mercury’s harmonious alignment with mature Saturn in your 9th House of Higher Learning wants you to say solely what truly matters and carries weight. Being flippant could come back to haunt you! People will remember where you showed discretion — and where you didn’t.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Have faith that you know what is best. Mischievous Mercury is swimming along through your subconscious sector, sending you signals from somewhere you can’t quite see. At this time, it’s coordinating with Saturn in your transformational 8th house, showing you a few unexpected opportunities. It may seem like you’re being put to some sort of test without knowing why or having to deal with an esoteric pop quiz all of a sudden. You can ace this exam with flying colors!

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Relationships require communication, regardless of what kind of relationship they are. You are in a very outgoing period while Mercury is in your 11th House of Social Engagements. In contrast, that planet is trining Saturn in your 7th House of Cooperation, highlighting the benefits of connecting with one or two particularly important people. Instead of trying to round up the gang, take a moment away from the herd for some one-on-one time. Make a special point to treat others how you wish to be treated.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You can reach the finish line — one step at a time. A special trine between Mercury in your 10th House of Professional Aims and Saturn in your 6th House of Effort is reminding you not to overthink your path to success. Instead, simply put one foot in front of the other, over and over again. If you feel daunted by the tasks ahead, break them down into smaller steps. That should help you handle them without breaking too much of a sweat.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

There is no point in keeping quiet right now. Your mind is buzzing with ideas and possibilities while Mercury flies through your 9th House of Enlightenment, while its trine to Saturn in your 5th House of Fun will remind you that those ideas don’t necessarily need to be grounded in serious reality. Let your imagination out to play! You can experience some incredible realizations and epiphanies when you don’t attempt to control the outcome. Give your mind the space to wander to parts unknown.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

It is a good day to get serious. You are prepared to dive into rather intense topics while Mercury is in your all-or-nothing 8th house. Additionally, that talkative planet is trining Saturn in your sentimental 4th house, encouraging honesty and integrity. You can have meaningful conversations more readily than normal, knowing they should have productive outcomes. Even if the topic is a bit daunting, you can handle it with grace while Saturn is backing you up from the base of your chart.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

It only takes one person to change your day for the better. A rare trine between Mercury in your collaboration sector and Saturn in your local community sector is encouraging you to get out of the house and make an effort to link up with your preferred people. You can have a genuinely cathartic experience by merely bopping around town with a close friend or two. Just let yourselves chatter away! This simple act of communication should do wonders for your overall emotional wellness.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your efficiency is off the charts today! Cosmic communicator Mercury in your capable 6th house is trining Saturn in your financially-focused 2nd house. You aren’t going to be interested in wasting your time, one way or another. A co-worker or client could prove quite helpful — for instance, by showing you a unique way of handling an issue that’s more effective than you’d ever imagine. Likewise, you can likely make quick work of any outstanding projects that have been idling on the sidelines.

Trumps drop ‘Made in the USA’ label for new phone and a debate ensues: How to define ‘made’?

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:54

By BERNARD CONDON

NEW YORK (AP) — When the Trump family unveiled a new phone before a giant American flag at its headquarters earlier this month, the pitch was simple and succinct, packed with pure patriotism: “Made in the U.S.A.”

The Trumps are apparently having second thoughts.

How about “proudly American”?

Those are the two words that have replaced the “Made in the USA” pitch that just a few days ago appeared on the website where customers can pre-order the so-called T-1 gold-toned phones with an American flag etched on the back. Elsewhere on the site, other vague terms are now being used, describing the $499 phone as boasting an “American-Proud Design” and “brought to life right here in the U.S.A.”

The Federal Trade Commission requires that items labeled “Made in USA” be “all or virtually all” produced in the U.S. and several firms have been sued over misusing the term.

The Trump Organization has not explained the change and has not responded to a request for comment. Neither did an outside public relations firm handling the Trumps’ mobile phone business, including a request to confirm a statement made to another media outlet.

“T1 phones are proudly being made in America,” said Trump Mobile spokesman Chris Walker, according to USA Today. “Speculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate.”

The language change on the website was first reported by the news site The Verge.

An expert on cell phone technology, IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo, said he’s not surprised the Trump family has dropped the “Made in the USA” label because it’s nearly impossible to build one here given the higher cost and lack of infrastructure to do so.

But, of course, you can claim to do it.

“Whether it is possible or not to build this phone in the US depends on what you consider ‘build,’” Jeronimo said. “If it’s a question of assembling components and targeting small volumes, I suppose it’s somehow possible. You can always get the components from China and assemble them by hand somewhere.”

“You’re going to have phones that are made right here in the United States of America,” said Trump’s son Eric to Fox News recently, adding, “It’s about time we bring products back to our great country.”

The Trump family has flown the American flag before with Trump-branded products of suspicious origin, including its “God Bless the USA” Bibles, which an Associated Press investigation last year showed were printed in China.

The Trump phone is part of a bigger family mobile business plan designed to tap into MAGA enthusiasm for the president. The two sons running the business, Eric and Don Jr., announced earlier this month that they would offer mobile phone plans for $47.45 a month, a reference to their father’s status as the 45th and 47th president. The call center, they said, will be in the U.S., too.

“You’re not calling up call centers in Bangladesh,” Eric Trump said on Fox News. “We’re doing it out of St. Louis, Missouri.”

The new service has been blasted by government ethics experts for a conflict of interest, given that President Donald Trump oversees the Federal Communications Commission that regulates the business and is investigating phone service companies that are now Trump Mobile rivals.

Trump has also threatened to punish cell phone maker Apple, now a direct competitor, threatening to slap 25% tariffs on devices because of its plans to make most of its U.S. iPhones in India.

Home reportedly owned by Brad Pitt was ransacked by burglars, police say

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:49

By ITZEL LUNA

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police are investigating a break-in at a home reportedly owned by Brad Pitt, who has been on a globe-spanning promo tour for his new movie, “F1.”

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed they responded to a break-in Wednesday night at a house on the 2300 block of North Edgemont Street in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Three suspects broke into the residence through the front window, ransacked the home and fled with miscellaneous property, said Officer Drake Madison.

Madison said he could not identify who owned or lived in the home, and no information is currently available on what was stolen.

Pitt reportedly bought the home for $5.5 million in April 2023, according to Traded, a commercial real estate website.

A Pitt representative declined comment.

Pitt has been out of the country on a promotional tour for the “F1” movie. He attended the international premiere in London on Monday. The movie will be in U.S. theaters Friday.

The burglary was first reported Thursday by NBC News.

Tampa Bay Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty in sex abuse case, receives 2-year suspended sentence

Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:39

By MARTÍN ADAMES

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Wander Franco, the suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop charged in a sexual abuse case, was found guilty on Thursday but received a two-year suspended sentence.

Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.

Franco, now 24, also faced charges of sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking, but was found not guilty of those.

Judge Jakayra Veras García said Franco made a bad decision as she addressed him during the ruling.

“Look at us, Wander,” she said. “Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don’t like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time.”

Prosecutors had requested a five-year prison sentence against Franco and a 10-year sentence against the girl’s mother, who was found guilty and will serve the full term.

“Apparently she was the one who thought she was handling the bat in the big leagues,” Veras said of the mother and her request that Franco pay for her daughter’s schooling and other expenses.

Franco’s attorney, Irina Ventura, said she would appeal the judge’s ruling: “Evidently, justice was not done.”

Meanwhile, prosecutor Luis Martínez said he was pleased with the rulings but did not say whether the government would appeal.

Before the three judges issued their unanimous ruling, Veras orally reviewed the copious amount of evidence that prosecutors presented during trial, including certain testimony from 31 witnesses.

“This is a somewhat complex process,” Veras said.

More than an hour into her presentation, Veras said: “The court has understood that this minor was manipulated.”

As the judge continued her review, Franco looked ahead expressionless, leaning forward at times.

Franco, who was once the team’s star shortstop, had signed a $182 million, 11-year contract through 2032 in November 2021 but saw his career abruptly halted in August 2023 after authorities in the Dominican Republic announced they were investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor. Franco was 22 at the time.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, center, reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, alongside his lawyers Teodosio Jaquez, left, and Irina Ventura in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fran Afonso)
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, right, reacts during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fran Afonso)
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fran Afonso)
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, left, reacts during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fran Afonso)

Show Caption1 of 4Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, center, reacts after hearing his sentence during his trial on charges of sexual abuse of a minor, alongside his lawyers Teodosio Jaquez, left, and Irina Ventura in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Fran Afonso) Expand

In January 2024, authorities arrested Franco in the Dominican Republic. Six months later, Tampa Bay placed him on the restricted list, which cut off the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.

He was placed on that list because he has not been able to report to the team and would need a new U.S. visa to do so.

While Franco awaited trial on conditional release, he was arrested again in November last year following what Dominican authorities called an altercation over a woman’s attention. He was charged with illegally carrying a semiautomatic Glock 19 that police said was registered to his uncle.

That case is still pending in court.

After the ruling, Major League Baseball issued a brief statement noting it had collectively bargained a joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy “that reflects our commitment to these issues.”

“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” MLB said.

Associated Press writers Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Ron Blum in New York contributed.

Gutting of USAID will prove to be Musk’s deadliest legacy | Opinion

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 01:46

Elon Musk has left the White House, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. But of all the actions Musk and President Donald Trump set in motion before their recent rupture, nothing will hurt more people around the world than their dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

By making disease-stemming drugs, clean water and food available to millions, USAID has probably saved more lives worldwide than any entity in history.

Since 2000, USAID’s programs have prevented the deaths of 58 million people from tuberculosis, 25 million from HIV/AIDS, and 11 million from malaria. It’s given 70 million people access to safe drinking water and, working in concert with global vaccine initiatives, helped to nearly eradicate polio.

David Douglas is the president of the Wallace Genetic Foundation. (courtesy, OtherWords)

As the main funder of global health interventions, USAID served as a bulwark against diseases that don’t halt at national borders. Its programs identified emerging epidemics and minimized the spread of drug-resistant diseases that threaten Americans as well.

Although it’s commonly assumed to be much higher, foreign aid is just 1% of federal spending, so cutting it won’t begin to balance the budget. So instead, Trump and Musk attacked USAID by slandering it, calling it a “criminal agency” (Musk) that’s “run by a bunch of radical lunatics” (Trump).

This, of course, was a lie. USAID was known for having rigorous oversight, with 275 investigators and auditors in its watchdog office.

Most USAID funding in low-income countries targets disease prevention, economic growth and disaster relief. But DOGE and Trump made staggering false claims, like Trump’s that USAID was sending “$50 million to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas.”

As a result, USAID was the first casualty in the Trump administration’s struggle to make the federal government subservient not to the Constitution but to one man. And Musk — the world’s richest man, whose income last year exceeded USAID’s entire budget — and his fellow billionaire Trump withdrew medicines and food from millions of the world’s most vulnerable people. Afterward, Musk gleefully announced that they’d fed “USAID into the wood chipper.”

I’ve followed USAID since seeing its economic and agricultural programs in the African Sahel in the 1980s, and I’ve spent 40 years heading nonprofits working to provide clean drinking water internationally.

No organization I’ve led has received USAID funding, but over the years I’ve known scores of USAID staff who were hard working and conscientious about spending U.S. tax dollars. Trump owes an apology to USAID’s employees, now indiscriminately fired or coerced into early retirement.

Every federal agency can stand being streamlined. But what happened to USAID wasn’t reform — it was destruction. “They didn’t know what they were doing or care to find out, but I came to realize that cruelty is their purpose,” one senator told me in April. “Cruelty is how they think they demonstrate power.”

It’s fair to say American voters didn’t ask for this. USAID went unmentioned during the 2024 presidential campaign — and bipartisan majorities continue to say they oppose gutting the agency.

