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When to watch the sky in 2025: Florida Space Coast rocket launch schedule

Published

1 year ago

December 27, 2024

When to watch the sky in 2025: Florida Space Coast rocket launch schedule

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida is gearing up for a busy 2025 in space exploration, with a packed schedule of rocket launches planned. From high-profile NASA missions to ambitious commercial projects, the launches are poised to push the boundaries of space exploration and technology.

Here is a list of the scheduled and projected missions for 2025:

January

Thuraya 4-NGS:

Thuraya 4-NGS is a communication satellite built by Airbus Defense and Space for the UAE-based Yahsat. The satellite will incorporate a 12-meter L-band antenna and a payload with on-board processing. This processing will provide advanced routing flexibility of up to 3200 channels with dynamic power allocation over many spot beams.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Scheduled: January 2, 2025 | 12 a.m. – 12:53 a.m.

SpainSat NG I:

SpainSat NG I is the first of two ‘new-generation’ satellites built by Airbus. These satellites were created to secure communications with the Spanish government, their allies and other international organizations.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Scheduled: January 27, 2025 | 11 p.m.

Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 & Hakuto-R M2 “Resilience”:

Blue Ghost is a commercial lunar lander by Firefly Aerospace for NASA’s CLPS program. It can carry up to 155 kg of payload to the Moon and will land in the Crisium Basin’s Mare Crisium. The mission is designed to last 14 days before the lander succumbs to the lunar night.

Resilience is the second mission of the Hakuto-R lunar lander, developed by the Japanese company ispace. The lander will carry a small rover designed to study the Moon’s surface. As part of a 2020 NASA contract, the rover will also collect lunar soil (regolith) and transfer its ownership to NASA directly on the Moon.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: January 2025

Starlink Group 12-3:

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: January 2025

February

Nova-C IM-2:

This will be the second mission for the Nova-C lunar lander, which was developed and built by Intuitive Machines. This mission will carry a NASA payload called PRIME-1, known as the “Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1”. PRIME-1 is anticipated to be the first demonstration of in-situ resource utilization on the Moon. In-situ resource utilization is the practice of using materials found on other planets or moons to create consumables for human or autonomous activities.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Scheduled: February 27, 2025 | Time TBD

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is seen as it is raised into a vertical position on the launch pad (Photo by Joel Kowsky/NASA via Getty Images). (Getty Images)

Bandwagon 3:

A dedicated rideshare mission delivering dozens of microsatellites and nanosatellites to a mid-inclination orbit, serving both commercial and government customers.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: February 2025

Transporter 13:

A dedicated rideshare mission transporting dozens of microsatellites and nanosatellites to a sun-synchronous orbit, supporting both commercial and government customers.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: February 2025

March

Crew-10:

SpaceX Crew-10 is the tenth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Commander: Anne McClain (American)
Pilot: Nichole Ayers (American)
Mission Specialist: Kirill Peskov (Russian)
Mission Specialist: Takuya Onishi (Japanese)

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Scheduled: March 25, 2025 | Time TBD

Blue Moon Pathfinder:

First flight of Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 lunar lander which focuses on robotic exploration.

Rocket: Blue Origin New Glenn

Projected: March 2025

A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches from Launch Site One in West Texas north of Van Horn on March 31, 2022. The NS-20 mission carries Blue Origin’s New Shepard Chief Architect Gary Lai, Marty Allen, Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Jim Kitchen, and Dr

Project Kuiper (Atlas V #2):

Project Kuiper is a mega constellation of satellites in Low Earth Orbit that will offer broadband internet access, this constellation will be managed by Kuiper Systems LLC, a subsidiary of Amazon. This constellation is planned to be composed of 3,276 satellites. The satellites are projected to be placed in 98 orbital planes in three orbital layers, one at 590 km, 610 km and 630 km altitude.

Rocket: United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551

Projected: March 2025

Fram2:

Fram2, the first astronaut mission to polar orbit, will launch from Florida aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft, named after the Norwegian polar research ship Fram. The mission will reach a 90° circular orbit at an altitude of 425–450 km, marking the first human spaceflight over Earth’s polar regions from low-Earth orbit. Equipped with a cupola for Earth observation, the 3-to-5-day mission will study atmospheric phenomena like STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) and conduct research on the effects of spaceflight on the human body, including capturing the first x-ray images in space and examining behavioral health. The crew includes Chun Wang as mission commander, Jannicke Mikkelsen as vehicle commander, Eric Philips as pilot, and Rabea Rogge as mission specialist.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: March 2025

ViaSat-3 EMEA:

The ViaSat-3 series consists of three advanced Ka-band satellites designed to deliver exceptional service speed and flexibility. Each satellite is capable of providing over 1 Terabit per second of network capacity, with the ability to dynamically allocate bandwidth to areas with the highest customer demand.

