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Florida
Triple-core SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches GOES-U from Kennedy Space Center, Florida
News in 90: SpaceX weather, Cocoa Village hotel and crash arrest
FLORIDA TODAY’s Rob Landers brings you some of today’s top stories on the News in 90 Seconds.
Double sonic booms sounded through the Space Coast Tuesday afternoon as not one, but two Falcon 9 side boosters landed. GOES-U, the latest weather satellite by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, was headed to geostationary orbit, 22.236 miles above Earth. Its science should help to revolutionize not only weather imaging here on Earth but look at space weather that could impact our planet.
NOAA’s GOES-U satellite rose into space atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A. The two-hour launch window opened at 5:16 p.m. EDT, but only an additional 10 minutes was needed to work around weather.
Launching atop a core Falcon 9 booster, supported by two shiny white Falcon 9s — the triple-core Falcon Heavy had given off a blinding five million pounds of thrust at liftoff. After boosting the satellite off the pad, the two new side boosters separated and landed at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The core booster, which was also new, was discarded over the ocean after doing its job.
When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida
Even though the rocket launched on Tuesday, the rocket was a bit late to the launch pad − not arriving until late Monday. SpaceX said an environmental control system, which keeps the satellite free of humidity and protected before launch, had been malfunctioning. This delayed the roll out of the rocket, as SpaceX teams opted to keep the spacecraft in the hanger to protect it until the system was fixed.
What is the GOES-U satellite?
This new weather satellite will not only enable earlier storm detection, but it will give forecasters more time to warn the public of approaching threats. GOES-U will also provide observation of the sun − which has been very active this year − to alert those who need to know about approaching solar flares.
Looking both down at Earth and out at the sun, GOES-U is set to join two other satellites, which are already in orbit as part of the GOES-R series. It will be the last of the GOES satellites, as a new generation of weather satellites is on the horizon.
The first of this series, GOES-R, was launched back in 2016 atop an Atlas V rocket. GOES-U will be the first − and the last − of the GOES satellites to be launched atop a Falcon Heavy.
This satellite will monitor much of the Western Hemisphere, including the Americas, the Caribbean, and Atlantic Ocean.
“National Weather Service colleagues tell us this technology has changed the game for weather prediction and forecasting,” Steve Volz, assistant administrator of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, said during a NASA press briefing.
“It is the bridge that connects today’s geostationary satellite technology with the technology of tomorrow, that promises to be more sophisticated and more impactful than what the GOES satellite series currently provides,” he said.
Like Earth technology, satellite technology can only be relevant for so long. GeoXO will be the series of satellites which will follow beginning in the 2030s. Development is currently in process.
SpaceX launch statistics
- The launch of GOES-U brought SpaceX’s ninth launch for the NASA launch services program.
- With the launch vehicle first flying in 2018, this was the 10th Falcon Heavy launch to date.
- As SpaceX is launching Falcon 9 rockets from both coasts, this marked the company’s 65th mission of the year.
Upcoming Falcon Heavy Flights
The next Falcon Heavy launch scheduled is NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, which will be no earlier than October.
As for the next Florida launch, a Falcon 9 rocket will carry a Starlink mission on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40. SpaceX has not announced a launch time, yet the Geospatial Navigational Warning and FAA Advisory states the launch window opens at 7 a.m. EDT.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
Florida
Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video of a traffic stop in Palm Beach County is going viral over an awkward exchange between the driver and a deputy who accused her of holding a phone while driving.
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“You drove past me holding a phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone,” the deputy tells 36-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Thomas.
“Obviously not,” Thomas says while laughing and holding up her right arm, showing that she’s missing her right hand.
“So you wanna call this a day?” she asks.
“I don’t want to call this a day. You had a hand up, manipulating,” the deputy responds.
“You just said my right hand,” Thomas counters.
“Well, I thought I saw your right hand,” the deputy says.
“So you didn’t,” Thomas responds.
Thomas posted the bodycam footage on Instagram and TikTok where it gained millions of likes.
In the video, although she shows the deputy she doesn’t have a right hand, the deputy doubled down.
“I’m asking you now; did you or not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“You did not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks again.
“I did not,” Thomas responds.
“Hand to God, you didn’t have a phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.
“Hand to God,” Thomas says.
Court records show Thomas was given a $116 citation despite the presented evidence, but it was later dismissed at the request of the deputy involved.
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Florida
Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad in Florida
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The explosion occurred at about 9 p.m. ET. Blue Origin said there were no injuries from the incident.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station also confirmed in a separate statement that “all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries/fatalities.”
Blue Origin was scheduled to fuel the rocket Thursday evening ahead of a planned test firing of the rocket’s engines.
Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket last month.
This rocket was being prepared for the fourth New Glenn mission as soon as June 4 to launch 48 satellites for Amazon’s Leo internet service, which competes with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The 48 satellites were not aboard the rocket during the test. It was not immediately clear how much damage the launch pad and ground equipment sustained, or how long it might take to repair it.
Space Launch Complex 36, where the explosion occurred, is the only launch pad equipped to launch New Glenn rockets.
The New Glenn rocket is key to Blue Origin’s and NASA’s moon base plans, and the explosion will likely be a setback. Next year, the New Glenn is supposed to launch another Blue Moon lander as part of the Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit.
In a social media post, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
The New Glenn rocket had just been cleared on May 22 to return to flight after being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after an anomaly with the second stage during an April 19 launch.
In a statement Thursday, the FAA said it was aware that the rocket had “experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” adding that the “test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities.”
The FAA also noted that “there was no impact to air traffic” from the explosion.
Bezos wrote on X Thursday night, “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Musk wrote: “Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”
Florida
Florida to pay Sumrall’s assistants a combined $11.2M in 2026
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jon Sumrall’s assistants will make a combined $11.2 million in 2026, a significant investment for a program desperate to win more often.
Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner tops the list after signing a three-year, $6.6 million contract to leave Georgia Tech and join Sumrall in Gainesville. Faulker will get $2.1 million in 2026 – the first $2 million coordinator in school history – and has a $100,000 raise set for each of the next two years.
Only six college offensive coordinators were paid $2 million or more in 2025, according to CBS Sports. Fifteen defensive coordinators topped $2 million.
Florida defensive coordinator Brad White signed a three-year, $5.85 million deal that starts at $1.85 million and also includes a $100,000 raise in 2027 and 2028.
The Gators released the contracts Thursday in response to a public records request.
Sumrall signed a six-year, $44.7 million contract last year that averages $7.45 million annually. The Gators will dole out more than $20 million to Sumrall, his staff of 15 assistants and a front office led by new general manager Dave Caldwell.
Four of the assistants are scheduled to earn at least $1 million during their deals.
Defensive line coach Gerald Chapman and offensive line coach Phil Trautwine will join Faulker and White in the seven-figure club. Chapman, the lone holdover from former Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff, will make $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2027. Trautwine, meanwhile, starts at $750,000 and jumps to $1 million. Both signed two-year deals.
Their salaries show Sumrall’s commitment to rebuilding the team along both lines of scrimmage in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Napier’s 12-man coaching staff was paid a combined $7.5 million in 2025. The Gators posted three losing seasons in Napier’s four years.
The rest of Sumrall’s staff range between making $350,000 and $600,000 annually, all of them on two-year contracts.
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