American entities that partnered with USAID — including corporations, faith-based organizations, foundations, universities and civic groups like Rotary International — will continue to raise their own private funds. But by themselves, they can’t replace USAID’s leadership abroad.

Now that Trump and Musk have eviscerated the agency, millions will suffer. The Center for Global Development estimates that U.S. foreign assistance has been saving 3 million lives annually. The journal Nature calculates that the loss of U.S. global health funding alone could result in 25 million additional deaths over the next 15 years.

For Americans — including Trump voters — feeling queasy over what’s been carried out in their name, it’s not too late to convey to Congress your support for lifesaving foreign assistance.

Regardless of how they voted, Americans should be proud of how their foreign aid has reduced worldwide poverty, sickness, hunger and thirst — all for 1% of the federal budget. The future cost to the United States, if it abandons its leadership in global health and development, will prove incalculable.

David Douglas has led nonprofit organizations involved with clean drinking water and sanitation internationally for 40 years. He is the president of the Wallace Genetic Foundation. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.

Miss Manners: My fun party game went off the rails when my guest was arrested

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 01:42

DEAR MISS MANNERS: To prevent party guests from driving impaired, I came up with a fun game using a $21 breathalyzer I bought online. I call it “Have I Had Too Many?”

Guests who are at, or even close to, the legal limit get a prize: a free ride home!

Everything was going great until one guest tested at well over twice the legal limit, but then refused the free ride. He used some pretty strong language, shoved me aside and was almost out the door with his equally impaired plus-one when I said, “Don’t drive or I will be forced to call the cops!”

Well, he did, I did, and he was arrested.

Needless to say, it ruined the evening.

A couple of guests left saying that I overreacted, as he is an adult and appeared fine.

Miss Manners, what should I have said or done differently? My guests know that I take this seriously, as I was the victim of a head-on crash by an impaired driver. The crash caused me to undergo many surgeries.

I know many people must face this challenge — guests who insist on driving when they really shouldn’t.

GENTLE READER: Interesting approach. And Miss Manners is using “interesting” in the same off-dictionary way you appear to use “fun.”

Whatever you wanted people to think, your game framed drunk driving as a joke. And if you have an explanation about why that was not your intent, remember that it would have to be understood by people you know to be alcohol-impaired.

In future, let’s exercise better judgment: You could limit the amount of alcohol you serve. If you see a guest who worries you, you could involve another guest who lives nearby to help get the impaired one home safely. (And that person will be far more helpful if they are not distracted by worrying about what you are going to do next.)

And of course, if this is a truly unmanageable problem in your circle of friends, you should not be serving alcohol at all.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I like unusual people — eccentrics, scapegoats, difficult people. I always have.

In the rare event that someone mistreats me, I distance myself; otherwise, I remain friends with almost everyone, despite our differences. I will not take part in the bullying culture of, “I don’t like that person, therefore you shouldn’t, either.”

Some people have asked me, “Why are you still friends with her?” Not only can love not always be explained, but my friendships are my business alone.

How can I politely respond to these people without explaining or justifying those friendships? (Ironically, some of them happen to be members of that loose, unliked group.) I do not want to alienate anyone.

GENTLE READER: By not explaining or justifying the friendship. The first three times you answer, “Because I like her,” do it with a shrug and a disarming smile.

If that is not enough to bore your questioner into dropping it, the next three repetitions can be said with gradually mounting irritation.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, gentlereader@missmanners.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Today in History: June 25, former White House counsel begins testifying on Watergate scandal

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 01:00

Today is Wednesday, June 25, the 176th day of 2025. There are 189 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On June 25,1973, former White House Counsel John Dean began testifying before the Senate Watergate Committee, implicating top administration officials, including President Richard Nixon as well as himself, in the Watergate scandal and cover-up.

Also on this date:

In 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, began in southeastern Montana Territory. As many as 100 Native Americans were killed in the battle, as were 268 people attached to the 7th Cavalry Regiment, including George Armstrong Custer and Mark Kellogg, the first Associated Press reporter to die in the line of duty.

In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which set a minimum wage, guaranteed overtime pay and banned “oppressive child labor,” was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1947, “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish girl hiding with her family from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II, was first published.

In 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South. The conflict would last for over three years and would be responsible for an estimated 4 million deaths, an estimated 3 million of whom were civilians.

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health, its first “right-to-die” decision, ruled 5-4 that family members could be barred from ending the lives of persistently comatose relatives who had not made their wishes known conclusively.

In 1993, Kim Campbell was sworn in as Canada’s 19th prime minister, the first woman to hold the post.

In 1996, a truck bomb killed 19 Americans and injured hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia.

In 2015, in the case of King v. Burwell, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in a 6-3 ruling that preserved health insurance for millions of Americans.

In 2021, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd, whose death led to the biggest outcry against racial injustice in the U.S. in generations.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor June Lockhart is 100.
Civil rights activist James Meredith is 92.
Singer Carly Simon is 82.
Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 78.
Musician Tim Finn is 73.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is 71.
Actor-writer-comedian Ricky Gervais is 64.
Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour is 62.
Author Yann Martel (“Life of Pi”) is 62.
Actor Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) is 54.
Actor Linda Cardellini is 50.
Actor Busy Philipps is 46.

Space Coast launch schedule

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 00:30

The Space Coast set a new record in 2024 with 93 launches from all providers, building off the 72 orbital missions flown in 2023. With SpaceX’s continued pace, more launches from United Launch Alliance and the debut of Blue Origin’s New Glenn, the Space Force has said it could support as many as 156 launches in 2025.

Check back for the latest information on upcoming launches.

By The Numbers:

2025: 54 Space Coast orbital launches, 1 hypersonic missile (updated June 25) | 40 from Cape Canaveral, 14 from KSC | 51 from SpaceX (51 Falcon 9), 2 from ULA (2 Atlas V), 1 from Blue Origin (New Glenn on NG-1) | 3 human spaceflights (Crew-10, Fram2, Ax-4)

2024: 93 Space Coast launches | 67 from Cape Canaveral, 26 from KSC | 88 from SpaceX (86 Falcon 9, 2 Falcon Heavy), 5 from ULA (2 Vulcan, 1 Delta IV Heavy, 2 Atlas V) | 5 human spaceflights (Axiom Space Ax-3, SpaceX Crew-8, Boeing Crew Flight Test, Polaris Dawn | Crew-9)

2023: 72 Space Coast launches | 59 from Cape Canaveral, 13 from KSC | 68 from SpaceX (63 Falcon 9s, 5 Falcon Heavy), 3 from United Launch Alliance (1 Delta IV Heavy, 2 Atlas V), 1 from Relativity Space | 3 human spaceflights (Crew-6, Ax-2, Crew-7)

Details on past launches can be found at the end of file.

MOST RECENT LAUNCHES

June 25 (delayed from June 10, 11): SpaceX Falcon 9 with unnamed Crew Dragon on Axiom Space Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 2:31 a.m. The crew assigned to Ax-4 includes Commander Peggy Whitson, Mission Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla of India, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański of ESA/Poland, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. This would be Whitson’s second trip on an Axiom mission to the ISS, and part of NASA’s requirement that former NASA astronaut command commercial mission visits to the ISS. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay, and will fly up the fifth SpaceX Crew Dragon, which was named Grace once on orbit. This was the second flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

UPCOMING: 2025

June 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-16 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during a launch window that runs from 12:33-4:33 p.m. and backup June 26 during window from 12:11-4:11 p.m.

TBD, no earlier than July 2025: SpaceX Crew-11 mission on SpaceX Falcon 9. Crew is NASA astronauts Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov. Read more.

TBD, end of summer: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-33 resupply mission from TBD launch site.

TBD, No earlier than spring 2025 (Delayed from Oct. 13): Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket of the twin spacecraft for ESCAPADE, which stands for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, for NASA and the University of California Berkeley’s Space Science Laboratory. Was bumped from Oct. 13, 2024 after NASA concerns about New Glenn rocket’s readiness. Read more.

TBD, no earlier than July 2025 (Delayed from 2024): United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on USSF-106, the rocket’s first Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Dependent on ULA completing both Certification 1 and Certification 2 flights. Payload is the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 headed to geostationary orbit. Built by L3Harris, it’s funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory and potential replacement technology for GPS. USSF-106 is the 2nd of two NSSF Phase 2 contracts awarded to ULA in 2020 originally targeting a launch by the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2022 (FY22). The first, USSF-51, launched in summer 2024, originally slated to be on Vulcan, but moved to Atlas V, and originally to have been launched by the second quarter of FY22. Combined, the two mission task orders had an original contract value of $337 million.

TBD, 1st half of 2025 (Delayed from 2024): United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on USSF-87, the rocket’s second planned Department of Defense mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. USSF-87 is the one of two NSSF Phase 2 contracts awarded to ULA in 2021 originally targeting a launch by the fourth quarter of FY23 with the other launch, USSF-112 originally targeting a launch by the third quarter of FY23. Combined, the two mission task orders had an original contract value of $225 million.

TBD, mid-September: Northrop Grumman Cygnus on NG-23 resupply mission to the ISS. Could fly on SpaceX from Florida or from Virginia on updated Antares rocket if ready.

TBD: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on the first Sierra Space Dream Chaser flight to the International Space Station. Mission slipped into 2025 because ULA needed more Vulcan rocket hardware beyond Cert-2 and the two USSF missions that took priority over the Dream Chaser flight. Still on NASA’s manifest for 2025 as of June, but not mentioned on ISS manifest before the end of the year. Read more.

TBD, no earlier than December 2025: SpaceX Falcon Heavy flying Astrobotic’s Griffin lunar lander as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. No longer taking the canceled VIPER rover mission. The Griffin lander will demonstrate its ability to land with no official NASA payload, but will touch down on Mons Mouton near the western rim of Nobile crater close to the lunar south pole.

TBD, late 2025: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Intuitive Machines IM-3 mission with Nova-C lander for NASA’s CLPS task order. Also called PRISM to carry four NASA payloads to the Reiner Gamma region of the Moon, as well as a rover, a data relay satellite, and secondary payloads to be determined. Scientific objectives include gaining an understanding of the Reiner Gamma swirl mini-magnetosphere region and its magnetic and plasma properties.

TBD, 2025: Blue Origin New Glenn carrying Blue Moon Mark 1 (MK1), a single-launch, lunar cargo lander that remains on the surface. Will fly one scientific instrument awarded under NASA’s CLPS initiative.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2026

TBD, no earlier than early 2026: Boeing Starliner-1 on ULA Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 41. Two of the four spots assigned to this mission were reassigned to SpaceX Crew-11. This Starliner previously flew on Boeing’s Orbital Flight Test-2 mission. Read more.

TBD, No later than April 2026: NASA Artemis II mission to send four crew on 10-day orbital mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more.

TBD: Early 2026: SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost lander and Elytra Dark orbiting transfer vehicle on Blue Ghost Mission 2 to land on the far side of the moon and take advantage of the radio-quiet environment to deploy an array of antennas, comprising a low-frequency (0.1 to 50 MHz) radio telescope. The telescope will be used to observe the radio sky at frequencies below 50 MHz and will measure the low-frequency foreground of the universe. It will also help evaluate the far side of the moon as a radio-quiet environment, test the hypothesis of the late heavy bombardment of the moon, and test the hypothesis that a major rearrangement of planet distances and the beginning of life on Earth occurred at about the same time. The mission consists of the Blue Ghost lunar lander, the Elytra Dark orbital vehicle, and the Lunar Surface Electromagnetic Explorer Night system (LuSEE Night). Elytra Dark will serve as a transfer vehicle to bring the Blue ghost lander to the moon. Blue Ghost will land on the lunar far side carrying LuSee Night, which will deploy directly from the spacecraft.

TBD, No earlier than May 2026: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Vast Haven-1 uncrewed space station.

