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5 days ago
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Nets torn 'all to hell': Port Canaveral fishermen worry about increasing rocket launches, debris
Every rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast triggers hours of varying maritime-vessel security and danger zones offshore of Port Canaveral, with fishermen warned to avoid those areas. Rockets continue lifting off at an unprecedented rate. The Cape remains on track to surpass 100 annual orbital rocket launches for the first time this year. And looking ahead, SpaceX seeks environmental and regulatory approvals to soon add up to a whopping 190 additional rockets to the Eastern Range manifest per year — including enormous Starship-Super Heavy two-stage tandems. That's why the Southeastern Fisheries Association and other groups recommend that Congress and/or SpaceX establish a space-operations compensation program "for all domestic fishers, processors, and distributors who suffer economic losses or equipment damage." SpaceX increasing launches: Environmental groups concerned about SpaceX's bid to launch 120 Falcons per year at Cape Canaveral "If these fishermen lose a day's catch, they've lost several thousand dollars in income. They're typically historical families that have passed the fishery on from generation to generation," SFA Executive Director Bob Zales II said. What's more, Zales said shrimpers and other fishing operators should receive compensation for damaged equipment and lost income after they snare underwater rocket pieces and space junk and "tear their nets all to hell." He wants state officials to organize a commercial-fishing town hall in Brevard County to discuss space-related economic concerns. The SFA represents Florida's commercial seafood industry, ranging from shrimpers, fin fishers and crabbers to restaurants, processors, retail markets, distributors and for-hire charters. As of 2022, Brevard trailed only Duval among Florida's 12 East Coast counties with nearly 4.5 million pounds of seafood landed on the docks. Zales said seafood cost increases are borne along the chain "from the net to the plate." "We, on a routine basis, encounter (space) debris out in the ocean. The bottom trawlers are picking up debris, and it's impacting their fishing time, impacting their fishing gear," Mike Merrifield, co-owner of Cape Canaveral Shrimp Co. and Wild Ocean Seafood Market at Port Canaveral, told Air Force officials during a July 8 Starship public hearing in Titusville. In an interview at Wild Ocean Seafood Market, Merrifield stood alongside an iced retail case displaying a cornucopia of seafood for sale: snapper, grouper, tilefish, brown tail shrimp, white tail shrimp, red shrimp. Fishing vessels offload catches at his companies' docks for sale to seafood processors and restaurants ranging from Orlando to West Palm Beach. Merrifield said Port Canaveral shrimpers have snared aging space junk from Delta rockets and NASA's space shuttle program for many years — but he is worried about the Cape's unparalleled projected launch cadence, particularly the arrival of SpaceX's massive Starships. He said shrimpers can lose a day or two of fishing time repairing damaged nets, and a full set of nets can cost more than $10,000. Zales said navigational restrictions particularly harm Port Canaveral's small-boat Spanish mackerel fleet. These fish, which are aggressive feeders, follow baitfish throughout the day. The SFA supports establishment of a designated nearshore north-south vessel transit corridor during Spanish mackerel season, citing lost catch, income and market supply. SpaceX media personnel did not return messages seeking comment for this story. Officials with Space Florida declined comment, though the authority delivered a presentation and discussed fisheries topics during a June 2023 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting. Designated offshore security zones prevent fishermen, both commercial and recreational, from entering during rocket launches. During some missions, Coast Guard marine safety bulletins warn that mariners who enter, pass through or remain in a security zone can face up to $117,608 in civil penalties — with "willful violation" punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and up to six years of jail time. 'We're not anti-rocket or anti-Space Force or anything like that. But at the same time, we want the people over there to be harmed as little as possible,' Zales said. Fishermen concerned about increasing launch rates As August approaches, Florida's Space Coast remains on track to set a new annual rocket launch record for the fourth straight year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Previous Cape annual records were set with 57 launches in 2022, 72 launches in 2023, and 93 launches in 2024. Looking to the future, runaway industry leader SpaceX is planning tremendous growth: Increase annual Falcon rocket launches from 50 to up to 120 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Start launching up to 76 enormous Starship-Super Heavy rocket tandems per year from Launch Complex 37 at the Space Force installation. Start launching up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from pad 39A at KSC. "The Council has received multiple fishermen's public comments from Florida regarding their concerns about the impact these closures will have on their business and the surrounding economy. Specifically, this area is extremely important for the Rock Shrimp fishery that is concentrated off the shore of Cape Canaveral," SAFMC Chair Trish Murphey said in an April letter to the Federal Aviation Administration about SpaceX's proposed increased liftoffs. Murphey noted that "fishermen in this region and the tackle shops and marinas they use rely on every good weather day to operate" — and scrubbed launches still trigger offshore closures. According to a 176-page Air Force draft environmental impact statement, the Starship-Super Heavy flights and landings proposed at Launch Complex 37 alone would generate an estimated maximum of 488 hours — or 20⅓ days — of maritime restrictions per year. Half would occur at night, when commercial fishing is less prevalent. "SpaceX would seek to minimize interruption by reducing the duration of closure times for launch operations and opening the closure areas as soon as a launch is scrubbed," the Air Force statement said. "Local commercial fishing operations should be able to temporarily adjust their routes or find other suitable locations to fish to avoid revenue loss during these restricted activities," the statement said. "SpaceX intends to reuse all launch vehicle components, limiting debris in the ocean and minimizing the potential for damage or loss of commercial fishing gear and equipment resulting from contact with debris," the statement said. State officials project Starship operations will generate at least $1.8 billion in capital investment and about 600 new full-time jobs by 2030. Beyond SpaceX, Blue Origin's hulking New Glenn rocket may launch on its