ABOVE VIDEO: Second launch of Space Shuttle Columbia – 1981 CBS live broadcast

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Following a launch scrub a week earlier, space shuttle Columbia took to the skies on Nov. 12, 1981, for its second trip into space. Astronauts Joe H. Engle and Richard H. Truly rode the reusable, orbital, spacecraft on a pillar of fire from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.

Their planned five-day mission had to be curtailed to just two days following the failure of one of Columbia’s three fuel cells.

Despite the shortened flight, Engle and Truly operated the first science payloads aboard a space shuttle and conducted the first tests of the Canadian-built Remote Manipulator System (RMS). They brought Columbia safely home to a landing at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Facility, now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Facility, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, where ground crews began to prepare the ship for its next mission to space.

Following the Nov. 4, 1981 scrub caused by problems with two of Columbia’s Auxiliary Power Units, engineers flushed the gear boxes and replaced filters in the units, and managers reset the launch for Nov. 12. Engle and Truly arrived back at KSC on Nov. 10. The next day, ground crews found a problem with a Multiplexer De-Multiplexer (MDM), a data management device aboard Columbia. A spare MDM also failed, so a unit from space shuttle Challenger, then under construction in Palmdale, California, was flown in and installed in Columbia. This delayed the launch by nearly three hours.

The launch day coincided with Truly’s 44th birthday, and he became the first person ever to fly to space on his birthday. Ground crews helped him celebrate the occasion by decorating various rooms in KSC’s Operations and Checkout Building, and even the White Room at the launch pad, for the occasion as he and Engle prepared for the liftoff.

Launch managers held the final countdown for a few minutes at T-minus nine minutes to clear up some minor technical issues before issuing a “Go” for launch.

At 10:10 a.m. EST on Nov. 12, 1981, exactly seven months after the launch of STS-1, Columbia’s main engines roared to life and the world’s first reusable, orbital, spacecraft lived up to its name. As soon as the shuttle cleared the launch tower, control handed over to the Mission Control Center (MCC) at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

The Silver Team of flight controllers led by ascent Flight Director Neil B. Hutchinson monitored Columbia’s launch, with capsule communicator (capcom) astronaut Daniel C. Brandenstein relaying milestone events to Engle and Truly aboard the shuttle.

Nine minutes after liftoff, Columbia’s main engines cut off and the large external tankjettisoned away from the spacecraft. The space shuttle had reached space but was not yet in orbit, that job left for Columbia’s Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) engines to complete.

The next major task involved opening the orbiter’s payload bay doors to allow the radiators mounted inside them to cool the vehicle.

Mission Control gave Engle and Truly a go to stay in orbit. They could now remove their launch and entry pressure suits and change into more comfortable flight suits.

About five hours into the mission, one of Columbia’s three power-generating fuel cells began to act erratically and capcom Brandenstein instructed Engle and Truly to shut it off. Flight rules stated that with only two working fuel cells, only a so-called minimum mission was permissible, meaning that instead of five days in orbit, Engle and Truly would have to bring Columbia home after 54 hours. Many high-priority activities moved up to be completed during the mission’s two days. Engle and Truly conducted two OMS tests, one to shut it down and start it up again four minutes later. Then they deactivated the faulty fuel cell, taking it permanently offline. Flight Director Donald R. Puddy’s Crimson Team of controllers took over the consoles in Mission Control, with astronaut Frederick H. “Rick” Hauck serving as capcom. Shortly before Engle and Truly went to bed for their first sleep period in space, Mission Control played a taped birthday greeting sung by the high school chorus in Forest, Mississippi, the hometown of Truly’s father and stepmother. Truly replied to capcom Hauck, “That’s beautiful. Please thank them and tell them I couldn’t have had a nicer birthday than this one. Appreciate it.” Engle and Truly then went to sleep in their seats on the flight deck. The OSTA-1 payloads in the payload bay, activated earlier in the day, continued to gather data overnight.

