321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week

John McCarthy, Florida Today
·2 min read
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In this screenshot from live coverage of NASA's Orion spacecraft return powered flyby around the moon Earth appears as a crescent toward the bottom of the frame. Orion is on its way back to Earth after Monday's maneuver positioned it for its return trip. A splashdown landing wrapping up the Artemis I mission is expected on Sunday, Dec. 11, in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.

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Welcome to 321 Launch, Florida Today’s wrapup of all the space new you might have missed this past week.

Orion on its way back to Earth

NASA's Artemis I mission to deep space and back is nearing its conclusion as the uncrewed Orion spacecraft sailed past the moon Monday morning committing it to the final leg of its journey.

Orion will continue to push away and fully exit the moon's gravitational pull on Tuesday. The coast back toward Earth will take about six days. Blazing in at speeds of up to 25,000 mph, Orion is set to punch through Earth's atmosphere on Sunday, Dec. 11.

Orion's atmospheric re-entry will push its heat shield and parachute-assisted landing system capabilities to the limit as Orion returns from lunar orbit for the first time. A subsequent splashdown landing is set for 12:42 p.m. ET in the Pacific Ocean off the Coast of California wrapping up the 26-day demonstration mission.

Two launches (and sonic booms) coming less than 24 hours apart

A view of the first of two boosters returning after the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in November. Two launches slated for this week will include booster landings at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. (Photo: TIM SHORTT/FLORIDA TODAY)
A view of the first of two boosters returning after the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in November. Two launches slated for this week will include booster landings at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. (Photo: TIM SHORTT/FLORIDA TODAY)

SpaceX is set for a Falcon 9 launch and landing doubleheader from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida this week. Shortly after liftoff spectators can expect window-rattling sonic booms as both launches will feature first-stage landing attempts at the Cape's two Landing Zones.

The launches will mark the 53rd and 54th of the year from Florida's Space Coast.

Up first from pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center is SpaceX's mission dubbed Launch 15 for communications company OneWeb. Liftoff is set for Tuesday afternoon at 5:37 p.m. ET followed by a landing attempt about 10 minutes later at the Cape's LZ-1. The Falcon 9 will fly a southern trajectory hugging the coast of South Florida as it threads between the state and the Bahamas.

Less than ten hours later at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's pad 40 a second Falcon 9 is set to fly the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 for the Japanese company, ispace. Liftoff then is set for 3:04 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7 followed by a first stage somersault and landing attempt at the Cape's LZ-2.

Make sure to check back at floridatoday.com for the latest updates.

A 25+ year veteran of FLORIDA TODAY, John McCarthy currently oversees the space team and special projects. Support quality local journalism by subscribing to FLORIDA TODAY. You can contact McCarthy at 321-752-5018 or jmccarthy@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 321 Launch: Space news you may have missed over the past week