second flight as early as Aug. 15. And United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rockets are contracted for 38 future launches for Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellite constellation alone. Trying to gauge cumulative losses to fishing industry Kathleen Howington is a habitat and ecosystem scientist with the SAFMC. She is working to gather statistics regarding navigational closures and cumulative fishing impacts from space-industry activities. A key question: Which agencies and organizations keep track of such information? "Space activities have become increasingly talked-about. They are having very large impacts on our habitats and our fisheries. Specifically off the east coast of Florida, with those closures, at this amount," Howington said July 15 during a SAFMC Habitat and Ecosystem Advisory Panel meeting in North Charleston, South Carolina. "And I don't foresee this slowing down," Howington said. Space Florida estimates the state must prepare to support launching 5,000 metric tons of cargo per year by 2035. That equates to 219 Falcon 9 launches, 194 ULA Vulcan launches, 111 New Glenn launches or 40 Starship launches. In its letter to the FAA, SAFMC concerns with space operations off the Florida coast included loss of revenue and disruption of activities stemming from launch restrictions, damage to fishing gear after snaring rocket debris, oceanic environmental consequences from launches and debris, and timely communication of navigational restrictions. Howington said the panel discussion recommended that the SAFMC create a working group to analyze data related to frequency of launches, hazard zones and space debris and their impacts on local fisheries. Laurilee Thompson, whose family has worked in the seafood business for four generations, co-owns Dixie Crossroads in Titusville. Two years ago, she was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Thompson objected in writing to a summation from Page 82 of the Air Force's Starship-Super Heavy draft environmental statement. That's where military officials said fishing activity that could be affected by Port Canaveral-area vessel restrictions "would be a small fraction of the amount of fishing within the South Atlantic Region and would have a minimal effect on southeastern U.S. fishing operations." "But if you're that fisherman who lives here and has fished out Port Canaveral for your entire life, the increase in rocket launches will not have a minimal impact on you. It will be major!" Thompson wrote. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Port Canaveral fishermen: Increasing rocket launches will cost us money Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Science
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Will Florida's Space Coast surpass 100 annual rocket launches for 1st time this year?
Will the annual number of orbital rockets launched from Florida's Space Coast reach triple digits for the first time by year's end? Stay tuned. During 2024, a record-shattering 93 launches took flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's neighboring Kennedy Space Center, easily zooming past the previous record of 72 launches in 2023. But in an unprecedented cadence, 61 launches have already racked up thus far during 2025. That's a full month and a half — or 47 days — ahead of last year's record pace. "The increase that you're seeing, especially in our eastern and western ranges, reflects the deployment of these mega-constellations for broadband, direct-to-device and other things," said Karen Jones, a space economist and technology strategist with the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corp. "It's healthy. It's showing that market's growing," Jones said. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral SpaceX Starlink high-speed-internet missions continue to dominate the Space Coast's launch schedule. As of Wednesday, July 16, Starlink boasted more than six million customers and 7,945 functioning satellites in low-Earth orbit, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. That sum does not include the latest batch of 26 Starlink satellites launched Wednesday night from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. In the Cape's 61st liftoff of the year thus far, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Amazon Project Kuiper internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit on the KF-01 mission Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Project Kuiper is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' competitor to Elon Musk's Starlink. By comparison, Florida's 61st launch of 2024 did not occur until Labor Day weekend, on Aug. 28. That's when SpaceX's Starlink 8-10 mission lifted off from the Space Force installation, deploying 21 Starlink satellites. The rise of orbiting mega-constellations Worldwide, nearly 11,900 operational satellites were orbiting Earth by the end of 2024 — a sum that skyrocketed 454% since 2018. The global annual launch rate increased by 129% during that same span, The Aerospace Corp. reported in a paper co-authored by Jones that was published two weeks ago. Aside from Starlink, count Amazon's Project Kuiper and AST SpaceMobile among the commercial companies also vying to ramp up future communications-satellite launches from Florida. Also following suit: China. "Not surprisingly, the world's second-largest economy is not remaining earthbound. While China has one commercial spaceport, the country plans to launch more than 36,000 satellites in the near future," The Aerospace Corp. paper said. "The constellation GuoWang ('SatNet') is expected to have about 13,000 satellites and compete with Starlink services. Another project to rival Starlink is Qianfan ('Thousand Sails')," the paper said. Though demand for individual launches continues to surge, Jones said this trend may back off in coming years as companies consolidate and far-larger rockets boasting jumbo-sized fairings like SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn let companies "maximize their productivity and minimize resource consumption." What's more, Jones' paper noted the commercialization of low-Earth orbit is showing signs of maturity "as early entrants capture market share and later entrants strive to differentiate themselves." BryceTech, an Alexandria, Virginia, analytics firm, forecasts that an average of 3,100 spacecraft per year will be deployed through 2028, decreasing to 2,500 spacecraft from 2029 to 2033. Meanwhile, SpaceX seeks environmental approvals to start launching Starship-Super Heavy rocket systems from KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Blue Origin is expected to launch its second powerhouse New Glenn rocket as early as mid-August from the Space Force installation. NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 highlights launch schedule Looking ahead on the Eastern Range calendar, two missions are coming up from Cape Canaveral. Note that SpaceX is likely to launch more Starlink missions during this timeframe: A Falcon 9 should deploy the Boeing-built ninth and 10th O3B mPOWER satellites into medium-Earth orbit Monday, July 21, owner/operator SES reported. The launch window extends from 5 p.m. to 8:13 p.m. NASA's SpaceX Crew-11 is scheduled for launch at 12:09 p.m. July 31, sending NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov up for a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station. For at least the second straight year, high-profile officials kicked off January with public launch-total predictions that proved far too optimistic. The Space Force initially projected up to 156 launches would take flight this year from Florida's Space Coast. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Will Cape Canaveral see unprecedented 100 rocket launches during 2025? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
