SpaceX targeting Monday for National Reconnaissance Office rocket launch from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 this afternoon carrying a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload — and the rocket will generate sonic booms by returning to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX's NROL-69 national security mission, which is scheduled to lift off at 1:48 p.m. today from Launch Complex 40.
The rocket will ascend on a northeasterly trajectory.
Florida Tech students piece together cyber sea cow 'spy' to gather intel on real manatees
Three Florida Tech students are developing the "Mechanatee," a robotic sea cow designed to help scientists better study manatees in their natural habitat.
The goal is for this cyber sea-cow to provide valuable insights into protecting the species while remaining unobtrusive.
"Our Mechanatee is designed to look and act like a manatee, but it's actually a silent, research-driven platform," said Haylie Garman, a graduate student in Florida Tech's Department of Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences. "It doesn’t disturb other animals and has no propellers."
Consider it ecological espionage.
The project team includes graduate student AJ Saad and undergraduate Wyatt Amarosa, under the supervision of Florida Tech ocean engineering professor Stephen Wood and in collaboration with Delta Robotics, Inc.
One of their primary objectives is to decode manatee vocalizations—their chirps, clicks, and clucks—to understand their communication better. As it turns out, manatees are quite the chatterboxes. "They squeak," Garman said. "They're super chatty."
The Mechanatee could also be equipped with sensors to monitor environmental stressors in real-time, such as water quality, fish stocks, and other wildlife populations.
Due to complex permitting regulations in the U.S., the team plans to conduct initial testing in Belize.
Health First Officials Provide New Cape Canaveral Hospital on Merritt Island Construction Project Update
March 21 marked the one-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremony for Cape Canaveral Hospital’s new campus, which includes a 5-story hospital, a 3-story medical office building, and a 4-story parking garage.
The new Cape Canaveral Hospital and Medical Office Building on Merritt Island, which will cost approximately $450 million, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and officially open to the public in early 2027.
The new 268,000-square-foot Cape Canaveral Hospital will include:
120 private inpatient beds, 25 Emergency Department treatment rooms, 6 Operating Rooms
The hospital was designed for and will be built to withstand a Category 4 hurricane. The entire campus site will also be constructed 13 feet above sea level to withstand storm surges. An on-site Central Energy Plant will serve the campus to ensure continuous power function even during tropical storms and hurricanes.
The new project will include a new 3-story, 92,000-square-foot Medical Office Building. Construction is expected to be completed by late 2026 and begin serving the community in early 2027.
Florida leads nation with nearly 100 police partnerships with ICE to deport undocumented
Florida has the highest number of law enforcement agencies partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist in deporting undocumented individuals.
Of the 140 state, county, and local agencies nationwide that have signed “task force” agreements with ICE, 97 are in Florida—including the sheriff’s office in each of the state’s 67 counties, according to an ICE database.
This unprecedented collaboration between local, state, and federal authorities has raised concerns among residents and experts. Many fear increased cooperation with ICE could erode the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, a critical component of public safety.
More: www.floridatoday.com
