SpaceX Is All Set For Its Next Falcon Heavy Launch

SpaceX’s Next Falcon Heavy Launch: Preparations Underway

[{"selector":"#anim-003477d1-21d3-4e10-bbaf-b596cdee4ccc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a2e09528-2a2d-4eb4-ba73-13b0a00ec25f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 508.24387%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

SpaceX displayed its Falcon Heavy rocket on Tuesday, April 11, ahead of its planned launch on April 18.

[{"selector":"#anim-8cac547d-c1ff-460a-9e4a-307f8c1da4e8","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.5)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.95)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-90584a1e-cf1b-43d5-811f-30f7314a0e40","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Images of the massive rocket shared by SpaceX on Twitter. One close-up shows the 27 Merlin engines which will propel the booster into orbit.

[{"selector":"#anim-b1be1258-554c-4f3e-bcb4-ee1172b1b3cb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e1bf0bf7-2b24-4aaa-8fff-b30afd37a21a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-72052158-3412-43f4-9c57-b1af00c04425","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

SpaceX Falcon Heavy will send ViaSat-3 broadband communication satellite to orbit as the first of a three-part constellation.

[{"selector":"#anim-c138ddb0-7c2d-4d43-bb8d-6818622d7d5b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-153.41881%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b2d2bc8e-6897-42e4-a9b8-3cc67fdd114a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-346ccb74-f8fd-44ef-9459-ed9b3c4a3287","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-79e67ed4-1671-451f-bdc7-c05cb6654975","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b3c97fb0-0329-42c7-a5ed-1c35b54866db","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(125.08590%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3bbf4a18-f8aa-46d4-aa39-22e61b2bc664","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f7ddd6d8-6a09-495c-99c2-24716f7c2a77","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9a755b43-8a6f-483f-92b3-779b1e258310","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f113d85f-bac7-4671-888a-ded274664713","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-96.53631%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

SpaceX Falcon Heavy will also carry small communication satellite called Arcturus, operated by California-based Astranis

[{"selector":"#anim-faa8b6ef-5e17-43f6-92fe-e3c25cb2a4eb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b1280cd4-06ab-4e0f-817b-7e28a64ae0a4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-76.10619%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46185517-7568-4628-9db4-579fc1c90cf6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-195c70a1-423f-4b97-af07-9734bfed0d39","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.34615%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket is the world's powerful booster, made its first debut on February 6, 2018. It carried a Tesla car, and a mannequin into orbit.

[{"selector":"#anim-7e39fcf7-d805-4397-a4d1-c662f7bbbd43","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-443e1935-ae0a-4686-98b7-c3e07cf5eaed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 96.65587%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2adb86e1-64e6-4f3d-aee3-8f4f36d69430","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The latest Falcon Heavy flight took off in January 2023. The U.S. Space Force classified payloads were carried on the last two launches.

[{"selector":"#anim-7a43ae9e-3016-4252-b930-8b6f51283323","keyframes":[{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":0},{"transform":"scale(1.5)","offset":0.33},{"transform":"scale(0.95)","offset":0.66},{"transform":"scale(1)","offset":1}],"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-ca010452-2caa-4099-b67b-e3be925f8be7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8c0029ec-98c5-4894-a59e-204556043de4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -186.95942%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

According to the SpaceX specification page, the Falcon Heavy's first-stage Merlin engines produce more than 5 million pounds thrust during liftoff.

[{"selector":"#anim-5cd1aee5-3e28-4545-9171-74a2814ff9c6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-79d0a249-8fcb-46b3-9a5c-97f6c148202e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 94.51174%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-faa631e0-d533-43ba-b2a7-fe2cd5728851","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1e3c3ca6-025f-4551-828c-30539b280a4f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]