We Launch and Launch and Launch From Here
February 1, 2022 – If you live in Titusville, you probably heard the SpaceX Falcon 9 roar into space last night, then a little later the thunderous sonic boom as the boosters headed back to Earth.
That was the first of three launches that SpaceX is shooting for in a 24-hour period, two from the Space Coast and another from California. If the impressive launch hat trick is achieved it will set a new record for the shortest period of time for a single launch provider to do so. Good luck!
It’s exciting living this close to all the action, and we thought we would share the list of scheduled launches coming up in case you wanted to experience this thrill for yourself.
Because of the nature of the space business, launch days can be delayed because of weather, or technical glitches or even if large sea going vessels are in a potentially hazardous area, so check for updates at the Space Coast Office of Tourism
Vulcan Centaur, United Launch Alliance’s next-generation American rocket, lifts off in this artist’s rendering.
Here are some scheduled launches for the next few months (expect more to follow):
DATE: February 2, 2022
VEHICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9
MISSION: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39A
LAUNCH WINDOW: 4:51 pm
DATE: February 5, 2022
VEHICLE: Astra Rocket 3
MISSION: A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra will launch six small experimental CubeSats developed by NASA and U.S. universities. The payloads include the CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment, consisting of two small satellites, the BAMA 1 CubeSat, the Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer, QubeSat, and a mission called R5-S1.
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – SLC 46
LAUNCH WINDOW: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm ET
DATE: March 1, 2022
VEHICLE: United Launch Alliance Atlas V 500 Series
MISSION: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch GOES-T, the third next-generation geostationary weather satellite for NASA and NOAA. GOES-T will orbit 22,300 miles above the equator to monitor weather conditions across the United States.
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – SLC 41
LAUNCH WINDOW: 4:38 pm – 6:38 pm ET
DATE: March 20, 2022
VEHICLE: Artemis 1
MISSION: NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket will launch on its first test flight with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft. The mission, known as Artemis 1, will place the Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon before the capsule returns to Earth for splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Ten small CubeSat rideshare payloads will also launch on the Artemis 1 mission.
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39B
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: March 31, 2022
VEHICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9
MISSION: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its sixth flight with astronauts. The commercial mission, managed by Axiom Space, will be commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría. Paying passengers Larry Connor, Mark Pathy, and Eytan Stibbe will also be on-board for the 10-day mission to the International Space Station.
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39A
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: April 15, 2022
VEHICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9
MISSION: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its seventh flight with astronauts. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Robert Hines, and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti will launch on the Crew Dragon spacecraft to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station. A fourth crew member will be named later.
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39A
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: April, 2022
VEHICLE: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
MISSION: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 44 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The mission is expected to deploy two spacecraft payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, one of which is the military’s TETRA 1 microsatellite.
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39A
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: April, 2022
VEHICLE: United Launch Alliance Atlas V 500 Series
MISSION:
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – SLC 41
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: May, 2022
VEHICLE: Boeing CST-100 Starliner
MISSION: A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-082, will launch Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on second unpiloted test flight to the International Space Station.
LAUNCH SITE: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station – SLC 41
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
DATE: June, 2022
VEHICLE: SpaceX Falcon Heavy
MISSION: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 52 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The mission will launch an unspecified military payload on this mission
LAUNCH SITE: Kennedy Space Center – LC-39A
LAUNCH WINDOW: TBD
Source: Space Coast Office of Tourism