While the crew slept, in Mission Control the Bronze Team led by Flight Director Charles R. “Chuck” Lewis took over the consoles, with astronauts James F. Buchli and Sally K. Ride serving as capcoms. Ride became the first woman to serve in the role of capcom. Mission Control began the crew’s day by playing “Pigs in Space” as a wake-up call, a comedy routine by The Muppets arranged by Ride. First-time space flyers Engle and Truly reported they had a comfortable first night’s sleep aboard Columbia, telling capcoms Buchli and Ride, “we did get plenty of sleep last night, but it’s hard to sleep with all the opportunities to watch things.” Their first task of the day involved activating the RMS for its first in-orbit workout. With Truly controlling the 50-foot-long arm from Columbia’s aft flight deck, he deployed and stowed it again as an initial test, reporting, “It’s running very smoothly.” Truly then unstowed the arm, with TV cameras in the payload bay and on the arm’s wrist and elbow joints providing flight controllers with a great view of its movements. During the testing, Ride informed the crew that mission managers had made the final decision that due to the fuel cell problem, the flight would be the 54-hour minimum mission. After both Truly and Engle had a chance to operate the arm, Truly guided it back into its cradle, its first inflight testing a success. Flight Director Hutchinson and his team resumed their console positions, with astronaut Terry J. “TJ” Hart now serving as capcom.

President Ronald W. Reagan became the first sitting Chief Executive to step onto the floor of the MCC during an actual mission when he visited JSC on Nov. 13, 1981, the crew’s second day aboard Columbia. Accompanied by NASA Administrator James M. Beggs, the President received a tour of the MCC provided by JSC Director Christopher C. Kraft, the man responsible for developing the concept of mission control. President Reagan chatted with Engle and Truly for a few minutes, jokingly asking them if they could stop by Washington, D.C., and pick him up on their way to California. The President added, “I’m sure you know how proud everyone down here is and how … America has got its eyes and its heart on you.” Following his chat with the astronauts, he spoke a few words with their wives, Mary Catherine Engle and Cody Truly, before leaving the MCC.

For the remainder of the day, Engle and Truly conducted additional evaluations of the orbiter, such as tests of the Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters, and took photographs of the Earth below. Engle also replaced a failed cathode ray tube (CRT) display on the flight deck. The OSTA-1 payload experiments continued to gather data. After the successful CRT repair, Engle jokingly requested that he be allowed to go and fix the failed fuel cell as well, to allow a full-duration mission. Mission Control politely ignored his offer. After a very busy day, Engle and Truly settled down for their last night’s sleep in space. In MCC, Flight Director Lewis’ Bronze Team, with astronaut Henry W. “Hank” Hartsfield joining Buchli as capcom, replaced Hutchinson’s Silver Team on console.

The crew’s landing day wake up music began with a rendition of “Columbia, Gem of the Ocean,” performed by the Flight Operations Directorate group “Contraband,” followed by the second part of The Muppets’ “Pigs in Space” comedy routine. Flight Director Puddy’s Crimson Team of controllers, including capcoms Hauck and Steven R. Nagel, took their console positions to guide Engle and Truly through the reentry and landing of Columbia at what is now NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Early on entry day, Engle deactivated the OSTA-1 payloads in preparation for landing. They closed the payload bay doors, donned their pressure suits, maneuvered Columbia so it was flying tail first, and fired its OMS engines over the Indian Ocean for nearly three minutes to drop it out of orbit. Twenty-seven minutes later, Columbia encountered the first tendrils of the Earth’s upper atmosphere at an altitude of 400,000 feet. The heat of reentry caused a sheath of ionized plasma to form around the vehicle, blocking communications for 16 minutes.

