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.
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TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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