SpaceX is planning a launch of the Falcon Heavy, its most powerful launcher. Objective: transport a military mission into orbit.
The launch of the Falcon Heavy in a nutshell
- Quoi ? The take-off of a mission for the US Space Force;
- When ? January 15, 2023, at 11:20 p.m. (Paris time);
- Where ? At Kennedy Space Center, Florida;
- What will we see? Liftoff of the Falcon Heavy rocket.
What is SpaceX’s mission?
After a long period of interruption, SpaceX has resumed space missions with its most powerful rocket to date: indeed, this is the second flight of the Falcon Heavy launcher in a short period. This mid-January 2023 flight follows that of November 1, 2022. The latter marked the end of a break of almost three and a half years; the last flight was on June 25… 2019.
The Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket in SpaceX’s catalog. It is basically a supercharged Falcon 9 launcher, thanks to the addition of two thrusters from two other Falcon 9s. This is basically equivalent to the simultaneous takeoff of three side-by-side rockets. Eventually, this assembly should be replaced by the Starshipwhich continues to be developed.
Its mission for the day is to transport on behalf of the US Space Force – the specialized branch of the American army dedicated to space – multiple payloadsincluding the second Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM (CBAS 2) communications satellite and the ESPA 3A (or LDPE 3A) transport satellite.
During this flight, SpaceX plans to recover the two side boosters, which must automatically return to the landing zones at the space center. This return should occur simultaneously — and cause a double sonic boom in the surroundings. On the other hand, the central stage will be “consumed” during the USSF 67 mission.
When does the Falcon Heavy rocket take off?
The flight is planned on January 15, 2023 at 11:20 p.m. (Paris time). The flight was delayed. A first shooting window was scheduled for the 14th.
Where to watch the launch live?
(date updated to reflect SpaceX’s latest announcement)
