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If SpaceX gets its way, the Space Coast will get a lot more rocket rumbles and sonic booms as the company increases Falcon 9 launches and builds out new landing pads at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.

The Federal Aviation Administration released Friday a 116-page draft environment assessment for the first of those targeting Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40, where SpaceX wants to increase launches from 50 to 120 per year.

The assessment looks to set up SpaceX to proceed with its plans, although the agency rejected a proposal to build yet another new landing pad at Canaveral because of environmental concerns.

The FAA has partnered with the Air Force, Coast Guard and NASA for the assessment, while NASA is the lead agency for a second assessment expected this spring for KSC’s Launch Complex 39-A, where SpaceX wants to increase launches from 20 to 36, including up to five of its larger Falcon Heavy rockets each year.

The construction of a pair of new landing sites on the Space Coast would solve the company’s reliance on two landing pads at Canaveral’s Launch Complex 13 it will soon lose access to. That space has been set aside by the federal Space Force as the future launch site for two other commercial launch providers — Phantom Space and Vaya Space — although neither have yet to get a rocket into space. read more

The SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched from Kennedy Space Center on Friday sending a replacement crew to the International Space Station.

Riding in the Crew Dragon Endurance making its fourth trip to space were Crew-10 commander and NASA astronaut Anne McClain, fellow NASA astronaut and pilot Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.

The launch marks the 16th human spaceflight for SpaceX’s fleet of four Crew Dragon spacecraft, having now taken 60 people to space.

It was the 22nd launch on the Space Coast in 2025 and first with a crew.

By Eliza Haverstock, NerdWallet

On Mar. 7, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to limit who can qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). It directs the Education Secretary to write a proposal removing PSLF eligibility for borrowers who work for organizations serving “a substantial illegal purpose.”

Despite the order’s strong language, at this point, no borrowers are at imminent risk of losing their eligibility for PSLF. The program forgives a borrower’s federal student loans after they make 10 year’s worth of payments while working in public service — as teachers, firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers, government workers and other nonprofit employees.

“You’re right to freak out, but if you take a beat and dig into what the executive order says right now, it’s just a directive to change the language [of PSLF] in the future,” says Stanley Tate, a lawyer who specializes in student debt. “How that actually plays out is yet to be written. When it does, there will surely be a response from different advocacy groups that are interested in protecting borrowers moving forward.” read more

Walk into any coffee shop, airport, or waiting room, and you will see people in the familiar pose — head down, eyes fixed on a handheld device. With prolonged use, they will likely start feeling the effects, such as pain, stiffness, and discomfort, known as “tech neck” or “text neck.”

Americans spend an average of four to six hours a day looking at mobile devices or tablets, often not even realizing their necks are bent. The average head weighs 11 pounds. Bending the neck more than 20 degrees to view a smartphone or tablet puts excessive strain from head weight on the posterior neck muscles and places stress on the cervical spine. Along with neck pain, it can also cause discomfort or inflammation in the upper back, and the shoulders.

Dr. Phil Grattan, a physical therapist and board-certified orthopedic specialist, shares some insights on the condition. Grattan is also an assistant professor at the University of Miami  department of physical therapy in the Miller School of Medicine and says tech users need to increase their awareness of tech neck. read more

By CORA LEWIS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration’s recent changes to student loans are causing frustration and confusion for some borrowers.

In response to a February court ruling that blocked some Biden-era programs, the Education Department has taken down online and paper applications for income-driven repayment plans.

“This especially hurts anyone who’s lost their jobs, including federal workers,” said Natalia Abrams, founder and president of the Student Debt Crisis Center. “A few months ago, they would have been able to get on a zero-dollar income-driven repayment plan.”

The removal of application materials also has caused confusion around the recertification process for borrowers already enrolled in repayment plans, experts say. Income-driven repayment plans take a borrower’s finances and family size into account when calculating monthly payments, but borrowers must periodically demonstrate they still qualify.

Adding to the uncertainty are layoffs at the Education Department, which oversees the federal loan system. The federal website for student loans and financial aid, StudentAid.gov, suffered an hours-long outage Wednesday, but the department has said it will continue to deliver on its commitments. read more