Engle, together with the spacecraft’s computer, guided Columbia through a series of aerodynamic maneuvers in the hypersonic and supersonic phases of the entry to obtain information about the vehicle’s handling characteristics. Engle reported that the “maneuvers have been going very good [sic]. The bird is real solid.” Engle manually guided Columbia through a sweeping turn called the Heading Alignment Circle to line up with Dryden’s Runway 23. At about 400 feet, Truly lowered the landing gear and a few seconds later, Columbia’s main gear touched down on the dry lakebed runway, kicking up a cloud of dust. As Columbia continued to roll down the runway, Engle lowered the spacecraft’s nose, applied gentle brakes, and brought the vehicle to a stop after a 7,000-foot rollout. The STS-2 mission ended after 54 hours, 13 minutes. An estimated 200,000 people were on hand to watch Columbia’s second landing.

Flight controllers in Mission Control in Houston erupted in cheers following Columbia’s successful landing. Capcom Nagel helped Engle and Truly deactivate the vehicle’s systems as ground crews at Dryden arrived on the runway to safe it from hazardous materials so the crew could exit the spacecraft.

After being instructed that it was safe to exit the vehicle, Truly and Engle climbed out of Columbia and bounded down the stairs of the access vehicle. Director of Flight Crew Operations at JSC George W.S. Abbey greeted them at the bottom of the stairs and the trio conducted a walkaround inspection of Columbia, finding it in remarkably good condition. Ground teams drove Engle and Truly to Dryden facilities where they changed out of their pressure suits and boarded a jet for the trip back to Houston.

Hundreds of well-wishers greeted Engle and Truly when they arrived at Ellington Air Force Base near JSC. Reunited with their families, they returned to their homes for their first night’s sleep back on Earth. The next morning, they had breakfast with Vice President George H.W. Bush, who was visiting JSC – the first back-to-back visits to JSC of the nation’s top two executives. The STS-1 crew of John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen also attended the breakfast with the Vice President.

Ground crews at Dryden towed Columbia from the runway to a service area to begin preparing it for its cross-country trip back to KSC. After workers mounted it atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing-747, Columbia left Dryden and arrived at KSC on Nov. 25, just 11 days after its landing in California. Workers towed it to the Orbiter Processing Facility to start preparing it for its next mission, STS-3, planned for March 1982.

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WATCH LIVE: SpaceX Set to Launch 29 Starlink Satellites from Cape Canaveral Tonight

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting a 10:21 p.m. EST liftoff tonight from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The mission will expand SpaceX’s growing Starlink network, which provides global broadband internet service.

Tonight’s launch will mark the third flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster supporting the mission.

The booster previously launched the KF-01 and IMAP missions.

After stage separation, the first stage is expected to land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

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BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, FLORIDA — NASA is preparing to send a pair of small spacecraft on a journey to Mars this afternoon, marking a significant milestone for both the agency and Blue Origin.

The twin ESCAPADE probes — short for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers — are scheduled to launch Sunday, Nov. 9, atop Blue Origin’s massive New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff is targeted for 2:45 p.m. EST, within a 2.5-hour launch window.

The launch will be only the second for New Glenn, Blue Origin’s next-generation heavy-lift rocket designed for partial reusability. The flight will also mark the first time NASA has launched a Mars mission on a privately built rocket from Jeff Bezos’ aerospace company.

Originally slated to fly in 2024, ESCAPADE’s launch was delayed as NASA adjusted its schedule to ensure the mission’s readiness and cost efficiency. The two nearly identical satellites, built by Rocket Lab, will study how solar wind and space weather interact with the Martian atmosphere — a key piece in understanding how Mars lost most of its air over time.

“This mission has been a long road, and I’m incredibly grateful to all the partners who made it possible,” said Robert Lillis, the mission’s principal investigator from the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, during a pre-launch briefing on Saturday.

The project represents a collaboration between UC Berkeley, Rocket Lab, and Blue Origin, with NASA providing funding and oversight. The mission’s total cost is under $80 million — relatively low by interplanetary standards.

The two spacecraft, affectionately named Blue and Gold after UC Berkeley’s school colors, will first travel to the Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2 — a gravitationally stable region roughly 930,000 miles beyond Earth. There, they’ll spend about a year studying space weather while awaiting the optimal planetary alignment to begin their journey to Mars in late 2026.