Rocket: United Launch Alliance Atlas V 551

Projected: March 2025

Dragon CRS-2 SpX-32:

The 32nd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, operated by SpaceX under NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract, will use the Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft. It will deliver supplies and critical materials to support ongoing science and research aboard the orbiting laboratory.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: March 2025

April

Axiom Space Mission 4:

This mission is a Crew Dragon flight for Axiom Space. The mission will carry a professional commander and three astronauts to the International Space Station. The crew will stay aboard the space station for at least eight days.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: April 2025

May

Bandwagon 4:

This mission is a dedicated rideshare flight to a mid-inclination orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: May 2025

Dream Chaser CRS 2 Flight 1:

First flight of the Dream Chaser Spaceplane to the ISS.

Rocket: United Launch Alliance Vulcan VC4L

Projected: May 2025

June

EscaPADE:

Blue Origin’s New Glenn launch vehicle will make its maiden flight, carrying the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. This dual-spacecraft mission will study ion and sputtered escape from Mars, aiming to understand the processes shaping Mars’ hybrid magnetosphere, how it directs ion flows, the transport of energy and momentum from the solar wind, and the flow of energy and matter into and out of Mars’ atmosphere.

Rocket: Blue Origin New Glenn

Projected: June 2025

Winter Park couple launches with Blue Origin

Blue Origin launched its ninth space tourism flight on Friday. A Winter Park couple was onboard that flight for their second trip to space.

WorldView Legion 5 & 6:

WorldView Legion is a constellation of Earth observation satellites built and operated by Maxar. Constellation is planned to consist of 6 satellites in both polar and mid-inclination orbits, providing 30 cm-class resolution.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: June 2025

O3b mPower 9-11:

Last three of a constellation of eleven high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) built by Boeing and operated by SES.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: June 2025

Project Kuiper (Falcon 9 #1):

First of three launches apart of the contract for Amazon’s Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: June 2025

Transporter 14:

A dedicated rideshare mission to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites that will be used by commercial and government customers.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: June 2025

Cygnus CRS-2 NG-22:

This mission falls under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. It will be the 22nd flight of the Northrop Grumman unscrewed resupply spacecraft Cygnus and the 21st flight to the International Space Station.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: June 2025

July

Crew-11:

SpaceX Crew-11 will be the eleventh crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The mission is apart of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: July 2025

MTG-S1:

Second of EUMETSAT’s third generation of weather satellite.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: July 2025

September

IMAP & other NASA payloads:

IMAP (Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe) is a NASA mission to study interactions between solar wind and local interstellar medium. Carrying a suite of 10 scientific instruments, IMAP is able to investigate how particles are accelerated, their composition and can help to advance space weather forecasting models. The launch will also include several payloads from NASA.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: September 2025

KOMPSAT-7A:

KOMPSAT-7 and 7A are advanced follow-up satellites to KOMPSAT-3A, designed to provide high-resolution satellite imagery to meet the governmental and institutional needs of South Korea.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: September 2025

SpainSat NG II:

Second of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various international organizations.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: September 2025

SpaceX uses giant arms to grab Falcon Heavy on landing

NASA and SpaceX launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft towards Jupiter on Monday, the largest spacecraft ever built for a planetary mission. A day earlier in Texas, SpaceX celebrated an engineering win — using giant metal arms to literally grab one of its Falcon Heavy Boosters mid-air after returning to Earth after a test flight.

October

Transporter 15:

Dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: October 2025

TSIS-2:

The Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor 2 (TSIS-2) is a NASA satellite that measures the Sun’s energy reaching Earth. It has two key instruments: the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), which measures the Sun’s overall brightness, and the Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM), which measures energy across different wavelengths covering 96% of the solar spectrum. These instruments are similar to those used in the TSIS-1 mission on the International Space Station.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Projected: October 2025

Dragon CRS-2 SpX-33:

The 33rd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station, operated by SpaceX, is part of NASA’s second Commercial Resupply Services contract. The Cargo Dragon 2 spacecraft will deliver supplies and payloads, including essential materials to support science and research conducted on the station.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

Scheduled: October 30, 2025

November

Griffin Mission One:

The Astrobotic Griffin lander will undergo a demonstration flight to test its capabilities and engines. This mission was originally planned for NASA’s now-canceled VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission.

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon Heavy

Projected: November 2025

SpaceX rocket launch of 23 Starlink satellites

SpaceX has launched another Falcon 9 carrying 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Florida’s spaceports are at the heart of 2025’s exciting space missions. From ISS resupply flights to lunar landers and advanced satellites, the state continues to lead the way in space exploration. With more launches ahead, Florida’s skies will stay busy, driving us toward a bright future in space.

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Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Fantasy 5 results for April 15, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Florida Lottery Powerball, Lotto, Fantasy 5 results for April 15, 2026

The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots.

Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.

