diff --git a/agenda/thespacedevs.py b/agenda/thespacedevs.py
index c1c785e..130be2f 100644
--- a/agenda/thespacedevs.py
+++ b/agenda/thespacedevs.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import os
 import typing
 from datetime import datetime
 
-import httpx
+import requests
 
 Launch = dict[str, typing.Any]
 Summary = dict[str, typing.Any]
@@ -13,15 +13,14 @@ Summary = dict[str, typing.Any]
 ttl = 60 * 60 * 2  # two hours
 
 
-async def next_launch_api(rocket_dir: str, limit: int = 200) -> list[Launch]:
+def next_launch_api(rocket_dir: str, limit: int = 200) -> list[Launch]:
     """Get the next upcoming launches from the API."""
     now = datetime.now()
     filename = os.path.join(rocket_dir, now.strftime("%Y-%m-%d_%H:%M:%S.json"))
     url = "https://ll.thespacedevs.com/2.2.0/launch/upcoming/"
 
     params: dict[str, str | int] = {"limit": limit}
-    async with httpx.AsyncClient() as client:
-        r = await client.get(url, params=params)
+    r = requests.get(url, params=params)
     open(filename, "w").write(r.text)
     data = r.json()
     return [summarize_launch(launch) for launch in data["results"]]
@@ -151,7 +150,7 @@ def read_cached_launches(rocket_dir: str) -> list[Summary]:
     return [summarize_launch(launch) for launch in data["results"]]
 
 
-async def get_launches(
+def get_launches(
     rocket_dir: str, limit: int = 200, refresh: bool = False
 ) -> list[Summary]:
     """Get rocket launches with caching."""
@@ -161,10 +160,7 @@ async def get_launches(
     existing.sort(reverse=True)
 
     if refresh or not existing or (now - existing[0][0]).seconds > ttl:
-        try:
-            return await next_launch_api(rocket_dir, limit=limit)
-        except httpx.ReadTimeout:
-            pass
+        return next_launch_api(rocket_dir, limit=limit)
 
     f = existing[0][1]
 
diff --git a/update_thespacedevs.py b/update_thespacedevs.py
index 44a96f8..e5b9ec8 100755
--- a/update_thespacedevs.py
+++ b/update_thespacedevs.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
 """Update cache of space launch API."""
 
-import asyncio
 import os
 import sys
 from time import time
@@ -11,14 +10,9 @@ import agenda.thespacedevs
 config = __import__("config.default", fromlist=[""])
 rocket_dir = os.path.join(config.DATA_DIR, "thespacedevs")
 
-
-async def get_launches() -> list[agenda.thespacedevs.Launch]:
-    """Call space launch API and cache results."""
-    return await agenda.thespacedevs.next_launch_api(rocket_dir)
-
-
 t0 = time()
-rockets = asyncio.run(get_launches())
+
+rockets = agenda.thespacedevs.next_launch_api(rocket_dir)
 time_taken = time() - t0
 if not sys.stdin.isatty():
     sys.exit(0)