That timing is crucial: Earth and Mars line up for efficient travel only once every 26 months. When the alignment arrives, the twin probes will swing past Earth for a gravity assist that will send them toward the Red Planet, a trip expected to take about 10 months.

Once they reach Mars, the spacecraft will gradually enter complementary orbits, allowing scientists to capture a three-dimensional view of the planet’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere. The data will help researchers understand how charged particles from the Sun strip away atmospheric gases — insights that could inform future crewed missions and deepen understanding of Mars’ climate history.

Each spacecraft is expected to operate for at least 11 months once in Mars orbit, following a seven-month orbital adjustment period.

For Blue Origin, the launch marks a critical test of its flagship rocket. Standing more than 320 feet tall, New Glenn is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and other heavy-lift vehicles, capable of carrying large payloads to Earth orbit and beyond.

If successful, Sunday’s launch will demonstrate New Glenn’s capability for interplanetary missions — a key step for Blue Origin as it seeks to expand its role in NASA’s commercial spaceflight portfolio.

As the countdown ticks toward liftoff, the mission represents not just a journey to Mars, but a new chapter in the partnership between public and private space exploration — where university scientists, commercial builders, and government agencies work together to reach beyond Earth.

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BREVARD COUNTY • FLORIDA – SpaceX announced major progress in the development of Starship, the world’s most powerful and capable launch and landing system, which has been selected by NASA to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time in more than half a century under the Artemis program.

For the first time in human history, technology, capability, and determination have converged to make a permanent human presence beyond Earth possible.

Designed to carry both large numbers of explorers and the infrastructure they’ll need, Starship is the only vehicle capable of transporting up to 100 metric tons of cargo directly to the lunar surface. It will serve as the lunar lander for NASA’s Artemis III and Artemis IV missions, enabling sustainable exploration of the Moon and paving the way for future missions to Mars.

“Starship was built with one goal in mind — to make life multiplanetary,” said a SpaceX spokesperson.

“Through our partnership with NASA and the Artemis program, we are taking the next step toward that vision by enabling a lasting human presence on the Moon and ultimately extending humanity’s reach to Mars.”

Engineering the Future of Exploration

Each Starship has a pressurized habitable volume exceeding 600 cubic meters—nearly two-thirds the size of the entire International Space Station. The vehicle features dual airlocks for efficient surface exploration and can be reconfigured to transport crews, cargo, and habitats.

Cargo variants will deliver critical payloads, including rovers, reactors, and habitat modules, to support long-term lunar operations.

SpaceX is advancing Starship along two primary development paths:

■ Core Starship System Development – Focused on reusable vehicle technology, launch cadence, and propellant transfer capability.

■ Human Landing System (HLS) Configuration – Tailored to NASA’s Artemis mission requirements, including crew systems, life support, and precision lunar landing capabilities.

To date, SpaceX has completed 49 milestones under its HLS contract with NASA, including successful demonstrations of environmental control systems, docking operations, lunar landing engine tests, and crew elevator functionality. The company has also produced more than three dozen

Starships and 600 Raptor engines, representing over 226,000 seconds of total engine test time.

Next Steps in Lunar Readiness

Upcoming milestones include long-duration orbital tests and a ship-to-ship propellant transfer demonstration, both essential to enabling sustainable lunar missions. SpaceX is also fabricating a flight-ready Starship HLS cabin equipped with complete environmental and power systems to validate design maturity and serve as a training platform for future lunar crews.

“Every Starship flight advances our capability to explore deeper into the solar system,” the spokesperson added. “Our rapid testing, production, and iteration model ensures that we learn, adapt, and deliver innovation faster than ever before.”
A Permanent Return to the Moon

NASA selected Starship through a competitive process that recognized its superior technical capability, management approach, and cost-effectiveness. Starship’s full and rapid reusability, high payload capacity, and scalability make it the cornerstone of a sustainable lunar exploration program.