Winning Powerball numbers from April 15 drawing

13-21-27-43-45, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 15 drawing

08-11-41-44-53, Powerball: 03

Winning Florida Lotto numbers from April 15 drawing

05-27-36-43-45-46

Check Florida Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto Double Play numbers from April 15 drawing

13-14-25-46-49-51

Check Lotto Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 01-05-20-26-36

Evening: 04-15-17-19-25

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 15 drawing

Morning: 03

Matinee: 07

Afternoon: 08

Evening: 03

Late Night: 08

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

Winning Pick 2 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 6-7, FB: 4

Evening: 2-4, FB: 9

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 2-9-3, FB: 4

Evening: 0-8-8, FB: 9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 5-7-5-8, FB: 4

Evening: 9-5-5-6, FB: 9

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 15 drawing

Midday: 7-5-5-3-5, FB: 4

Evening: 8-3-0-0-1, FB: 9

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.

You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.

Florida law requires public disclosure of winners

If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:

Full name
City of residence
Game won
Date won
Amount won
Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.

When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.

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Can Cape Canaveral rocket launch be seen in Fort Myers, Naples? Yes. See list

Published

24 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Can Cape Canaveral rocket launch be seen in Fort Myers, Naples? Yes. See list

Can a rocket launch from NASA or Cape Canaveral be seen in Fort Myers, 245 miles away? Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and ULA Atlas V have liftoffs in April 2026.

Can a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral be seen in Lee County skies?

If conditions are just right, yes.

Most recently, when NASA’s massive Space Launch Systems rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center for the agency’s historic moon-orbiting mission, liftoff was visible across Florida, including Fort Myers.

Though Southwest Florida is known more for its pristine shelling over SpaceX rocket launches, people far beyond the launch pad can sometimes see this phenomenon.

In the next week or so, there may be two opportunities to spot a rocket launch in the Lee County and Collier County area.

Keep reading for more information.

NASA Artemis II rocket launch seen in Fort Myers, Florida

The world tuned in for the NASA Artemis II rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on April 1, 2026, sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the moon. The launch could be seen as far west as Fort Myers and south from Jupiter, Florida.

The Artemis II crew made history with their lunar flyby on April 6, 2026, and set a record the same day for the farthest any human has been from Earth. After the Artemis II astronauts left the moon in the rearview mirror, the crew splashed down April 10, 2026, off the coast of San Diego, California.

When is the next big rocket launch visible in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Naples, Florida?

Blue Origin’s giant New Glenn rocket is standing tall on the Cape Canaveral launch pad once again in preparation for the new rocket’s third flight. New Glenn will launch AST SpaceMobile’s next-generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite to low-Earth orbit.

While it has been teased that a launch is upcoming, Blue Origin has yet to release an official launch date. According to a Federal Aviation Administration advisory and the Space Coast Office of Tourism, liftoff is set for now no earlier than 6:45 a.m. Friday, April 17, from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage starts two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

Jeff Bezos’ space tech company, Blue Origin, has New Glenn, one large rocket

Visible from Brevard County beaches, New Glenn may not look big on the launch pad but it is actually one of the largest rockets in history. At 321 feet tall,New Glenn is just a foot shorterthan NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) moon rocket, which recently launched the Artemis II mission.

Going back in history, the only other rocket that would tower over New Glenn would have been the 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket which sent Apollo astronauts to the moon.

However, the largest rocket of all time is SpaceX’s 403-foot-tall Starship, which may launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A in the coming year, pending the completion of the upcoming test flight out of Texas.

For context, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 stands only 230-feet-tall.

What other Cape Canaveral rocket launch may be visible in Southwest Florida?

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with five solid rocket boosters will launch another batch of 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites on Monday, April 27, with the launch window and launch trajectory to be announced, according to FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network newspaper.

Liftoff will be from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage of that mission will start 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

Photos of Florida rocket launch, SpaceX Falcon 9 and Starship seen in Lee County, Collier County sky

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach, as far south as West Palm Beach and as far west as Fort Myers.

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 image.

Andrew West, an award-winning visuals journalist with the News-Press and Naples Daily News, both USA TODAY Network newspapers, captured photos of a United Launch Alliance rocket leaving a streak in the Southwest Florida sky after liftoff from across the state.

► Stunning rocket launch photos! NASA SpaceX Crew-12 journeys from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the space station

From NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to Fort Myers, Florida, it’s about 245 miles. Most rocket launches that have a late-night or early morning liftoff time are better viewing options for Southwest Florida.

Debris from SpaceX Starship rocket launch in Texas visible in Collier County, Florida, sky

SpaceX Starship debris falls to Earth after rocket ‘disassembly’

SpaceX said it lost contact with its Starship rocket, which Elon Musk’s company said “experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

SpaceX’s Starship rocket explodes over Caribbean skies

Witnesses spotted debris from a SpaceX Starship after the spacecraft exploded midair following a test flight from south Texas.

