Florida
Space Force marks Florida’s record-breaking launch year
WASHINGTON — Florida’s Space Coast capped off a record-breaking year with 93 launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, up from 74 launches in 2023.
Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, commander of the Eastern Range and Space Delta 45, credited the accelerated pace to innovations by both Space Launch Delta 45 and the private sector. “We’ve been able to reach these crazy numbers by leveraging automation, modernizing infrastructure, and streamlining processes,” Panzenhagen told SpaceNews.
Space Launch Delta 45, based at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, is a unit of the United States Space Force responsible for managing space launch operations on the East Coast.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX accounted for 88 of the 93 launches from the Eastern Range in 2024, with United Launch Alliance (ULA) performing five.
SpaceX experienced an unprecedented launch tempo, completing 134 commercial and government missions in 2024 — 62 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, 26 from Kennedy Space Center, and 46 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The company also conducted four test flights of its next-generation Starship vehicle from its Texas facility.
To handle the surge in activity, Space Launch Delta 45 implemented new processes to reduce the turnaround times between launches, Panzenhagen said. SpaceX’s automated flight safety technologies have been pivotal, she added, cutting the personnel and time required for pre-launch preparations.
The Space Force’s Space Systems Command recently introduced the “One Falcon” initiative to manage SpaceX’s rapid cadence. The program unifies personnel across the Eastern and Western Ranges, allowing teams to support launches from either coast. “This cross-training effort enables us to surge resources where needed and fully utilize the talent on that team,” Panzenhagen said.
Ripple effects on national security
While only four of the 93 missions that lifted off from the Eastern Range in 2024 were national security space launches, the high commercial launch volume has indirect benefits for military operations.
Innovations in commercial space — from infrastructure investments to rapid response capabilities — enhance resilience and responsiveness for national security missions, Panzenhagen said. She highlighted the recent “Rapid Response Trailblazer” RRT-1 mission where SpaceX launched a GPS satellite in a compressed timeline, as an example of this synergy.
While SpaceX missions continue to dominate the manifest, the Space Coast is preparing for increased competition in the national security launch sector. Blue Origin, backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is poised to debut its New Glenn rocket in early 2025. The company became a national security space launch provider in 2024 and must complete a successful inaugural flight to compete for task orders under the contract. “Anytime we can get a new company and a new rocket design into the mix, it improves our resiliency,” Panzenhagen said.
Meanwhile, ULA’s Vulcan Centaur awaits certification to fly national security missions. The rocket completed two flights in 2024 but encountered an anomaly with one of its solid boosters. Panzenhagen emphasized the collaborative relationship between the Space Force and ULA, stating, “We’re working with them through the engineering process and look forward to seeing Vulcan fly.”
The rocket, designed to replace the company’s Atlas 5 and Delta 4 vehicles, represents a crucial component of the Space Force’s strategy to maintain multiple launch options.
Related
Florida
Infant viciously mauled by family bulldog during diaper change in Florida home
A 1-year-old Florida boy was viciously mauled by his family’s bulldog as his mother changed his diaper at home, police said.
The terrifying attack unfolded Friday afternoon when the six-year-old American bulldog suddenly lunged at the infant inside the Hallandale home, about 20 miles north of Miami, according to the Hallandale Police Department, multiple outlets reported.
The mother had looked away for just a moment during the changing – then sprang into action when she heard the dog growl and attack the boy, the devastated father told WPLG.
She managed to rescue the infant from the canine’s jaws but was also bitten during the frantic struggle.
The child, who reportedly suffered serious injuries, was airlifted to a local children’s hospital.
Aerial footage from WPLG captured the panicked mother running behind the baby’s stretcher as medics rushed him inside.
The boy’s father, who surrendered the hostile dog to Broward County Animal Care and Control, said the dog had never acted aggressively before the horrifying incident, NBC 6 South Florida reported.
Neighbor Roy Green also noted the bulldog always seemed calm and was heartbroken for the family.
“Somebody having a baby that young I know how they feel,” Green told WPLG.
“I seen it when [the father] laid down on the ground, he was crying. It’s really sad.”
While the young boy is expected to make a full recovery, the dog was reportedly euthanized Saturday.
An investigation is ongoing.
Florida
Florida locks in official visit from 4-star safety Jaylen Scott
The Mobile, Alabama defensive prospect sets official stop in Gainesville, adding defensive backfield firepower to Gators’ 2027 recruiting efforts.
The Florida Gators landed a significant recruiting visit this spring as four-star safety Jaylen Scott set an official visit to Gainesville, joining a growing list of top defensive targets exploring Florida’s 2027 class.
The 6-foot, 165-pound standout from Mobile (Alabama) Williamson is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top safeties in his class and has drawn attention from several Power Four programs. His decision to schedule an official visit followed a productive in-school visit with head coach Jon Sumrall and safeties coach Chris Collins, a connection he emphasized as a factor in his recruiting process.
“The school visit with Coach Sumrall — and my relationship with Coach Collins,” Scott said of what led to setting the trip.
The Gators pursuit of Scott comes as Florida continues to strengthen its secondary under a new coaching regime. Florida already boasts young defensive backfield talent like Jordan Castell, and adding Scott could solidify future leadership in the secondary.
Jalen Scott’s Recruiting Summary
Scott is ranked No. 153 overall and No. 15 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 industry ranking has him at No. 112. He has offers from 20 total schools so far, including eight other SEC programs and the Florida State Seminoles.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Florida
Florida’s tourism is the highest it’s ever been, and it’s all thanks to a rise in domestic travel, Gov. DeSantis said
Florida attracted a record 143.3 million visitors last year, up 0.2 percent from 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office announced Friday.
The preliminary estimate is bolstered by domestic tourism, which accounted for 91.5 percent of the travelers. The 131 million domestic visitors were up 0.3 percent from 2024.
Overseas travel was up 4 percent on the 2024 figures, with nearly 9.3 million visitors.
But the 2.9 million Canadian visitors for all of 2025 marked a 14.7 percent drop from 2024.
Last month, tourism leaders in Florida said they were expanding efforts to draw Canadians, where the U.S. has seen a travel backlash over the words and actions of President Donald Trump, from tariffs to calling the U.S.’s northern neighbor the 51st state.
“We’re doing what we can, just as we are with any country outside the United States, to make sure that visitation remains strong,” Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin said during an executive committee meeting on Jan. 26.
Friday’s release from DeSantis’ office stated that the Canadian visitation remained “consistent with historical trends where Canadian travel represents approximately two percent of total visitation.”
In 2019, the last year before the COVID pandemic, Canadians were at 3.11 percent of the state’s tourism figures, with 4.088 million Canadians among an overall tourist count of 131.07 million.
The release also put fourth quarter numbers at a record 33.5 million travelers, of which 30.31 million were domestic, 2.55 million were overseas and 642,000 were Canadian.
The fourth quarter count is up 0.6 percent from the same quarter of 2024, with domestic visitors up 0.8 percent, overseas travel up 2.7 percent and Canadian visits down 13.1 percent.
At the January executive committee meeting, Griffin anticipated growth with the overseas figures as the top three sources were showing growth: Brazil was up 10.4 percent, the United Kingdom saw a 6 percent increase, and visits from Colombia were 6 percent higher than in 2024.
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