Artemis astronauts to splash down this evening.
The four Artemis II astronauts and their Orion spacecraft are set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean this evening. The Orion spacecraft will reenter the atmosphere at high speed, reaching temperatures of about 5,000 degrees. Then a series of parachutes will deploy to slow the capsule for a 20mph splashdown shortly after 8PM this evening. Reentry is considered one of the most dangerous steps of any flight to space. And Artemis II will be going through it with a known issue. After last years Artemis I test flight, teams found pockmarks and cracking in the capsule’s heat shield. This time, the return flight path has been altered to create less harsh heating in the hopes that will limit cracking on the heat shield. Follow Florida Today or NASA.gov for updates on the crew’s return to Earth.
The next rocket launch from the Cape is scheduled for Saturday morning. A Falcon 9 will send supplies to the International Space Station aboard Cygnus capsule. Liftoff is set for 7:41AM. Expect sonic booms as the first stage booster returns to the Cape for a landing.
More seaweed - less hurricanes.
There’s another prediction of a less dangerous hurricane season this year. Colorado State University forecasters released their 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast on Thursday predicting "somewhat below-normal activity.” The probability of a category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane hitting the US East Coast is 15% (the average is 27%).
Meanwhile, a record year for sargassum seaweed is predicted for Florida beaches. Scientists at University of South Florida, using satellite data, say the floating seaweed is worse in the Caribbean and Keys this year, and it’s on its way here. Sargassum is delivered to Central Florida beaches by the Gulf Stream, usually in the summer. Coastal pollution and climate change help fuel the excess growth.
Loving, gator style.
Love is in the air for gators. Alligator mating season in Florida runs from April through June. WFIT’s Terri Wright tells us how to avoid encounters.
Living alongside alligators is part of life in Florida, and experts say the key is keeping your distance, never feeding them and staying alert — especially when swimming in lakes or ponds.
The long-standing advice to run in a zig-zag pattern has been debunked; if needed, run away in a straight line. During mating season, male alligators become more aggressive and can roam over 1,000 acres. State law also makes it illegal to kill, injure, or capture an alligator without proper authorization.
If you find a nuisance alligator, call the FWC's free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.
Cocoa Beach airshow this weekend.
Thousands of spectators are expected to watch the free Cocoa Beach air show this weekend. It will be headlined by the US Navy Blue Angels. The lineup will include a B-52 bomber, an F-16 Viper, and a rescue demonstration by the Air Force Reserves 920th Rescue Wing. You can watch from the beach, but it’s best not to enter the water. The National Weather Service in Melbourne predicts a high risk of rip currents through Sunday.