TBD, No earlier than June 2026: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon spacecraft with commercial customers for Vast.

TBD, 2026: SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying the Draper Lunar Lander headed for the moon’s Schrödinger basin on the lunar far side. It will carry three NASA-sponsored science payloads to make geophysical measurements as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Draper Laboratories provides the launch and lander and is partnering with ispace with its APEX 1.0 lander which also will deploy relay satellites into orbit in order to allow communication with Earth from the far side of the moon. Schrodinger basin, a large impact crater near the moon’s south pole, shows evidence of geologically recent volcanic activity. The science payload to be landed there includes seismometers, a drill to allow emplacement of heat flow and electrical conductivity probes, and instruments to study the magnetic field and surface weathering.

UPCOMING: TBD IN 2027 and Beyond

TBD, Summer 2027: NASA Artemis III mission to send four crew on lunar landing mission to the moon from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B. Read more.

TBD, No earlier than 2027: Intuitive Machines on IM-4 mission with Nova-C lander under NASA CLPS initiative with a lander headed to the south pole region of the moon, currently planned for the Mons Mouton region. It will carry a suite of six science payloads, with a total mass of 79 kg, to the surface. These include the Compact Infrared Imaging System, which is an imaging radiometer to make mineralogical and thermophysical measurements on the lunar surface; the Surface and Exosphere Alterations by Landers (SEAL) instrument designed to study the chemical response of the lunar regolith to the lander, as well as to characterize the lunar exosphere at the surface; the Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG) to characterize the magnetic field of the Moon at low altitudes and on the surface; and a laser retroreflector. It will also carry the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) science suite, which will study the biological response of yeast to the lunar environment and measure the radiation levels at the lunar surface. In addition, there is a European Space Agency payload, the Package for Resource Observation and in-situ Prospecting for Exploration, commercial exploration and Transportation (PROSPECT), designed to assess the potential use of resources for human exploration.

TBD: Firefly Aerospace with Blue Ghost lander under NASA CLPS initiative. Will feature an orbital transfer vehicle and rover headed to the Gruithuisen Domes on the moon. The objective is to study the composition and origin of the domes and surroundings. It will have a Sample Acquisition, Morphology Filtering & Probing of Lunar Regolith (SAMPLR) robotic arm. The mission will carry a suite of instruments, the Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE). Lunar-VISE includes three instruments on the rover, the Visible Near-InfraRed (VNIR) Imaging Camera, the Compact InfraRed Imaging System, and the Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer. It also has two cameras on the lander, the Context Camera and the Descent Camera. It will also carry the Heimdall imaging suite, a Radio-wave Observations at the Lunar Surface of the photoElectron Sheath (ROLSES) radio telescope, the Photovoltaic Investigation on the Lunar Surface (PILS), and the Neutron Measurements at the Lunar Surface (NMLS).

LAUNCHED IN 2025

Jan. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Thuraya-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:27 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 20th flight and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-71 mission with 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:43 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 17th flight, having previously launched the Crew-5 human spaceflight and 15 other missions. It made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Jan. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-11 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 10:27 a.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight with a landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-12 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:11 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for a record 25th time with landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Jan. 13: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-4 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:47 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time with landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 1:11 a.m. with both the Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost moon lander on Blue Ghost Mission 1, the third of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) missions, and the Japanese company ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission-2 lunar lander. Blue Ghost is designed to deliver 10 NASA payloads. Blue Ghost is slated to arrive to the moon 45 days after launch for a 14-day mission on the moon. The ispace lander named Resilience won’t arrive for 4 1/2 months after launch. On board is a micro rover built by ispace called Tenacious as well as several commercial payloads. Read more.

Jan. 16 (Delayed from Jan. 10, 12, 13): First launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on the NG-1 Blue Ring Pathfinder mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 36 at 2:03 a.m. This would be the first of two certification flights for NSSL missions required by the Space Force. Payload will be Blue Origin Blue Ring pathfinder. Originally targeted to be 2nd launch of new rocket. New Glenn’s first launch was planned to be NASA’s Mars-bound ESCAPADE twin satellite mission, but that has been delayed to potentially spring 2025 or later. New debut launch then targeted November, but FAA only gave launch license on Dec. 27, same day as the rocket’s first test hot fire on the pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 36. Jan. 10 and 12 launch windows were waved off because of high seas for booster recovery, and then Jan. 13 attempt scrubbed “to troubleshoot a vehicle subsystem issue” with no new launch date announced. Read more.

Jan. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 13-1 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 12:24 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 8th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Jan. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-7 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:05 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 20th time with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SpainSat NG 1 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 8:34 p.m. The first-stage booster made a successful 21st liftoff, but was expended to get the satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Read more.

Feb. 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-3 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:15 a.m. This was the 21st launch for the first-stage booster, which made a landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

Feb. 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Maxar Digital Globe 3 mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A with a pair of satellites headed to min-inclination orbit at 6:13 p.m. This was the fourth launch of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. It was the first LZ-1 landing of the year after 12 in 2024 and 6 in 2023. Read more.

Feb. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-9 mission carrying 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:18 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 17th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

Feb. 11: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-18 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:53 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time and made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Feb. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting at 1:14 a.m, This was a record 26th launch for the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

Feb. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-12 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:21 p.m. The was the 16th launch of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in Exuma Sound off the coast of the Bahamas. SpaceX has warned that residents in the Bahamas may hear one or more sonic booms during the first-stage landing. Read more.

Feb. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-14 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:19 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 21st time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Feb. 26: Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:16 p.m. Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples. Also flying is the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, a small satellite designed to provide an understanding of the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the moon, as well as the lunar water cycle. A secondary payload is the AstroForge Odin spacecraft headed for a a near-Earth asteroid named 2022 OB5. The first-stage booster made its ninth flight landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, marking its 100th booster catch. Read more.

Feb. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-13 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:34 p.m. The first-stage booster flew its debut launch and made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

March 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-20 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:24 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the fifth time landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. A fire after landing, though, caused the booster to tumble and be destroyed.

March 12: SpaceX Falcon on the Starlink 12-21 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 10:35 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 22nd flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. Read more.

March 14 (delayed from March 12): SpaceX Crew-10 mission on SpaceX Falcon 9 in the Crew Dragon Endurance at 7:03 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A. Delayed from a planned February launch because of more time needed for a new Crew Dragon from SpaceX, but then the decision to switch to Endurance moved up the mission by about two weeks. The Crew-10 and a planned summer launch of Crew-11 were awarded in lieu of the now-delayed Boeing Starliner-1 mission after issues with 2024’s Boeing Crew Flight Test mission. Booster flew for the second time with landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Scrubbed March 12 attempt. Read more.

March 15: SpaceX Falcon on the Starlink 12-16 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:35 a.m. The launch came just two days, eight hours, 59 minutes since the previous launch at SLC-40, setting a turnaround record. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time landing on the Just Read the Instructions droneship.

March 18: SpaceX Falcon on the Starlink 12-25 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:57 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 19th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

March 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the classified NROL-69 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:48 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the second time with recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

March 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon on the Fram2 private human spaceflight mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A in the Crew Dragon Resilience at 9:46 p.m. It marks the first time humans have flown on a polar orbital mission. Named Fram2 in deference to the ship “Fram” built in Norway that helped explorers get to the Arctic and Antarctica. The crew includes Chinese-born Chun Wang of Malta, an entrepreneur who made a fortune in cryptocurrency and an avid adventurer. Along for the ride will be fellow adventurers Eric Philips of Australia, Jannicke Mikkelsen of Norway and Rabea Rogge of Germany. Mikkelsen will take the role of mission commander and Philips the role of pilot. The first-stage booster made its sixth flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. Resilience is on its fourth trip to space and will land off the coast of California. Read more.

March 31 (delayed from March 30) SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-80 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:52 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 17th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

April 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-72 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:07 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 19th time landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

April 12 (Delayed from April 11): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 12-17 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A during at 8:54 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time. It previously flew crewed missions Crew-8, Polaris Dawn and IM-2. It made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

April 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-73 mission carrying 27 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12 a.m. This marked the fleet-leading 27th launch of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.

April 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-32 resupply mission to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 4:15 a.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight with a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. This was the fifth flight on the Dragon spacecraft. It will dock with the ISS after a 28-hour flight targeting 8:20 a.m. Tuesday. Read more.

April 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Bandwagon-3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:48 p.m. On board this mission were ADD’s 425Sat-3, Tomorrow Companies Inc.’s Tomorrow-S7, and Atmos Space Cargo’s PHOENIX re-entry capsule. This was the third flight for the first-stage booster and it made a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 2. Read more.

April 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-74 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for its 23rd time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

April 25: The Army and Navy performed a test launch of the hypersonic missile defense system Dark Eagle from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 46. Read more.

April 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-23 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:09 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 20th time making a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-10 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A at 10:34 p.m. The first-stage booster made its first flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic.

April 28 (Delayed from April 9, 14): United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 on the Kuiper 1 at 7:01 p.m. on the inaugural launch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper with 27 satellites for the constellation headed for low-Earth orbit. ULA has only 14 more Atlas V rockets including seven more set aside for Amazon. Read more.

May 1: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-75 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:51 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 18th flight with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic.

May 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-84 mission with 29 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A 4:55 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 20th flight making a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

May 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-93 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during four-hour launch window from 8:22 p.m. to 12:22 a.m. May 7, and backup later on May 7 from 7:56-11:56 p.m. This is the seventh flight for the first-stage booster that will attempt a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

May 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-91 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:28 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 11th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

May 13 (Delayed from May 11): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-83 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 1:09 a.m. Scrubbed May 11 because of high winds. This was the record-leading 28th launch of the first-stage booster, which flew the Crew-3 and Crew-4 missions among 27 previous. It made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. This also marked the 100th Falcon 9 launch from 39-A.

May 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-67 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:38 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the fourth time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

May 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-15 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 At 11:19 p.m. This was the debut flight of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

May 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-22 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:19 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 24th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

May 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-32 mission with 27 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 9:30 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 19th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the GPS III-7 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:37 p.m. This is one of the missions originally awarded to United Launch Alliance under the NSSL Phase 2 contracts, but shifted to SpaceX after delays in ULA’s Vulcan certification. The first-stage booster flew for the fourth time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 12-19 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:43 a.m. The first-stage booster flew its 21st time with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic.

June 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on SiriusXM-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:54 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

June 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 12-24 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:05 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

June 13: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-26 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:29 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 21st launch with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This was the 50th orbital launch of the year from the Space Coast. Read more.

June 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-18 mission with 28 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:55 a.m. The mission included the 9,000th Starlink flown since the first operational mission in 2019. The first-stage booster flew for the fifth time landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

June 23 (Delayed from June 16): United Launch Alliance Atlas V on the Kuiper 2 mission with 27 satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. at 6:54 a.m. Launch was ULA’s 2nd of the year following the April 28 launch of Kuiper 1 to put 27 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper into space, the first of dozens of launches lined up to help build out a constellation of more than 3,200 satellites by 2028 and compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. Read more.

June 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-23 mission with 27 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting the opening of window from 1:58 a.m. The first-stage flew for the 25th time with a landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

LAUNCHED IN 2024

Jan. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Ovzon 3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:04 p.m. This was the first launch of 2024. The 3,968-pound Ovzon 3 satellite is the first privately funded and developed Swedish geostationary satellite ever to be launched, headed for a geostationary transfer orbit where it will then propel itself to its geostationary orbit over 3-4 months at 59.7 degrees east at 22,236 miles altitude. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Jan. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-35 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:35 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 16th flight having previously flown on two crewed and two cargo missions to the International Space Station among others. It managed its recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 8 (Delayed from May 4, Dec. 24-26): First-ever launch of United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on Certification-1 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:18 a.m. Primary payload was commercial company Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander headed to the moon. Also flying will be another human remains payload for Celestis Inc., this time brining the ashes of more than 200 people to space including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan who played “Scotty” on the TV series. Read more.