The Artemis program represents the next chapter in human spaceflight — one that will establish a lasting presence on the Moon and lay the foundation for the first human missions to Mars. With Starship, SpaceX and NASA are turning that vision into reality.
About SpaceX

SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the ultimate goal of making life multiplanetary. Founded in 2002, SpaceX has redefined space access through rapid reusability, cost reduction, and innovation, leading the way toward sustainable space exploration.

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ABOVE VIDEO: ULA’s Atlas V is launching the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft for Viasat, a global technology company helping businesses, governments and communities transform their world through connectivity. Once in service, ViaSat-3 Flight 2 is expected to more than double the bandwidth capacity of Viasat’s entire existing satellite fleet.

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – A second countdown has begun for the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to deliver the ViaSat-3 F2 ultra-high-capacity broadband satellite into space from Cape Canaveral.

Liftoff is scheduled for tonight at 10:16 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex-41 at the opening of a 44-minute launch window that extends until 11:00 p.m.

ULA’s Atlas V is launching the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft for Viasat, a global technology company helping businesses, governments and communities transform their world through connectivity. Once in service, ViaSat-3 Flight 2 is expected to more than double the bandwidth capacity of Viasat’s entire existing satellite fleet.

Following last night’s launch postponement, the cryogenic propellants were drained off of the rocket, systems deactivated and a standby state was achieved.

The launch team will move through their procedures to ready the launch vehicle and pad systems for another attempt over the course of the next seven hours.

The post NO-GO: United Launch Alliance Postpones Thursday Night Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral appeared first on Space Coast Daily.

ABOVE VIDEO: ULA’s Atlas V is launching the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft for Viasat, a global technology company helping businesses, governments and communities transform their world through connectivity. Once in service, ViaSat-3 Flight 2 is expected to more than double the bandwidth capacity of Viasat’s entire existing satellite fleet.

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) is GO for Wednesday’s liftoff of the United Launch Alliance commercial Atlas V rocket with one of the most sophisticated and powerful commercial communications satellites — the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft.

Liftoff is scheduled for 10:24 p.m. EST (0324 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director James Whelan, was completed this morning at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).

Leadership from ULA, Viasat and Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload, mission assets and tracking support, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that projects a 95 percent chance of meeting the launch rules.

At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a ready status for launch, then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

The Atlas V rocket, designated AV-100, stands 196 feet (59.7 meters) tall and will launch the payload into an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).

At liftoff, the rocket generates a combined thrust of 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) from its main engine and five solid rocket boosters.

ULA will offer live reports from launch control in our automatically refreshing blog beginning Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST (0030 UTC). The launch webcast starts at L-20 minutes.

The post SCRUBBED: United Launch Alliance Halts Wednesday Night Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral appeared first on Space Coast Daily.

ABOVE VIDEO: ULA’s Atlas V is launching the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft for Viasat, a global technology company helping businesses, governments and communities transform their world through connectivity. Once in service, ViaSat-3 Flight 2 is expected to more than double the bandwidth capacity of Viasat’s entire existing satellite fleet.

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) is GO for Wednesday’s liftoff of the United Launch Alliance commercial Atlas V rocket with one of the most sophisticated and powerful commercial communications satellites — the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft.

Liftoff is scheduled for 10:24 p.m. EST (0324 UTC) from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The LRR, led by ULA Launch Director James Whelan, was completed this morning at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC).

Leadership from ULA, Viasat and Space Force assessed the readiness of the rocket, payload, mission assets and tracking support, discussed the status of pre-flight processing work, heard technical overviews of the countdown and flight, and previewed the weather forecast that projects a 95 percent chance of meeting the launch rules.

At the conclusion of the meeting, senior leaders were polled and gave a ready status for launch, then signed the Launch Readiness Certificate.

The Atlas V rocket, designated AV-100, stands 196 feet (59.7 meters) tall and will launch the payload into an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).

