Local: Where Have all the Launches Gone?

Something we have become very accustomed to living here in Brevard County is seeing (and in some cases hearing) a rocket streaking overhead while leaving a trail of smoke behind. When you live here, it becomes so commonplace you barely notice it anymore. But one thing residents have noticed lately is the lack of rocket launches. In fact, there hasn’t been a launch from Cape Canaveral in 2019.

That is all about to change in two days as Space X is scheduled to launch a rocket at between 8:45 p.m. and 9:17 p.m Thursday Night (February 21, 2019). And this payload is apparently determined to pack quite the punch. On-board is Nusantara Satu, a communication satellite for Indonesia, a commercial Moon lander and small satellites.

If the launches are something that you enjoy and would like to learn when they are scheduled to happen, bookmark this page Cape Canaveral Launch Schedule

So Why Was There a Launch Drought?

If you recall, the last launch was back in December when Vice President Mike Pence visited the complex. Previous to that launch we were seeing the rockets red glare on quite a regular basis. Really, it comes down to the fact that Space X needed to regroup and perfect some things before launching again. They listed “testing and readiness needs” as the official reason for the hiatus. There was originally going to be a launch in January, an uncrewed Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, but it was pushed back to March 2nd.