Jan. 14 (Delayed from Jan. 13): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew its 12th mission and with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was the fourth launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more.

Jan. 18 (Delayed from Jan. 17): SpaceX Falcon 9 with a Crew Dragon Freedom for Axiom Space’s Axiom-3 mission launched at 4:49 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The crew includes one astronaut each from Italy, Turkey and Sweden while the mission is led by Axiom’s chief astronaut Michael López-Alegría who is making his sixth trip to space. The customers are Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, who will act as pilot. In the two mission specialist roles are Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey and ESA project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden. All three have served in their respective nations’ air forces. The commercial flight brings four crew for a short stay on the ISS. This mission is targeting a 14-day stay with docking planned for Saturday at 5:15 a.m. The first-stage booster made a landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Jan. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-38 mission with 23 Starlink satellites at 8:10 p.m. liftoff on a southerly trajectory from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A. The first-stage booster made its 18th flight, with past missions including the crewed flights of Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and had a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Jan. 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 with Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft on the NG-20 mission to resupply the International Space Station at12:07 p.m.. This was the first ISS launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40, which SpaceX has been redeveloping to support future crewed missions in addition to KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. This was the first of at least three SpaceX flights of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft as part of a deal after its 10-year run of launches atop Antares rockets ended with the Aug. 1 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia because of issues with Russian- and Ukrainian-made rocket engines and first stage parts that are being redeveloped with Firefly Aerospace for a future Antares rocket not expected until at least 2025. Following launch, the space station’s Canadarm2 will grapple Cygnus no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 1, and the spacecraft will attach to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port for cargo unloading by the Expedition 70 crew. The first-stage booster made its 10th flight and returned for a touchdown at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Feb. 8 (Delayed from Feb. 6, 7): NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol Cloud Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:33 a.m. PACE will advance the assessment of ocean health by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, tiny plants and algae that sustain the marine food web, as well as clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere. The first-stage booster flying for the fourth time made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Feb. 14: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the USSF-124 mission launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:30 p.m. Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time with a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 2. Read more.

Feb. 15 (Delayed from Nov. 14, Jan. 12, Feb. 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 for the Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission with the company’s Nova-C lunar lander Odysseus from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 1:05 a.m. This could end up being the first NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) mission to land on the moon after the failure of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander. The IM-1 has a suite of six NASA payloads as part of a CLPS delivery and another six privately organized payloads. Landing would take place Feb. 22.Read more.

Feb. 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Merah Putih 2 mission, a communications satellite for Telkom Indonesia, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:11 p.m. into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. This was the 11th launch from the Space Coast in 2023 and 300th successful Falcon 9 launch since its debut in 2010, having only had one mid-launch failure in 2015. This was the 17th launch of the first stage booster, and it made a recovery landing downrange on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Feb. 25 (delayed from Feb. 24): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-39 mission sending up 24 Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:06 p.m. This was the 12th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Feb. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-40 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:30 a.m. This was the 13th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 11h time and made recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

March 3 (delayed from Feb. 22, 28, March 1, 2): SpaceX Crew-8 on Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 10:53 p.m. Bad weather on the ascent corridor took the first three launch options on March 1 and 2 off the table. It’s the eighth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Its four crew members are NASA astronauts Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Michael Barratt, Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Alexander Grebenkin. They flew up in the Crew Dragon Endeavour making its fifth trip to space. The first-stage booster made its first flight. The mission had originally been targeting Feb. 22, but that was the target day for the Intuitive Machines attempt to land on the moon, and NASA chose to move the launch to “deconflict” NASA support operations that day. Read more.

March 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-41 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:56 p.m. The first stage booster flew for the 13th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

March 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-43 mission sent up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:05 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 11th time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 16th launch from the Space Coast in 2024. Read more.

March 15 (Delayed from March 13, 14): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-44 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 8:21 p.m. after scrubbing launches on both Wednesday and Thursday with about 2 minutes on the countdown clock. The booster flew for a record-tying 19th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

March 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-30 resupply mission with a Cargo Dragon to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:54 p.m. This was the first Dragon launch from SLC-40 since the addition of a crew access arm to support Dragon launches from more than one Space Coast pad and augment normal launches from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A. The first-stage booster made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

March 23 (delayed from March 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-42 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 11:09 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for 19th time.

March 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-46 mission sending up 23 more Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:42 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship.

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Eutelsat-36X mission from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:52 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a landing on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This was 20th SpaceX launch from the Space Coast in 2024 and 21st among all companies. Read more.

March 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-45 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:30 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

April 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-47 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:12 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. It was the 275th recovery of a Falcon 9 booster for SpaceX. Read more.

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the the Bandwagon-1 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 7:16 p.m, The first-stage booster flew for the 14th time and made a recovery landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. The 11 satellites on board are flying to a mid-inclination orbit. This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO. Read more.

April 9 (Delayed from March 28): United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37 at 12:53 p.m. This was the final Delta IV Heavy rocket launch ever, and last of any Delta rocket, which has been flying for more than 60 years. The Space Force has one more launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket before future missions transition to ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur. Read more.

April 10: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-48 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:40 a.m. The first-stage booster made its second flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

April 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-49 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:40 p.m. The launch set a turnaround record for launches from SLC-40 at two days and 20 hours since the Aug. 10 launch. The previous record was Aug. 3-6, 2023 at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. The first-stage booster also flew for a record 20th time making a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

April 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-51 mission with 23 Starlink satellites launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 12th flight and landed downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

April 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-52 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:40 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

April 23 (Delayed from April 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-53 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:17 p.m. This was the 30th Space Coast launch of the year, with all but two coming from SpaceX. It also marked the 300th successful recovery of a first-stage booster among Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. Of note, the launch came 16 minutes ahead of a Rocket Lab launch from New Zealand. Read more.

April 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Galileo L12 mission carrying satellites for the European Commission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 8:34 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for a record-tieng 20th time, but was expended getting the payload to medium-Earth orbit. Read more.

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-54 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:08 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-55 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:37 p.m. This was the 19th flight of the first-stage booster, which launched both Crew 3 and Crew 4 human spaceflight missions. It’s recovery landing was on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic.

May 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-57 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:14 p.m. The first-stage booster for the flight made its 15th trip to space with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic Ocean on SpaceX’s droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

May 8 (Delayed from May 7): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-56 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 2:42 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the third time having launched Crew-8 and a Starlink mission. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-58 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:53 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

May 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-59 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 8:32 p.m. This marked the 21st flight for the first-stage booster, the most in the booster fleet, having previously flown on human spaceflight missions Inspiration4 and Axiom Space’s Ax-1 among others. It made another recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

May 22: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-62 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:35 p.m. This was the eighth flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

May 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-63 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 10:45 p.m. This was the 13th flight of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

May 28 (Delayed from May 27): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-60 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:24 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

May 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-64 mission carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral SLC-40 at 10:37 p.m. The booster flew for the 14th time making a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, a record turnaround for droneship recovery coming less than 84 hours since the previous recovery landing on May 28. Read more.

June 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink g8-5 mission carrying 20 Starlink satellites including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:16 p.m. This was the 20th flight of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

June 5 (Delayed from June 1, May 6, 17, 21, 25 2024; July 21, 2023; April 22, 2024): Boeing CST-100 Starliner atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 10:52 a.m. on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) carrying NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station followed by a parachute-and-airbag-assisted ground landing in the desert of the southwestern United States. The May 6 attempt was scrubbed two hours before liftoff because of valve on ULA’s upper Centaur stage that teams continue to investigate. Teams deemed the valve needed to be replaced and the rocket needed to be rolled back from the pad to Boeing’s Vertical Integration Facility. A helium leak in the Starliner capsule further delayed it from a planned May 17 target to May 21 and then May 25. A June 1 attempt scrubbed with less than 4 minutes on the countdown clock. Read more.

June 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-1 mission carrying 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:56 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 16th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It also marked the 300th landing of a Falcon 9 booster.

June 20 (Delayed from June 18, 19): SpaceX Falcon 9 on SES 24 mission flying the ASTRA 1P communication satellite for Luxembourg-based communications company SES for TV markets in Germany, Spain and France from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:35 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time making another recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, the 250th time SpaceX had used a droneship for a successful recovery. Read more.

June 23 (Delayed from June 12,13,14): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-2 mission with 22 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:15 p.m. An abort at T-0 on June 14 forced SpaceX to delay its launch nine days and change out the first-stage booster. The new booster made its 11h flight with a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy on its 10th launch ever with payload of the GOES-U satellite for the NOAA from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. The two side boosters returned for a land landing at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station while the center core stage fell into the ocean. Read more.

June 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-3 mission with Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:14 a.m. The booster for the flight made a record 22nd launch with a landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 8-9 mission carrying 20 Starlink satellites including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:55 a.m. This was the 16th flight of the first-stage booster, which was previously on the pad for the Starlink 10-3 mission, but was changed out after an issue when it hit T-0 during a launch attempt. It made a landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Turksat 6A mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:30 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-9 mission launching 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 1:45 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 17th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed in the Atlantic. The launch was the first since a California Starlink launch that ended up with a second-stage failure that grounded the Falcon 9. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-4 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:09 a.m. This was the 14th flight of its first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This marked the 300th successful reflight of a booster. Read more.

July 30: United Launch Alliance Atlas V on USSF-51 with classified payload from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 6:45 a.m. One of 16 remaining Atlas V rockets for ULA. Read more.

Aug. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-6 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 1:01 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 12th time with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It was SpaceX’s 50th launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Aug. 4 (Delayed from Aug. 3): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the NG-21 resupply mission taking up the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft with cargo to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:03 a.m, The first-stage booster flew for the 10th time and made a land recovery at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 2nd time SpaceX has flown the Cygnus spacecraft. Weather led to a scrub of the Aug. 3 attempt, but SpaceX was able to launch despite Tropical Storm Debby churning off Florida’s southwest coast. Read more.

Aug. 10 (Delayed from Aug. 9): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-3 mission with 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:50 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 21st time, one of four boosters with more than 20 flights among the SpaceX fleet. It landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Was scrubbed from Friday because of bad weather in the launch recovery zone in the Atlantic. Read more.

Aug. 12 (Delayed from Aug. 10, 11): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 10-7 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 6:37 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 17th time landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Aug. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Maxar 2 mission flying two of Maxar Techologies’ WorldView Legion Earth-observation satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 lifting off at 9 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 16th time with a recovery at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 199th Falcon 9 launch from SLC-40. Read more.

Aug. 20: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink g10-5 mission carrying 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:20 a.m. This was the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Aug. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 8-6 mission carrying 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting at 3:48 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for a record 23rd time, but did not make a successful landing. Its previous missions included the Inspiration4 and Axiom Space Ax-1 crewed launches. It tipped over during its recovery landing attempt downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The FAA grounded Falcon 9 pending a SpaceX investigation. Read more.

Aug. 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 8-19 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 21 Starlink satellites at 3:43 a.m. Its first-stage booster made its 18th flight and stuck the landing without issue on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept. 5 (Delayed from Sept. 4): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 8-11 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:33 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 15th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. A Sept. 4 launch attempt was scrubbed because of poor weather conditions downrange for the booster recovery. Read more.

Sept. 10: (Delayed from Aug. 28, Aug. 27, July 31, summer 2023): Polaris Dawn mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with the Crew Dragon Resilience from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A at 5:23 a.m. The private orbital mission will bring billionaire Jared Isaacman to space for a second time after 2021′s Inspiration4 mission. It’s the first of up to three planned Polaris missions, and will feature a tethered spacewalk. Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon. Both Gillis and Menon are SpaceX employees. Read more.

