SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in the world, launches the US military satellite

CHAPTER CANAVERAL – The most powerful rocket in the world to which Falcon Heavy belongs SpaceX launch secret payload military satellite The US Space Force is on a mission called USSF-44. The Falcon Heavy rocket is launched from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral, Florida on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 local time.

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket was only reused after it was last used three years ago, in June 2019. The Falcon Heavy rocket consists of three modified first stage Falcon 9 boosters that have been fused together.

The extremely rare rate of Falcon Heavy rocket launches differs from the number of Falcon 9 rocket launches, which averaged more than once a week this year. Most Falcon 9 rocket launches use pre-flight boosters, while the Falcon Heavy uses the completely new first three stages.

Read also; First space mission in 2022, China launches a 2D rocket and a secret long-running satellite

The 27 Merlin engines of the Falcon Heavy’s first stage generate 64 tons of thrust to lift the huge rocket off the track. Approximately 2.5 minutes after takeoff, the launch vehicle’s two side thrusters separated and began the flight back to Cape Canaveral.

Past Falcon Heavy missions have also attempted a central recall landing on one of SpaceX’s automated drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the mass of the USSF-44’s payload and orbital requirements dictate that the main thrusters for this mission do not perform future landings and re-use.

This is done to dedicate maximum fuel for direct insertion into geostationary orbit, approximately 22,000 miles or 35,400 kilometers above the Earth. About four minutes after launch, the Falcon Heavy’s central thruster separated from the upper platform above it and began to descend to a water grave in the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, the upper stage powers a single Merlin engine to bring the satellite into orbit higher. Shortly thereafter, the two halves of the fairing that protected the USSF-44’s payload separated and began to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX aims to recover both for future reuse.

Read also; SpaceX successfully launches secret US military spy satellite

Eight minutes after launch, the Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters made a simultaneous landing. The booster duo successfully landed 10 seconds later, in SpaceX landing zones 1 and 2 on the Cape Canaveral space station, adjacent to the KSC.

“What a wonderful sight. With these two side boosters, it marked the 150th and 151st overall success. An orbital-class rocket landing,” said Kate Tice, head of quality systems engineering at SpaceX, during a live launch broadcast.

Data on the USSF-44’s classified payload, the exact number and duration of combustion of the second-stage engine required to take it to its orbital destination are unknown. The satellite, known as USSF-44, is classified; very little information is known. Several small cubesats have also hitched the USSF-44, according to EverydayAstronaut.com, but there is very little information on them.

There is a bit more information on Tetra-1, the second smallest spacecraft that also carried Heavy into orbit. The Tetra-1 was built by the Boeing subsidiary Millennium Space Systems. According to the Millennium website, “TETRA-1 is a microsatellite built for various prototype missions in and around geosynchronous Earth’s orbit.”

(Spider web)