In 2025, two Starship rocket launches from the Boca Chica area of Texas, renamed officially to Starbase, were visible in certain parts of Florida.

On March 6, 2025, during a Starship rocket launch test flight from Starbase, flight operators lost contact with the 165-foot upper portion of the vehicle, which exploded less than 10 minutes into the flight, creating debris visible from Florida to the Caribbean. Locally, pieces of the uncrewed Starship rocket were seen streaking across the sky from West Palm Beach to Naples.

Starbase, headquarters for SpaceX in South Texas, is more than 1,500 miles away from Naples, Florida.

Watch some rocket launches with NASA on Prime Video

Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video

NASA content, including some rocket launches and information about the Artemis II moon-circling mission, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.

All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.

The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video’s FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime’s Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.

Jennifer Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.

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Doctor accused of fatally removing patient’s wrong organ indicted

Published

2 days ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Doctor accused of fatally removing patient’s wrong organ indicted

PENSACOLA, FL — A Florida doctor has been indicted in connection with the death of a 70-year-old man who had his liver wrongly removed instead of his spleen during an August 2024 medical procedure at a hospital, authorities said.

Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky, 44, was indicted on a second-degree manslaughter charge by a grand jury in Walton County, Florida, on Monday, April 13, according to the county sheriff’s office and the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit. He was arrested on the morning of April 13 and later released on a $75,000 bond, online inmate records show.

In a news release, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office said the grand jury indictment connected Shaknovsky to the “operating room death of an Alabama man.” William Bryan, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and his wife, Beverly, were visiting their rental property in Okaloosa County when William Bryan suddenly began experiencing left-sided flank pain, according to the family’s attorney.

They went to Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Walton County, and he was admitted for further studies pursuant to concern for an abnormality of the spleen. The sheriff’s office said Shaknovsky had removed William Bryan’s liver instead of his spleen during what was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, “resulting in catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table.”

The grand jury indictment follows an extensive investigation conducted by the sheriff’s office, the Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit, and other state and medical authorities, according to the news release. The sheriff’s office said the jury found probable cause to “charge that the actions taken in the operating room constituted criminal conduct” under state law.

“Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement. “The Grand Jury has spoken, and our responsibility is to ensure the charges are carried out through the proper legal process. Our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and their unspeakable loss.”

Medical examiner found spleen still in William Bryan’s body during autopsy

A Pensacola law firm, Zarzaur Law P.A., is pursuing a civil lawsuit on behalf of William Bryan’s family, citing wrongful death, medical malpractice, and personal injury.

William Bryan began suffering “severe abdominal pain” while on vacation with his wife in August 2024, according to Joe Zarzaur, the Bryan family’s attorney. Shaknovsky, who was a surgeon at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital at the time, had diagnosed William Bryan with hemoperitoneum and splenic injury, or bleeding of the spleen, an operative report states.

William Bryan initially elected to hold off on surgery until they got back to their home in Alabama, but Beverly Bryan said Shaknovsky told her husband would bleed to death if he traveled in his condition, according to Zarzaur. Shaknovsky performed the procedure after discussing the “risks, benefits and alternatives” with the couple, the operative report states.

During the procedure on Aug. 21, 2024, William Bryan died from massive blood loss after the removal of the “large” spleen, according to the operative report. After the procedure, a pathologist realized the removed organ labeled “spleen” was actually liver tissue, Zarzaur said.

Once an autopsy was done, the medical examiner determined William Bryan’s liver had been removed, and his spleen was still in his body with a cyst attached to it, according to Zarzaur.

“The spleen had a small cyst on it that had some hemorrhage around it, but it was not a fatal issue,” Zarzaur said. “It was a fairly routine-looking cyst. It probably would have been very treatable.”

Thomas Shaknovsky involved in 2023 surgical mishap

In September 2024, the Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo ordered an emergency suspension of Shaknovsky’s license. Ladapo had cited William Bryan’s death and a prior incident in 2023, in which Shaknovsky removed a portion of a different patient’s pancreas instead of the adrenal gland and purportedly claimed the adrenal gland had “migrated” to a different part of the body.

The 2023 case was settled, and no lawsuit was filed against the surgeon or Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital, according to Zarzaur. State records show that Shaknovsky paid $400,000 in 2024 to settle a medical malpractice claim.

“That one got swept under the rug,” Zarzaur said at a news conference in September 2024 while announcing the case. “Here we are in a case after that.”

The Florida Department of Health lists Shaknovsky’s current medical license status as “retired.” The department defines retired status as the licensed practitioner “not practicing in the state of Florida, but maintains a retired license status.”

“The licensed practitioner is not authorized to practice in the state of Florida,” according to the state health department. “The practitioner is not obligated to update his/her profile data.”

Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY

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