Sept. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the BlueBird mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:52 a.m. on a mission to place five BlueBird satellites for Midland, Texas-based AST SpcaeMobile. The satellites are part of a space-based cellular broadband network in low-Earth orbit to be accessible by everyday smartphones for both commercial and government use across the U.S. and in select global markets. Beta test users will be for AT&T and Verizon. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time making a return landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This was the 60th Space Coast launch of the year for SpaceX. Read more.

Sept. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Galileo L-13 mission for the European Commission headed to medium-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:50 p.m. The payload’s MEO orbital needs required a previous mission to expend its booster back in April, but SpaceX has adjusted design to recover this mission’s booster making its 22nd flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Sept. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Crew-9 mission flying aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom, flying for its fourth time, on the first human spaceflight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 p.m. Crew was only two to make room for Boeing Starliner CFT crew astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on the return flight next February. Commander is NASA astronaut Nick Hague, the first active Space Force member to launch to space on his third launch, and Roscomos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov making his first flight. Original crew members, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, who was originally slated to be commander but would have been making her first spaceflight, and Stephanie Wilson, a veteran of three space shuttle flights, were pulled from the mission. This is Hague’s third launch, although his first was an aborted Soyuz mission. This is Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. They mission is slated to return with four in February 2025. Of note, this will also be the first human spaceflight from SLC-40 as KSC’s pad will be in preparation for the Europa Clipper launch in October. The first-stage booster made a recovery landing on land at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Oct. 4: United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur on the Cert-2 mission at 7:25 a.m. Originally supposed to fly Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight, but payload switched to an inert mass simulator because of potential Dream Chaser delays beyond October launch date. Launch was from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41. Read more.

Oct. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch the Hera mission for the European Space Agency (ESA) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:52 a.m. Hera will visit the asteroid Didymos and its moon Dimorphos as part of the NASA/ESA Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) collaboration. The initial mission of the collaboration, the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will have visited the asteroids earlier and impacted Dimorphos with sufficient momentum to effect a measurable change in its orbit. The first-stage booster flew for a record-tying 23rd time, but it did not attempt a landing as it was expended to get Hera into an interplanetary transfer orbit. Read more.

Oct. 14 (Delayed from Oct. 10): SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 12:06 p.m. on the Europa Clipper mission to travel 1.8 billion miles to investigate Jupiter’s moon Europa to determine whether there are places below Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life. The mission’s detailed investigation of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet. NASA and SpaceX stood down from Oct. 10 opportunity to allow for Hurricane Milton to pass. The first-stage boosters made their 6th and final flights with no recovery. Read more.

Oct. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:10 a.m. The booster flew for the 11th time and landed on A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Oct. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 8-19 mission with 20 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:31 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 17th time landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Oct. 23 (Delayed from Oct. 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-61 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:47 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 18th time landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The mission marked the 72nd from all launch service providers on the Space Coast in 2024, tying the record set in 2023. Read more.

Oct. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:47 p.m. The first-stage booster made its 19th launch with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. It was the record-setting 73rd launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Oct. 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 10-13 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:10 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission made its 14th launch with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic Ocean on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This was a record 69th launch for SpaceX from the Space Coast for the year, although not a record for SLC-40, which had 55 launches in 2023, and only 51 so far in 2024. Read more.

Nov. 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the CRS-31 mission flying up a Cargo Dragon with supplies to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 9:29 p.m. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight (Flew Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, 2 Starlink missions) and with a recovery landing on land back at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. This is fifth flight of the Dragon spacecraft having flown CRS-21, CRS-23, CRS-25 and CRS-28. It has a 13-hour flight to the ISS with plans to dock Nov. 5 at 10:15 a.m. It’s carrying 6,000 pounds of food, supplies and equipment along with new experiments including the solar wind Coronal Diagnostic Experiment, Antarctic moss to observe cosmic radiation and microgravity on plants, a device to test cold welding of metals in microgravity, and an investigation that studies how space impacts different materials. Read more.

Nov. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-77 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:17 p.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Nov. 11: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Koreasat-6A mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 12:22 p.m. This was the 23rd mission for the first-stage booster, which made a record recovery return to nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. It became the first SpaceX booster to successfully make 23 landings, although two previous boosters launched 23 times. One of those blew up on its landing attempt while another was purposefully expended to get its payload to a higher orbital insertion. Read more.

Nov. 11 (delayed from Nov. 10): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-69 mission with 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 4:28 p.m. The first-stage booster for this mission made its 12th flight and made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The launch came 4 hours and 6 minutes after the Koreasat-6A mission at neighboring KSC. Read more.

Nov. 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-68 mission with 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:21 a.m. The first-stage booster for the mission made its 18th flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Nov. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Optus-X mission to launch a geostationary communication satellite built by Northrop Grumman for the Australian company Optus from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A during window at 5:28 p.m. This was the 16th mission for the first-stage booster, which was used on Crew-5, CRS-28 and NG-20 among other missions, making another recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Nov. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the GSAT-20 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:31 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission flew for the 19th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

Nov. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-66 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:07 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 20th time and made a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Nov. 25: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starliner 12-1 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:02 a.m. with 23 Starlink satellites including 12 with Direct to Cell capabilities. The first-stage booster made its 13th flight landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. The booster turnaround from its last flight set a record for SpaceX coming at 13 days 12 hours 44 minutes.

Nov. 26 (Delayed from Nov. 25): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-76 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 11:41 p.m. This was the 15th flight for the first stage booster with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Nov. 30: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-65 mission with 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12 a.m. First-stage booster flew for the 6th time making a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

Dec. 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-70 mission with 24 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:13 a.m. This was the record 24th launch of the first-stage booster, which made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Read more.

Dec. 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Sirius XM-9 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 11:10 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 19th time landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, which had its 100th booster landing. The mission was the 3rd in less than 30 hours for SpaceX among its 2 Florida and 1 California launch pads. Read more.

Dec. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-5 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:12 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the second time having been one of the two used on the GOES-U Falcon Heavy mission. It made a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Dec. 12: Army and Navy hypersonic missile launch test from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 46. Read more.

Dec. 16 (Delayed from Dec. 13): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the RRT-1 mission of a GPS III satellite under a National Security Space Launch contract that switched from United Launch Alliance because of delays in Vulcan rocket certification. Launch occurred from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:52 p.m. This was the fourth launch of the first-stage booster that made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The mission was one of five awarded in 2023 to ULA under the NSSF Phase 2 task orders worth $566 million, but the individual value was not released by the DOD. SpaceX that year had been awarded three missions worth $280. With the switch, the five years’ worth of orders under NSSF Phase 2 have ULA with 25 missions ordered to SpaceX’s 23 missions, for what was originally targeted to be a 60% to 40% order ration in favor of ULA. Read more.

Dec. 17 (Delayed from Dec. 15): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the mPower-E Mission with two telecom satellites for Luxembourg-based SES from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 5:26 p.m. This was the first launch of the first-stage booster with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. It marked the 90th launch in 2024 from all providers on the Space Coast. Read more.

Dec. 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-2 mission from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 12:35 a.m. First-stage booster made its 14th flight landing on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.

Dec. 29 (Delayed from Dec. 20, 22): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Astranis MicroGeo mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at midnight. The first-stage booster that had been tapped during the original attempts was discarded for a new booster. The new one flew for the 7th time, having also flown on the Crew-8, Polaris Dawn, CRS-31 and three Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic. This was the 92nd launch of the year on the Space Coast. Read more.

Dec. 31 (Delayed from Dec. 30): SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 12-6 mission with 21 Starlink satellites including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-A at 12:39 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 16th time having previously flown the Crew-6 mission among its 15 other flights. It made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. This was the 93rd and final launch of the year on the Space Coast. Read more.

LAUNCHED IN 2023

Jan. 3: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Transporter-6 mission carrying 114 payloads for a variety of customers blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:56 a.m. Read more.

Jan. 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb at 11:50 p.m. Monday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more.

Jan. 15: The fifth-ever flight of SpaceX’s powerhouse Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off at 5:56 p.m. from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-A on a mission for the Space Force dubbed USSF-67. Read more.

Jan. 18: A SpaceX Falcon 9 on the GPS III Space Vehicle 06 mission for the Space Force rose through the pink, orange and blue horizon at 7:24 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Read more.

Jan. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 5-2 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launched at 4:32 a.m. sending up 56 Starlink satellites. Read more.

Feb. 2: Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-3 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at 2:43 a.m. 200th successful flight of Falcon 9 on mission to send up 53 Starlink satellites. Read more.

Feb. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Amazonas-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 lifted off at 8:32 p.m. Payload is communications satellite for Hispasat known also as the Amazonas Nexus. Read more.

Feb. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-4 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 launched 55 Starlink satellites at 12:10 a.m. This set a then-record turnaround between launches from the same pad for SpaceX coming just five days, three hours, and 38 minutes since the Feb. 6 launch. Read more.

Feb. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Inmarsat’s I-6 F2 satellite launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:59 p.m. The second of six planned communication satellite launches, the first of which came in 2021 with the final coming by 2025. Read more.

Feb. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:13 p.m. carrying 21 of the second-generation Starlink satellites. Read more.

March 2: Crew-6 mission on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launching Crew Dragon Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 12:34 a.m. A Feb. 27 attempt was scrubbed with less than three minutes before liftoff. Flying were NASA astronauts mission commander Stephen Bowen and pilot Woody Hoburg, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, heading to the International Space Station for around a six-month stay. It’s the sixth SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Read more.

March 9: A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 40 satellites for OneWeb launched at 2:13 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. The first-stage booster flew for the 13th time landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

March 14: After arrival of Crew-6 and departure of Crew-5 to make room for a cargo Dragon, SpaceX Falcon 9 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft on CRS-27, the 27th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 8:30 p.m. Read more.

March 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 18 and 19 mission, a pair of communication satellites set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. Set a record for SpaceX mission turnaround with launch only four hours and 17 minutes after a Starlink launch from California. Read more.

March 22: Relativity Space Terran-1, a 3D-printed rocket awaiting company’s first-ever launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 16 at 11:25 p.m. While first stage successfully separated, the second stage engine did not get it into orbit. Read more.

March 24: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:43 a.m. carrying 56 Starlink satellites to orbit. The booster made its 10th flight. Read more.

March 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launched at 4:01 p.m. The booster making its fourth flight landed on Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

April 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Intelsat 40e mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. Read more.

April 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 launch on Starlink 6-2 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:31 a.m. with 21 Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its eighth flight with a recovery on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

April 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES 03b mPOWER-B mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:12 p.m. Read more.

April 30: SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch of ViaSat-3 Americas’ communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A at 8:26 p.m. All three boosters were expended, so no sonic boom landings. Also flying were payloads for Astranis Space Technologies and Gravity Space headed for geostationary orbits. It’s the sixth-ever Falcon Heavy launch. The launch pad endured a lightning strike on April 27, but SpaceX said the rocket was healthy for the attempt. Read more.

May 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with 56 Starlink satellites at 3:31 a.m. The first-stage booster making its eighth flight was recovered once again on the droneship called A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

May 14: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launnched at 1:03 a.m. Read more.

May 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:19 a.m. carrying 22 second-gen Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in Atlantic. Read more.

May 21: Axiom 2 mission with four private passengers launched to the International Space Station for an eight-day visit flying on a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with Crew Dragon Freedom from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at 5:37 p.m. The first-stage booster flew for the first time with a return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. This is only the second crewed mission from the U.S. in 2023 following March’s Crew-6 mission. The second Axiom Space private mission to the International Space Station following 2022′s Axiom 1 mission. Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight and former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is the mission commander with aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni. Read more.

May 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ArabSat BADR-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:30 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 14th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 4: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-4 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 second-generation Starlink satellites at 8:20 a.m. The first-stage booster made its third flight and was able to land down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch came 13 years to the day since the first Falcon 9 launch in 2010. It was the 229th attempt of a Falcon 9 launch with 228 of the 229 successful. Read more.

