Triple-Booster Falcon Heavy Launched By SpaceX

SpaceX’s Triple-Booster Falcon Heavy Launched

At 11:04 p.m. ET on Friday, July 28, SpaceX achieved a successful launch of a triple-booster Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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During the mission, SpaceX deployed the 9-metric-ton Jupiter 3 communications satellite, designed for Hughes Network Systems based in Maryland.

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This satellite holds the record as the heaviest commercial communications satellite ever constructed, and its fully deployed size is comparable to a commercial airliner's wingspan.

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The Falcon Heavy launch vehicle consists of three Falcon 9 boosters and is SpaceX's most potent operational rocket. This recent flight marks only its 7th since its inaugural mission in 2018.

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The complete SpaceX mission, comprising launch, Falcon Heavy's two side booster returns, and satellite deployment, was live-streamed for the audience to witness.

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The satellite will expand the reach of the HughesNet satellite internet service to nearly 80% of the Americas and increase broadband speeds, among other benefits.

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During launch, the Falcon Heavy generates over 5 million pounds of thrust, making it about three times more powerful than SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the workhorse of their fleet.

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