At liftoff, the rocket generates a combined thrust of 2.7 million pounds (12 megaNewtons) from its main engine and five solid rocket boosters.

ULA will offer live reports from launch control in our automatically refreshing blog beginning Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. EST (0030 UTC). The launch webcast starts at L-20 minutes.

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WATCH LIVE: SpaceX Ready to Launch Sunday Morning Rocket Launch from Cape Canaveral

BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting Sunday, November 2 at 1:09 a.m. ET for a Falcon 9 launch of the Bandwagon-4 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

If needed, there is a backup opportunity later that night at 11:44 p.m. ET.

There are 18 payloads on board this mission for KOREA ADD, Exolaunch, Fergani, Tomorrow Companies Inc., Starcloud, and Vast.

This will be the third flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched KF-02 and KF-03.

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

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BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – SpaceX is targeting Sunday, November 2 at 1:09 a.m. ET for a Falcon 9 launch of the Bandwagon-4 mission to orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

If needed, there is a backup opportunity later that night at 11:44 p.m. ET.

There are 18 payloads on board this mission for KOREA ADD, Exolaunch, Fergani, Tomorrow Companies Inc., Starcloud, and Vast.

This will be the third flight of the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched KF-02 and KF-03.

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

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BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — Space Prep, the launch support services division of All Points Logistics, has completed payload processing for three spacecraft set to launch next month from Cape Canaveral, marking another milestone in its partnership with Exolaunch, a global leader in satellite integration and deployment services.

Working in collaboration with Exolaunch, Space Prep managed fueling, packaging, and delivery of the spacecraft to the integration facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The satellites, designed for advanced technology demonstration missions, represent the latest wave of activity amid a record-breaking launch schedule on the Space Coast.

“Our partnership with Exolaunch allows us to support a wide variety of payloads in an increasingly complex launch environment,” said Les Lake, Vice President of Technical Sales for Space Prep.

“We’ve brought urgently needed processing capacity online at the nation’s busiest spaceports in Florida and California to meet this growing demand.”

Space Prep specializes in accelerating access to space by providing the pre-launch infrastructure essential to the growing launch cadence in the United States.

With operational facilities near both Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, the company offers end-to-end services, including spacecraft transport, fueling, and launch-readiness operations. Its global logistics network and control center in Cape Canaveral ensure a seamless process from factory to flight.

To meet future demand, Space Prep is developing new Spacecraft Processing Centers and Spaceport Logistics Centers at Kennedy Space Center and other key locations nationwide—projects expected to expand U.S. launch-site capacity and strengthen national space infrastructure.

“We value our partnership with Exolaunch and look forward to expanding our facilities and capabilities for future missions at all U.S. launch sites,” said Phil Monkress, CEO of All Points Logistics.

“Demand for these facilities continues to surge as more launchers, satellite constellations, and lunar missions prepare for liftoff.”

Headquartered in Germany with offices in the U.S., France, and Japan, Exolaunch is a leading provider of launch mission management, satellite integration, and deployment technologies.

The company has launched 582 satellites across 39 missions, providing turnkey launch solutions for commercial, governmental, and academic customers worldwide. Exolaunch is also known for developing flight-proven satellite separation systems and payload launch stacks that promote safe and sustainable access to space.

Founded in 1997 as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, All Points Logistics provides mission-critical solutions across space, defense, and cyber sectors.

The company’s multidisciplinary team offers expertise in software development, systems integration, IT services, and logistics. All Points operates nationwide with headquarters in Florida.

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BREVARD COUNTY • CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA – United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket is set to launch the ViaSat-3 Flight 2 satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The ultra-high-capacity broadband spacecraft, built for Viasat, will enhance global connectivity for businesses, governments, and communities worldwide.

Once operational, ViaSat-3 Flight 2 is expected to more than double the total bandwidth capacity of Viasat’s existing satellite fleet, expanding the company’s reach and service performance across the globe.

Liftoff is scheduled for Nov. 5, during a launch window between 10:24 and 11:08 p.m. ET.

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