June 5 (Delayed from June 3, 4): SpaceX Falcon 9 on CRS-28 launched a cargo Dragon spacecraft, the 28th resupply mission to the International Space Station from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A at at 11:47 a.m. The first-stage booster made its fifth flight and SpaceX recovered it downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This is the fourth flight of the crew Dragon, which will be bring up nearly 7,000 pounds of supplies, dock to the station 41 hours after launch and remain on the station for three weeks. Read more.

June 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 53 of the company’s internet satellites at 3:10 a.m. The first stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

June 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the PSN MSF mission to launch the Satria communications satellite for the Indonesian government and PSN, an Indonesian satellite operator. This satellite will provide broadband internet and communications capability for public use facilities in Indonesia’s rural regions. Liftoff was at 6:21 p.m. with the first-stage booster making its 12th flight and once again landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

June 22: United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy on NROL-68 for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and the National Reconnaissance Office from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 37B lifted off at 5:18 a.m. This was the second-to-last Delta IV Heavy launch with the final one expected in 2024. Read more.

June 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 5-12 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 carrying 56 Starlink satellites at 11:35 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time and landed on a droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 1: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the ESA Euclid space telescope mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:12 a.m. The European Space Agency telescope is designed to make a 3D map of the universe by looking at billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light years away across one third of the sky. Read more.

July 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-5 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:58 p.m. The booster made a record 16th flight and was recovered again downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 5-15 mission with 54 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:50 p.m. (early Friday scrubbed 40 seconds before launch, and early Saturday option passed over) Booster made a record-tying 16th fligh landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

July 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-6 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:50 p.m. carrying 22 of its v2 mini Starlink satellites. The booster flew for the sixth time and made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-7 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:01 a.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. Booster flew for the 15th time including crewed launches Inspiration4 and Ax-1, and made recovery landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. The launch set a record for turnaround time for the company from a single launch pad coming four days, three hours, and 11 minutes since the July 23 launch. The previous record was set from Feb. 6-12 at five days, three hours, and 38 minutes. Read more.

July 28: SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A that launched a telecom satellite for Hughes Network Systems called the Jupiter 3 EchoStar XXIV at 11:04 p.m. The two side boosters were recovered at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This was the third Falcon Heavy launch of 2023 and seventh overall. Read more.

Aug. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Intelsat G-37 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1 a.m. The first-stage booster made its sixth flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. Read more.

Aug. 6: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-8 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:41 p.m. with 22 Starlink V2 minis. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. The turnaround time between the Aug. 3 Intelsat G-37 mission and this mission broke SpaceX’s previous record for time between launches from a single launch pad. Previous record was from July 24-28 with a turnaround of four days, three hours, and 11 minutes. This one came in at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes. Read more.

Aug. 11: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-9 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:17 a.m. Payload is 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. Read more.

Aug. 16: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 with 22 of the V2 mini Starlink satellites. The first-stage booster made its 13th flight and SpaceX was able to recover it again on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Aug. 26: SpaceX Crew-7 mission on a Falcon 9 launching the Crew Dragon Endurance from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39-A lifted off at 3:27 a.m. liftoff. It’s the seventh SpaceX operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Flying are NASA astronaut and mission commander Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA astronaut and pilot Andreas Mogensen, mission specialist JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and mission specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov. This will be Endurance’s third spaceflight after having been used on the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The launch will use a new first-stage booster. The crew will arrive at 8:50 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. with hatch opening about two hours later. It will stay docked about 190 days. Read more.

Aug. 26: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-11 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 9:05 p.m. with 22 Starlink satellites. The first stage flew for the third time and landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Aug. 31: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-13 mission carrying 22 of the v2 Starlink minis from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:21 p.m. It was SpaceX’s ninth launch of the calendar month matching the record nine launches it had in May. It was the company’s 60th orbital launch of the year. The first-stage booster flew for the seventh time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. Read more.

Sept. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-12 mission carrying 21 of the v2 Starlink minis from Kennedy Space Center’s Space Launch Complex 39-A at 10:47 p.m. It marked the 62nd SpaceX orbital launch in 2023 besting the 61 launches the company performed in 2022. The first-stage booster on the flight made its 10th launch and was able to make its recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-14 mission carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 took off at 11:12 p.m. The first-stage booster made its seventh flight with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. Read more.

Sept. 10 (delayed from Aug. 29): United Launch Alliance Atlas V on the SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 for the National Reconnaissance Office and Space Force from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 8:47 a.m.. Delayed because of Tropical Storm Idalia. This was the second ULA launch of 2023. SILENTBARKER’s classified mission is to improve space domain awareness to support national security and provide intelligence data to U.S. senior policy makers, the Intelligence Community and Department of Defense. It will provide the capability to search, detect and track objects from space-based sensors for timely custody and event detection. Read more.

Sept. 15: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-16 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission made its fifth flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. It marked SpaceX’s 65th orbital launch of the year including missions from Canaveral, KSC and California. Read more.

Sept. 19: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-17 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 launching at 11:38 p.m. This was a record reuse flight for the first-stage booster flying for a 17th time with a recovery landing on the droneship A Short Fall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept.23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-18 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:38 p.m. The first-stage booster made a record-tying 17th flight with a recovery landing down range on droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Sept.29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-19 mission, carrying 22 of its Starlink satellites, flying from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10 p.m. The booster on this flight made its 10th launch having flown on CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19 and five Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 69th launch of the year, its 49th from the Space Coast, 39th from Cape Canaveral and the other 10 from KSC. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it was the Space Coast’s 52nd overall. Read more.

Oct. 5: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-21 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:36 a.m. The booster made its eighth flight with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. This was SpaceX’s 70th launch of the year, its 50th from the Space Coast, 40th from Cape Canaveral. With only three non-SpaceX flights this year, it is the Space Coast’s 53rd overall. Read more.

Oct. 6: United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 at 2:06 p.m. Payload was Amazon’s two test Project Kuiper satellites that were set to fly on ULA’s first Vulcan Centaur rocket, but switched to one of the nine Atlas rockets Amazon had previously purchased from ULA as Vulcan had been delayed to no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2023. Read more.

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 12): A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Psyche probe into space launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A at 10:19 a.m. The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029. Psyche is a nickel-iron core asteroid that orbits the sun beyond Mars anywhere from 235 million to 309 million miles away. The two side boosters returned for a land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more.

Oct. 13 (Delayed from Oct. 8): SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-22 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:01 p.m. The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 14th flight, and made another recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas down range in the Atlantic. The launch came 8 hours and 42 minutes after the Falcon Heavy launch from nearby KSC earlier in the day. Read more.

Oct. 17: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-23 mission with 22 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:36 p.m. This is the first-stage booster made its 16th flight with a recovery landing downrange on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic. This marked the Space Coasts’ 57th launch of the year, which matched the total it had in 2022. Read more.

Oct. 21: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-24 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:17 p.m. The first-stage booster made its fourth flight with a recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. This became the record 58th launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Oct. 29: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-25 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:20 p.m. This was the 59th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for the eighth time and made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more.

Nov. 3: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-26 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:37 p.m. This was the 60th launch from the Space Coast for the year. The first-stage booster flew for a record 18th time and made a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed down range in the Atlantic. Read more.

Nov. 8: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-27 mission with 23 of its Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 12:05 a.m. The first-stage booster made its 11th flight with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 61st launch from the Space Coast for the year. Read more.

Nov. 9: SpaceX Falcon 9 with cargo Dragon on the CRS-29 mission to carry supplies to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39-B at 8:28 p.m. It’s the 29th resupply mission for SpaceX with its cargo Dragon filled with 6,500 pounds of supplies for the Expedition 70 crew with an expected arrival to the ISS about 5:20 a.m. Saturday. It includes NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) science experiment to measure atmospheric gravity waves and how it could affect Earth’s climate and the Integrated Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Low-Earth-Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T), a technology demonstration for laser communications among the ISS, an orbiting relay satellite and a ground-based observatory on Earth. The first-stage booster flew for the second time and landed back at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1. Read more.

Nov. 12: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the SES O3b mPOWER mission to medium-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:08 p.m. First stage made its 9th flight with a recovery landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more.

Nov. 18: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-28 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:05 a.m. with 23 Starlink satellites. First-stage booster flew for the 11th time and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions This was the 64th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. This launch came hours ahead of the Starship and Super Heavy launch attempt in Texas. Read more.

Nov. 22: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-29 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:47 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the 15th time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic. This marked the 65th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more.

Nov. 27: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-30 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40at 11:20 p.m. This was a southerly trajectory launch. The booster flew for the 17th time (3rd booster to do so) and landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions. It was the 66th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 62nd from SpaceX in Florida, and 87th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions. Read more.

Dec. 2: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-31 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11 p.m. First stage booster flew for the sixth time and landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. It marked the 67th launch of the year from the Space Coast, 63rd from SpaceX in Florida, and 89th orbital launch from SpaceX including California missions.

Dec. 7: SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:07 a.m. The first-stage booster flew for the ninth time with a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions stationed downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 68th launch from the Space Coast in 2023. Read more.

Dec. 18 (Delayed from Dec. 11, 12, 13) SpaceX Falcon 9 on the Starlink 6-34 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:01 p.m. Read more.

Dec. 23: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-32 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 12:33 a.m. This was a record 19th flight for the first-stage booster having flown previously on Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-11, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3 and 13 Starlink missions. It made a recovery landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions downrange in the Atlantic. This was the 70th Space Coast launch of the year. Read more.

Dec. 28 (Delayed from Dec. 10, 11, 13): SpaceX Falcon Heavy from KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A on USSF-52, the third mission for the Space Force, launching the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on its seventh trip to space at 8:07 p.m. The side boosters flew for the fifth time, previously used on the Psyche mission, two Space Force missions and one commercial flight with another double land landing at Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Read more.

Dec. 28: SpaceX Falcon 9 on Starlink 6-36 mission with 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 11:01 p.m. This was the 12th flight for the first-stage booster with a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas downrange in the Atlantic. This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC. Read more.

Follow Orlando Sentinel space coverage at Facebook.com/goforlaunchsentinel.

Daily Horoscope for June 25, 2025

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 17:00

General Daily Insight for June 25, 2025

A little work and a little play can take you exceptionally far. The Moon is in Cancer, encouraging us all to feel our way forward. We may need to consider our actions a bit more carefully when the Moon squares stoic Saturn in Aries, though we’ll still want to enjoy ourselves when it conjoins lucky Jupiter. The Moon and Sun will also line up for a special Cancer New Moon at 6:32 am EDT, setting us up for a day when anything seems possible.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Focus on your foundations. It’s a good day to get in touch with your roots, thanks to the New Moon in your 4th House of Inner Needs. Whether you’re hanging out with your roommate or your relatives, surround yourself with those who want the best for you. These people can boost your spirits at the most difficult of times by reminding you that you’re not alone in this difficult thing called life. The ground beneath your feet will feel more solid than ever.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Something interesting is bubbling up. A spectacular New Moon in your quick-thinking 3rd house is encouraging you to use your mind to the best of your ability. Focus on your ideas, regardless of their current state. You can come up with new ones or improve the ones already on your plate. This lunation is here to help you manifest them! It also highlights partnerships, so don’t be shy about doubling up to achieve your ambitions. Be vocal about what you want.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

The seeds you plant right now can bear impressive fruit. Your thoughts are turning toward your financial security as your 2nd House of Salary plays host to a glorious New Moon. There is no time like the present to pursue your goals! If you’ve been on the lookout for a new source of revenue, or perhaps looking for a fun way to spend a recent influx of cash, this lunation can bring you plenty of both. Do the work, and success should follow.

