Private astronauts going pole to pole.
Dodging lightning storms last evening, SpaceX launched four private astronauts into a polar obit. The Falcon 9 flew right into a 90-degree circular orbit. In the 64 years of humans launching to space, this has never been done before. During their three to five days in orbit, the crew will travel from pole to pole in just 46 minutes.
Boeing Starliner commander shares blame for spacecraft failure.
In a news conference yesterday, the Commander of Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft put some of the blame on himself for last year’s failed test flight. Butch Wilmore said there were questions he should have asked before launch, but kept quiet. He said the answers to some of those questions could have delayed the launch, but avoided what turned into a national spotlight. But Wilmore said Boeing and NASA also share the blame, and he wouldn’t hesitate to fly on Starliner again.
In other space news, the FAA has closed its investigation into Blue Origin’s booster failure. The New Glenn rocket had a successful debut launch in January, but its first stage booster exploded on reentry. The FAA investigation found seven corrective actions to be taken before another New Glenn launches. Blue Origin says New Glenn should return to flight in late Spring.
Palm Bay to get a new city manager.
A divided Palm Bay City Council has selected a new city manager to lead Brevard’s largest city. The Council selected Matthew Morton, after narrowly rejecting a bid by former City Manager Gregg Lynk to return to his former position. If a contract agreement with Morton can be reached, he would succeed Suzanne Sherman, who the council fired in November. Morton is the former West Melbourne City Manager, and has been serving since then as interim city manager of Palm Bay.
Tallahassee debates which Florida tax to cut.
The Florida legislature and Gov. DeSantis are debating which tax to cut - the sales tax or home property tax. Yesterday, DeSantis proposed a $1,000 rebate on property taxes. House leader Daniel Perez wants to lower Florida’s sales tax from 6 percent to 5.25 percent. Florida Senate President Ben Albritton prefers neither, for now. Tax cuts could amount to about $5 billion in lost revenues for schools, emergency response — basically, much of state and local government services. Albritten notes ominous signs for the economy and feels it would be rash to drain state coffers without an intensive analysis.
Invasive lizard spotted in Central Florida.
An invasive lizard has emerged for breeding season in Central Florida. It’s the Argentine black and white tegu. It was introduced to Florida through the pet trade and has established breeding populations throughout the state. The Argentine black and white tegu is one of the largest lizard species in the Western Hemisphere, growing up to four feet in length.
Canadian billboards warn Floridians.
Billboards paid for by the Canadian government are popping up across the Sunshine State. They read “Tariffs are a tax on hardworking Americans.” The campaign was launched to heighten the American public’s understanding of tariffs. The billboards aren’t being warmly received by all Floridians. Some social media users panned the campaign, slamming the billboards as “propaganda”. In addition to Florida, billboards have been placed in a dozen, mostly Republican-leaning states.
