Florida Tech puts climate resilience research to work in Brevard.
Researchers from Florida Tech’s Center for Resilience Science are partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy and local nonprofit Little Growers to help underserved communities along the Space Coast prepare for challenges such as extreme heat, flooding, hurricanes and rising energy costs. This summer, the program moved from classroom learning to real-world application. The Center developed an interactive residential energy audit tool and trained students to conduct home energy assessments. Working alongside mentors from Florida Tech and Little Growers, students from Stone Magnet Middle School visited homes in an underserved Melbourne neighborhood. They performed energy audits, and gave families a better understanding of their energy use, along with personalized recommendations to reduce utility costs and improve indoor comfort.
Flock is back.
The controversial Flock cameras used to monitor motorists are back online in Palm Bay. WFIT’s Terri Wright has more.
On August 7th Palm Bay city officials paused the use of the controversial Flock surveillance system for 2 weeks to verify that all 51 cameras were properly installed and permitted. Flock and other similar hi-tech systems store driver data for thousands of motorists for up to 30 days.
The surveillance systems are facing heavy scrutiny from privacy advocates amid reports of misuse by law enforcement officers, including a case in which a Brevard County deputy used a similar system — along with the state’s crime database- to track his girlfriend.
SpaceX to take a Starlink breather…
This morning’s SpaceX rocket launch may be the last Starlink mission for a while. A Falcon 9 lifted off around 5:30AM, with the booster returning after its 37th flight. But there are no more Starlink missions from the Cape scheduled for the foreseeable future, however they will continue from Vandenberg in California. NASA has the next launch from KSC, currently set for Sunday morning. A Falcon Heavy will send the Roman Space Telescope to orbit.
FIU can’t enforce protest policy.
Students at Florida International University staged a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement back in March. The university charged them with misconduct, saying they violated school policy. The protesting students filed a lawsuit, and now a judge has ruled in their favor. The federal judge says Florida International University’s protest policy likely won’t withstand judicial scrutiny. The First Amendment supports the students.
Comment on FAA easing environmental rules.
There's a federal proposal to ease environmental reviews needed before companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin increase the number of rocket launches from the Cape. Time is running out for you to comment on the change. You have until Aug. 31 to weigh in. Conservationists are concerned about the impact on wildlife in the Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Studies suggest more frequent launches could affect water quality, fish, and vegetation in the area. Florida Today has a link to the federal website where you can add your opinion.
Artemis III may launch in June 2027.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has announced a potential launch date for the Artemis III mission. At the Space Coast Symposium last week, Isaacman said it could launch from Kennedy Space Center as early as June 2027. The Artemis III mission plan does not involve going to the moon. Instead the Orion spacecraft will practice docking with lunar landers from both SpaceX and Blue Origin in low Earth orbit. Key components for the mission, such as the SpaceX Starship and Blue Origin's lander, still face significant development and testing milestones.