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

2025 started months ago, but you get your own New Year today. A grand New Moon in your sign is opening up a fresh window of opportunity and possibility, ushering in a world of wonderful change. Consider the projects or desires that matter most to you, and once you’ve got clarity there, start moving toward them without letting anyone else hold you back. This is your time, Cancer, so don’t let naysayers tell you otherwise. You know exactly what you need!

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Live and let go, Leo. There is a refreshing New Moon in your 12th House of Endings, which may seem like a rather odd place to host an alignment all about beginnings. However, the opportunity here is to begin eliminating things from your life which no longer serve you, be they negative behaviors, mental patterns, or overreliance on certain substances. Start clearing out your life, and by the time the corresponding Full Moon arrives in six months, you should feel worlds better.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

Expand your social network. There has rarely been a better time to meet people as your 11th House shines with a lovely New Moon, putting a premium on building connections and working together. This sector highlights altruistic and humanitarian efforts, so it might be the right moment to donate your time, money, or other resources to a cause close to your heart. The more people you get involved, the more impact you will be able to have where it matters most.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Something unfamiliar is starting. You have been on a certain path for a very long time, following a pre-paved road to a specific destination, but a New Moon in your destined 10th house is showing you a way forward that you might not have considered before. That doesn’t mean your previous work does not matter, nor that your goals are outdated or expired — simply that it couldn’t hurt to explore this additional option. What you discover could change your life forever.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

You don’t need to be in school in order to learn. Life is a continual process of growth and acquiring knowledge, and that theme is underlined as a beautiful New Moon arrives in your 9th House of Research. If you have gotten a bit too comfortable in your surroundings or feel like you’re in a bit of a mental rut, then this energy can help you open yourself to updated ways of being. That, in turn, can drastically improve the quality of your life.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

This is no time for superfluous matters. You can focus on the intense side of life under this New Moon in your 8th House of Shared Resources — that sector that asks a lot of you, but has a lot to offer in return. This can be terrific if you’re looking for a loan, credit extension, or hoping to acquire some other form of capital. If you play your cards right, you could wind up with a nice chunk of change to show for it.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

One is the loneliest number, but two can change the whole playing field. Even the most self-reliant and competent of Capricorns should open themselves up to fresh connections as today’s New Moon in your partnership sector brings different yet important people your way. A contractual agreement of some kind may also present itself at this time. You’ll probably want to sign on the dotted line — once you’ve read the fine print, that is. You can accomplish a lot when there are two of you.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Take things one step at a time. Today’s New Moon is setting off a surge of productive energy in your 6th House of Daily Work. It empowers you to tackle any outstanding issues in your life, but also to implement modern programs and behaviors that can make your future flow much more smoothly. A co-worker or other supportive figure could step forward to offer a helping hand with a task or project. They may prove more helpful than you would expect!

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Don’t let your talents go to waste, Pisces. Even if you don’t tend to think of yourself as very artistic or expressive, the New Moon in your 5th House of Creativity is reminding you that you don’t need to be Da Vinci in order to let your Muse out to play. You can find immense satisfaction in the very act of creation right now, so don’t worry about the end results! Instead, focus on the process, because that’s where you will build your happiness.

What’s in and out of Trump’s big bill as Senate races to meet Fourth of July deadline

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:58

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says “NO ONE GOES ON VACATION” until the big, beautiful bill is on his desk by the Fourth of July deadline. And Republicans in Congress are staying put to get it done.

The Senate is gearing up for weekend work, while House Speaker Mike Johnson told lawmakers Tuesday to keep their schedules “flexible” as they prepare for more votes.

“We are making good headway,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. He expects the Senate will get this “past the finish line” by the end of the week, sending it back to the House for swift action.

But Republicans who have majority control of the House and Senate are finding that their push to move fast and change things — namely cuts to federal government programs including Medicaid and SNAP food stamps used by millions of Americans — is easier said than done.

Not all GOP lawmakers are on board, and the Senate parliamentarian has advised that several key proposals violate procedural rules. With Democrats flatly opposed, it’s all leaving GOP leaders scrambling days before final votes.

Here’s the latest on what’s in, out and still up for debate as lawmakers work to finish the massive 1,000-page plus package.

What’s the goal of the big bill? Tax cuts.

The top priority for Republicans is preventing what they warn would be a massive tax hike, some $3.8 trillion, after December when the tax breaks they put in place during Trump’s first term, in 2017, expire.

The big bill seeks to make existing tax rates and brackets permanent, while also temporarily adding new ones Trump campaigned on — no taxes on tips, overtime pay or some automotive loans, along with a bigger $6,000 deduction in the Senate draft for seniors who earn no more than $75,000 a year.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks with reporters about the process to advance President Donald Trump’s spending and tax bill, during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, June 3, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The wealthiest households would see a $12,000 increase, while the bill would cost the poorest people $1,600 a year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Middle income taxpayers would see a tax break of $500 to $1,500, CBO said.

One provision for families would boost the $2,000 child tax credit to $2,200 under the Senate proposal or $2,500 in the House. But families at lower income levels won’t see the full amount, if any.

And one unresolved issue is the House’s proposed $40,000 cap on state and local deductions, called SALT, that GOP senators say is too high and want limited.

The bill also funds deportations, a border wall and Trump’s heroes garden

There’s also some $350 billion of new funding in the package for Trump’s border and national security agenda.

Trump promises the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and the package proposes money to hire 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, with $10,000 signing bonuses, and for 100,000 immigration detention beds with a goal of deporting some 1 million people a year.

Additionally, the House bill proposes $12 billion for the Homeland Security secretary to provide grants to states that help with federal immigration enforcement and deportation actions. The Senate package also provides the attorney general with $3.5 billion to create a similar state fund — called Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide, or Biden, referring to the former president.

Immigrants entering the U.S. would face stiff new fees, including $1,000 for those seeking asylum protections.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks about his discussions with Elon Musk this week as he meets with reporters to discuss work on President Donald Trump’s bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

There’s also money for the development of Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system over the U.S., and quality of life measures for servicemen and women.

And there are extras: One provision from the Senate would provide $40 million to establish Trump’s long-sought “National Garden of American Heroes.”

How to pay for it? Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and green energy programs

To help partly offset the lost tax revenue, Republicans are seeking to cut back some long-running government programs — Medicaid, food stamps and green energy incentives — basically unraveling the accomplishments of the past two Democratic presidents: Joe Biden and Barack Obama.

Republicans argue they are trying to right-size the safety net programs for the population they were initially designed to serve — mainly pregnant women and children — and root out waste, fraud and abuse.

The package includes new 80-hour-a-month work requirements for many adults receiving Medicaid and food stamps, including older people up to age 65. Parents of children older than 10 would have to work to qualify for food aid, and those with teens would have to comply with the work requirement for Medicaid.

“It’s wildly popular,” Johnson said Tuesday, noting people can work, volunteer or go to school or job training programs. “For heaven’s sake, do something constructive.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is joined by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., left, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, as he talks to reporters about Senate Republicans’ efforts to pass President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending agenda with deeper Medicaid cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Some 80 million Americans rely on Medicaid, which expanded under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and 40 million use the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, and most already work, according to analysts.

All told, the CBO estimates at least 10.9 million more people would go without health coverage, and 3 million more would not qualify for food stamps.

Deeper SNAP cuts that would shift cost-sharing to the states were called into question by the Senate parliamentarian and undergoing revisions. And more Medicaid changes are up for debate — including a Senate plan to reduce the so-called provider tax that most states impose on hospitals and other entities.

Key GOP senators and a coalition of House Republicans warn that lower Medicaid provider tax cuts will hurt rural hospitals. “We cannot support a final bill that threatens access to coverage,” said 16 House GOP lawmakers in a letter to leadership.

Senators are considering the creation of a new rural hospital fund, but the plan remains a work in progress. They’ve also had objections to the House’s proposed new $35 co-pay on Medicaid services.

Both the House and Senate bills propose a dramatic rollback of the Biden-era green energy tax breaks for electric vehicles and also the production and investment tax credits companies use to stand up wind, solar and other renewable energy projects.

FILE – Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., speaks during a confirmation hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

All told, the cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs are expected to produce at least $1.5 trillion in savings.

What’s the final cost?

Altogether, keeping the existing tax breaks and adding the new ones is expected to cost $3.8 trillion over the decade, CBO says in its analysis of the House bill. The Senate draft is slightly higher.

The spending cuts tally at least $1.5 trillion.

The CBO estimates the package from the House would add $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the decade.

Or not, depending on how one does the math.

Senate Republicans are proposing a unique strategy of not counting the existing tax breaks as a new cost, because they’re already “current policy.” They argue the Budget Committee chairman has the authority to set the baseline for its preferred approach.

Under the Senate GOP view, the cost of tax provisions would be $441 billion, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

Democrats and others argue this is “magic math” that obscures the costs of the GOP tax breaks. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts the Senate tally at $4.2 trillion over the decade.

“Current policy baseline’ is a budget gimmick,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Budget Committee. “This bill will add trillions upon trillions of dollars to the national debt to fund tax breaks for billionaires.”

Trump, en route to Europe for a NATO meeting, told senators to lock themselves in a room if needed, and “GET THE BILL DONE.”

Associated Press writesr Darlene Superville and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Texas will put warning labels on some foods, but its additives list has inaccuracies

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:46

By JONEL ALECCIA and JAMIE STENGLE

DALLAS (AP) — A new Texas law promoting the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda requires first-ever warning labels on foods like chips and candies that contain dyes and additives not allowed in other countries.

It could have far-reaching effects on the nation’s food supply, but a review of the legislation shows it also misrepresents the status of some ingredients that would trigger the action.

The law signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday requires foods made with any of more than 40 dyes or additives to have labels starting in 2027 saying they contain ingredients “not recommended for human consumption” in Australia, Canada, the European Union or the U.K. But a review shows that nearly a dozen of the targeted additives are either authorized in the cited regions — or already restricted in the U.S.

The law, which will send the food industry scrambling to respond, is laudable in its intent, but could lead to incorrect citations and potential legal challenges, a consumer advocacy group said.

“I don’t know how the list of chemicals was constructed,” said Thomas Galligan, a scientist with the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “Warnings have to be accurate in order to be legal.”

The law, approved with wide bipartisan support, is part of a flurry of similar legislation this year by GOP-led statehouses as lawmakers align themselves with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Texas would be the first in the U.S. to use warning labels to target additives, rather than nutrients like sugar or saturated fat, to change American diets.

It will force food companies to decide whether to reformulate products to avoid the labels, add the newly required language, pull certain products from Texas shelves or oppose the measure in court.

It’s unclear how the list of additives was created. Inquiries to the office of the bill’s author, Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, were not immediately returned.

Some of the targeted ingredients are allowed in all the named regions

Regulators in Australia, Canada, the EU and the U.K. take a cautious approach to food additives: If a product’s safety is uncertain, it can be banned or restricted until it is determined to be safe. By contrast, the U.S. generally allows products on the market unless there is clear risk of harm.

Three additives targeted by Texas — partially hydrogenated oils, Red Dye No. 4 and Red Dye No. 3 — are not approved or have been banned in food by U.S. regulators.

Several of the other listed ingredients are allowed in all four of those regions, noted Galligan and representatives from the Consumer Brands Association, a food industry trade group.

Examples of those include: Blue Dye No. 1; Blue Dye No. 2; butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHA; butylated hydroxytoluene, or BHT; diacetyl; interesterified soybean oil; lactylated fatty acid esters of glycerol and propylene glycol; and potassium aluminum sulfate.

In addition, the legislation contains regulatory loopholes that could prevent certain ingredients from being labeled at all, said Melanie Benesh, an analyst with the Environmental Working Group, an activist organization that focuses on toxic chemicals.

