SpaceX aces 10th Falcon Heavy rocket launch

On June 25, 2024. SpaceX launched the 10th Falcon Heavy space rocket. This heavy-duty space vehicle deployed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-U satellite to a geostationary orbit.

The liftoff happened from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite will orbit above Earth’s equator at approximately 22,236 miles to observe weather patterns in the contiguous USA, Central and South America, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Interestingly, the weather was only 30 percent favorable and the flight director took the opportunity to call for a “Go”. At 1:11 minutes in the mission time, the rocket reached Max Q and cutoff side boosters at 2:25 minutes.

The side boosters separated within the next few seconds and performed a boost back burn at 2:44 minutes. After a minute, 1st stage’s main engine cutoff, followed by separation.

At 4 minutes, the second stage engine started, and the fairing separation at 4:24. In the meantime, both boosters returned to the landing zone with a landing burn at 7:53 minutes.

This is the first mission for both side boosters and landed on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The deployment of the payload came after 4:30 hours of the liftoff. That concludes the mission with success. Below you can check all of the 10 Falcon Heavy missions.

All Launches

1. Falcon Heavy’s first launch came on February 6, 2018, in a maiden flight.
2. 11 April 2019: Second flight with Arabsat-6A payload by Arab League, this was the first commercial mission.
3. 25 June 2019: Third mission for U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch certification process including several payloads.
4. 1 November 2022: First classified mission “USSF-44” for Falcon Heavy awarded by USSF.
5. 15 January 2023: USSF-67 US mission from Space Force
6. 1 May 2023: ViaSat-3 Americas Arcturus, G-Space 1 from Viast Astranis and PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara respectively.
7. 29 July 2023: Jupiter-3 mission from EchoStar
8. 13 October 2023: SpaceX deployed NASA’s Psyche mission
9. 29 December 2023: USSF-52 (BOEING X-37B OTV-7) from the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
10. 25 June 2024: GOES-U mission from NASA to deploy GOES-U satellite.

Interestingly, all of these missions were successful and with each version, the company has improved the launch vehicle.

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida (Source – SpaceX)