Hi, I'm Raf.

Who I am: A few years ago I started making Starship diagrams for the space community, and in 2024, this same community sent me to Texas to watch a launch in person. I still can't believe you did that. That trip was Flight 5, the first time SpaceX ever caught a booster.

Why now: Jheny and I are expecting our first baby, Ícaro, in February. Once he arrives, we won't travel for a long time. Before that, I want to share the thing I love most with her: watching Starship fly, together. Technically, it'll be Ícaro's first launch too.

The launch: Flight 15 (Booster 22 and Ship 42) is targeted for mid-November, and SpaceX will try to catch BOTH the booster and the ship for the first time. Both vehicles have finished their static fires. Last time I showed up, they caught a booster for the first time. This time I'm bringing two more lucky charms, so I like our odds. Dates always slip, so the plan is one Starship launch by mid-December, from Starbase or Florida, whichever flies first.

The plan: we buy tickets on my own card as soon as road closures and launch notices are posted, donations pay me back afterwards, and we stay about 10 days to ride out scrubs. Jheny's visa is approved, her doctor has cleared the trip, and travel insurance has us covered.

The money: flights are the biggest part. We can't buy early and cheap because we have to wait for a firm launch date, and short-notice international tickets are expensive. We're covering part of the trip ourselves, and the $2,600 goal is what we still need. GoFundMe's processing fees are on us.

Our promise: if we can't make the trip, because launches get delayed past mid-December or we don't raise enough to buy tickets, we refund every donation. Once tickets are bought, the money goes to the trip. Launches slip, and that's what our 10 or so days are for. If we raise more than we need, the extra goes to Ícaro's fund.

For everyone: whether you donate or not, I'll post photos and video from the trip, free to share with credit. Updates here and on X (@fael097).

Thank you for reading. Even a share helps.

*No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.