For example, the food additive azodicarbonamide, known as ADA and used as a bleaching agent in cereal flours, is included on the Texas list. But under the Federal Code of Regulations, it may safely be used in food under certain conditions. That federal regulation likely exempts ADA from the state labeling law, Benesh said.

“The law, as passed, may not end up having the impact that legislators intended,” Benesh said.

Nutrition experts welcome a look at food additives

Nutrition experts have long worried about the potential health effects of food additives, even as it remains unclear how much of a role processed foods have in driving chronic health disease.

Research has shown that requiring food label warnings can help steer consumers toward healthier choices and prompt industry to remove concerning ingredients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed front-of-package labels that would flag levels of saturated fat, sugar and sodium.

“This represents a big win for Texas consumers and consumers overall,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for Consumer Reports. “It’s a reflection of states not wanting to wait for the federal government to act.”

The law also creates a state nutrition advisory committee, boosts physical education and nutrition curriculum requirements in public and charter schools, and requires nutrition courses for college students and medical professionals doing continuing education.

States take on additives

Several states have been taking action to restrict dyes and additives in foods.

In 2023, California became the first state to ban some chemicals and dyes used in candies, drinks and other foods because of health concerns. The state expanded on that last year by barring several additional dyes from food served in public schools.

Other laws passed this year include one in Arkansas banning two particular additives from food sold or manufactured in the state and a West Virginia law includes a statewide ban on seven dyes.

Lawmakers in several states have passed measures this year banning certain additives from food served or sold at public schools, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. That includes Texas, where the governor last month signed a bill banning foods with certain ingredients from being served in school lunches.

“It’s a pretty dizzying time to be watching what’s happening, because usually policies that are not very industry friendly are opposed, particularly in red states,” said Christina Roberto, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, “With RFK and the MAHA movement, it’s really turned things upside-down in some ways.”

At the federal level, Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have pledged to remove artificial dyes from foods and have pressured industry to take voluntary action. Some large food manufacturers have complied.

Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children.

The FDA previously has said that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”

Aleccia contributed to this report from Temecula, Calif. Associated Press writer David A. Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Mo.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Musk’s ‘robotaxis’ draw regulatory scrutiny after video shows one driving in an opposing lane

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:30

By BERNARD CONDON

Federal traffic safety regulators are looking into suspected problems with Elon Musk’s test run of self-driving “robotaxis” in Texas after videos surfaced showing them braking suddenly or going straight through an intersection from a turning lane and driving down the wrong side of the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday that it has asked Tesla for information about the apparent errors. Though many other videos show robotaxis driving perfectly, if regulators find any major issues, that would likely raise questions about Musk’s repeated statements that the robotaxis are safe and his claim that Tesla will dominate a future in which nearly all cars on road will have no one behind the wheel — or even need a steering wheel at all.

“NHTSA is aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency said in a statement.

Passengers in Tesla robotaxis on the road in Austin, Texas, have generally been impressed, and the stock rose 8% Monday. Investors grew more cautious Tuesday after news of NHTSA’s inquiry, and the stock fell more than 2%.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A bullish Tesla financial analyst who was driven around in a robotaxi on Sunday when the test runs began said his ride was perfect and suggested the videos on X and YouTube showing errors were no big deal.

“Any issues they encounter will be fixed,” said Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives, calling the test a “huge success” in the past three days “despite the skeptics.”

One of those skeptics, a Telemetry Insight expert in car technology, said the videos were alarming enough that the tests as currently run should be halted.

“The system has always had highly erratic performance, working really well a lot of the time but frequently making random and inconsistent but dangerous errors,” said Sam Abuelsamid in a text, referring to Tesla’s self-driving software. “This is not a system that should be carrying members of the public or being tested on public roads without trained test drivers behind the wheel.”

In one video, a Tesla moves into a lane with a big yellow arrow indicating it is for left turns only but then goes straight through the intersection instead, entering an opposing lane on the other side. The car seems to realize it made some mistake and begins to swerve several times, with the steering wheel jerking back and forth, before eventually settling down.

But the Tesla proceeds in the opposing lane for 10 seconds. At the time, there was no oncoming traffic.

The passenger in the car who posted the video, money manager Rob Maurer, shrugged off the incident.

“There are no vehicles anywhere in sight, so this wasn’t a safety issue,” Maurer said in commentary accompanying his video. “I didn’t feel uncomfortable in the situation.”

Another video shows a Tesla stopping twice suddenly in the middle of the road, possibly responding to the flashing lights of police cars. But the police are obviously not interested in the Tesla or traffic in front or behind it because they have parked on side roads not near it, apparently responding to an unrelated event.

A rider boards a driverless Tesla robotaxi, a ride-booking service, Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Federal regulators opened an investigation last year into how Teslas with what Musk calls Full Self-Driving have responded in low-visibility conditions after several accidents, including one that was fatal. Tesla was forced a recall 2.4 million of its vehicles at the time.

Musk has said his Teslas using Full Self-Driving are safer than human drivers and his robotaxis using a newer, improved version of the system will be so successful so quickly that he will be able to deploy hundreds of thousands of them on the road by the end of next year.

Even if the Austin test goes well, though, the billionaire faces big challenges. Other self-driving companies have launched taxis, including Amazon’s Zoox and current market leader Waymo, which is not only is picking up passengers in Austin, but several other cities. The company recently announced it had clocked its 10 millionth paid ride.

Musk needs a win in robotaxis. His work on in Trump administration as cost-cutting czar has alienated many buyers among Tesla’s traditional environmentally conscious and liberal base in the U.S., tanking sales. Buyers in Europe having balked, too, after Musk embraced some extreme right-wing politicians earlier this year in both Britain and Germany.

UF football position preview: Offensive line

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:20

GAINESVILLE — The fifth in a position-by-position preview of the Florida Gators football team leading up to SEC Media Days.

TODAY: OFFENSIVE LINE

What to expect

Florida’s offensive line features an All-American center, considerable experience and plenty of promise. How well the group puts it all together will go a long way toward determining the fate of the 2025 Gators. If UF’s big uglies do their job, embattled coach Billy Napier’s offense could long last be a joy to watch.

Florida has yet to reach the upper half of the SEC in scoring during Napier’s three seasons, finishing 11th of 16 teams in 2024 with an average of 28.3 points per game. But sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway, a deep stable of running backs and a plethora of playmakers on the perimeter have positioned the Gators to find the end zone more often.

Jake Slaughter, Austin Barber and Co. aim to pave the way.

Florida center Jake Slaughter anchors an offensive line with four returning starters and more than 100 combined starts as a unit. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)

An Associated Press first-team All-America selection in 2024, Slaughter is the unit’s anchor and heartbeat; he was the only Power Four center who earned 80-plus grades as both a pass-blocker and run-blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. Barber has made an O-line-leading 26 starts, including all 13 games in last season despite nursing various injuries.

Massive redshirt senior Damieon George Jr. (6 foot 6, 362 pounds) found a home at right guard after committing eight penalties at tackle in 2023 while redshirt sophomore Knijeah Harris was rock solid during his first season as a starter on the left side. PFF graded each with identical 72.4 run-blocking grades, tied for sixth in the SEC.

Meanwhile, coaches hope versatile sophomore Bryce Lovett, who started three times in 2025, emerges at right tackle. He will compete with 6-7 ½, 336-pound Caden Jones, a redshirt sophomore who battled injuries in 2023-24.

Former top recruits Roderick Kearney, a stout (6-4, 307) redshirt sophomore able to play guard and center, and towering redshirt freshman tackle Fletcher Westphal (6-8, 336) will push for a spot in the rotation. Ditto redshirt seniors Kamryn Waites, who stands at 6-8, 370 pounds, and Devin Manuel, a 6-7, 307-pound former Arkansas transfer yet to make an impact at UF.

Coaches expect the best is yet to come from redshirt freshman center Jason Zandamela, a 6-2 ¾, 319-pound Clearwater native who transferred from USC in the spring of 2024.

UF offensive line coach Rob Sale is pictured March 28, 2023, prior to a Gators' scrimmage in The Swamp. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

With four returning starters, three who started every game in ’24, and boundless options, Florida should field its best offensive line since 2022. With All-America guard O’Cyrus Torrence leading the way, UF averaged 5.51 yards per carry and yielded just 17 sacks for a six-win team.

This time, the Gators hope it equates to more W’s — and TDs.

What they’re saying

“This is by far the deepest offensive line room that we’ve had since we’ve been here. We got guys that can play. Coach Napier does a great job of evaluating the offensive line. He’s a closeted offensive line coach. I do like the room. It’s really talented.” — Offensive line coach Rob Sale

Returnees

Austin BarberDamieon George Jr.Knijeah HarrisCaden JonesRoderick KearneyBryce LovettMarcus MascollDevon ManuelNoel PortnjaginJake SlaughterKamryn WaitesEnoch WangoyFletcher WestphalJason Zandamela

Austin Barber (58) of the Florida Gators celebrates after a game against the Florida State Seminoles of a game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Nov. 30, 2024 in Tallahassee. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Departures

Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson

New arrivals

TJ Dice Jr. (College Park, Ga.), true freshmanJahari Medlock (Atlanta), true freshmanDanie Pierre Louis (Royal Palm Beach), true freshman

Projected depth chart (offseason)

LT — Austin Barber | Fletcher WestphalLG — Knijeah Harris | Roderick KearneyC — Jake Slaughter | Jason ZandamelaRG — Dameon George Jr. | Kamryn WaitesRT — Bryce Lovett l Devon Manuel

Quarterback Running back Tight end Receiver

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Cargo ship carrying new vehicles to Mexico sinks in the North Pacific weeks after catching fire

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 16:15

By MARK THIESSEN

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A cargo ship that had been delivering new vehicles to Mexico sank in the North Pacific Ocean, weeks after crew members abandoned ship when they couldn’t extinguish an onboard fire that left the carrier dead in the water.

The Morning Midas sank Monday in international water off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain, the ship’s management company, London-based Zodiac Maritime, said in a statement.

“There is no visible pollution,” said Petty Officer Cameron Snell, an Alaska-based U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson. “Right now we also have vessels on scene to respond to any pollution.”

Fire damage compounded by bad weather and water seepage caused the carrier to sink in waters about 16,404 feet deep and about 415 miles from land, the statement said.

The ship was loaded with about 3,000 new vehicles intended for a major Pacific port in Mexico. It was not immediately clear if any of the cars were removed before it sank, and Zodiac Maritime did not immediately respond to messages Tuesday.

A salvage crew arrived days after the fire disabled the vehicle.

Two salvage tugs containing pollution control equipment will remain on scene to monitor for any signs of pollution or debris, the company said. The crew members of those two ships were not injured when the Morning Midas sank.

Zodiac Maritime said it is also sending another specialized pollution response vessel to the location as an added precaution.

The Coast Guard said it received a distress alert June 3 about a fire aboard the Morning Midas, which then was roughly 300 miles southwest of Adak Island.

There were 22 crew members onboard the Morning Midas. All evacuated to a lifeboat and were rescued by a nearby merchant marine vessel. There were no injuries.

Among the cars were about 70 fully electric and about 680 hybrid vehicles. A large plume of smoke was initially seen at the ship’s stern coming from the deck loaded with electric vehicles, the Coast Guard and Zodiac Maritime said at the time.

Adak is about 1,200 miles west of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.

The 600-foot Morning Midas was built in 2006 and sails under a Liberian flag. The car and truck carrier left Yantai, China, on May 26 en route to Mexico, according to the industry site marinetraffic.com.

A Dutch safety board in a recent report called for improving emergency response on North Sea shipping routes after a deadly 2023 fire aboard a freighter that was carrying 3,000 automobiles, including nearly 500 electric vehicles, from Germany to Singapore.

One person was killed and others injured in the fire, which burned out of control for a week. That ship was eventually towed to a Netherlands port for salvage.

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