Space & rocket launch thread

[Baz]

Saw (and felt and heard) this one go up today......what a beast!

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Crew-11 mission for NASA from Launch Complex-39 at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on Aug. 1, 2025 at 11:43 a.m. EDT.

Crew-11 is NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, together with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov

[Baz]

Watch live coverage as two of the world's newest heavy-lift rockets lift off, potentially within minutes of each other.

First up is the launch of Europe's Ariane 6 from Kourou in French Guiana. Liftoff with Europe’s first MetOp Second Generation (MetOp-SG-A1) weather satellite is scheduled for 9:37 p.m. Kourou time (8:37 p.m. EDT / 0037 UTC).

That will be followed by a United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Liftoff on the USSF-106 national security mission from Space Launch Complex 41 is scheduled for 8:56 p.m. EDT (0056 UTC).

This is the third mission for both Vulcan and Ariane 6. Both rockets had their inaugural launches in 2024.

Commentary will be provided by Spaceflight Now's Will Robinson-Smith, starting approximately an hour prior to liftoff of the Vulcan rocket.

[bmcuscgr94]

Some here on the west coast aren't thrilled with Space X so they've asked the state to get involved. I'm about half an hour away from Vandenberg so we see/hear all the launches weather permitting, been on bae for a launch years ago. Last month I had business on base so I scheduled the appointment on a launch day, but it was delayed.


https://www.edhat.com/news/coastal-commission-to-review-spacex-proposal-to-double-the-number-of-rocket-launches-per-year/

[bmcuscgr94]

Next launch is supposed to be tonight:

https://www.noozhawk.com/spacex-rocket-launch-at-vandenberg-sfb-delayed-081225/

[bmcuscgr94]

https://www.edhat.com/news/spacex-launched-100th-mission-of-the-year-from-vandenberg-on-monday/#comments

[bmcuscgr94]

# 5 for this month:

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/vandenberg-preparing-for-fifth-spacex-launch-this-month

[Scott Douglas]

With the weather being what it's been lately maybe we'll get to see it from down here in the OC.

[Baz]

Pretty cool video!



Another launch is scheduled for tonight, I think.....