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Amazon Turns to SpaceX as $10B Kuiper Satellite Deadline Nears
July 16 - Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is teaming up with rival SpaceX to send its latest batch of Kuiper satellites into orbit, as it intensifies efforts to meet a critical regulatory deadline. A Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off Wednesday from Florida's Space Coast, carrying 24 Kuiper satellites. The mission, named KF-01, comes as Amazon works to accelerate deployment under a U.S. Federal Communications Commission requirement to launch half of its planned 3,236-satellite constellation by mid-2026. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with AMZN. The partnership marks a rare collaboration between Jeff Bezos' Amazon and Elon Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink service currently dominates the satellite internet market with about 8,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in operation. Following Wednesday's flight, Amazon will have 78 satellites in orbit. The company previously relied on United Launch Alliance for two Kuiper missions earlier this year. To meet its deployment goals, Amazon has booked up to 83 launches, including at least three with SpaceX. The project has become a major investment focus for Amazon, with up to $10 billion in total spending, including $1.1 billion on satellite production and roughly $150 million per launch. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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15-07-2025
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SpaceX launch overnight: What to know about Amazon satellite launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Coming up overnight: SpaceX's first-ever launch of Amazon Project Kuiper satellites. But will rainy weather wash out the early morning liftoff attempt with Invest 93-L swirling near the Florida peninsula? SpaceX is targeting a 27-minute launch window that opens at 2:18 a.m. Wednesday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 will deploy a batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites into low-Earth orbit, the Space Coast Office of Tourism reported. The mission will expand Amazon's newly established constellation — which consists of 54 satellites to date. The chance of precipitation is 40%, per the National Weather Service forecast. Partly cloudy skies should otherwise prevail, with a low around 75 degrees and south wind around 10 mph. No Brevard County sonic booms are expected. Rather, after soaring skyward to the northeast, the rocket's first-stage booster will target landing aboard the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. Check back for live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team launch coverage updates on this page, starting about 90 minutes before the post-midnight launch window opens. Then when SpaceX's live webcast begins about 15 minutes before liftoff, we'll post it below next to our countdown clock. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Countdown Timer For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch overnight: What to know before liftoff from Florida
Yahoo
14-07-2025
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SpaceX Amazon satellite launch in Florida: When to watch in Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce
A late-night rocket launch from Florida is on the horizon — and if you're on the Treasure Coast, it'll be a sight to see. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially carry the third batch of Amazon satellites into low-Earth orbit. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos launched Project Kuiper, a global network of satellites, to compete with SpaceX CEO-billionaire Elon Musk and Starlink satellites. The first two launches of the Amazon Project Kuiper production satellites were courtesy of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral. Online, the mission has been called the "Amazon rocket launch" or "the Amazon rocket launch from Florida,' but it's accurate to call it the Amazon satellite rocket launch. Rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, a rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach to as far south as Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach. When there's a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, there's an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo. Below is more information about the SpaceX rocket launch in Florida and suggestions on where to watch them from here. Is there a launch today? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@ or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@ For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit Mission: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket and deploy a payload of Amazon Project Kuiper internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit, the Space Coast Office of Tourism reported. Launch window: 2:10 a.m. to 3:38 a.m. ET Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Launch location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida Sonic booms for Space Coast of Florida (Merritt Island, Melbourne area): No Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at : You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network's Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type into your browser. Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast, Brevard County, Orlando and other parts of Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache. Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida (cost to enter) Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso, Florida Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking) Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce, Florida Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Middle Cove Beach, 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce, Florida Walton Rocks Beach, 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida (dog park) Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida State Road A1A causeway in Stuart, Florida House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: SpaceX, Amazon satellite rocket launch: What time is Florida liftoff?
