Here in Central Florida, we’re used to almost weekly SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Cape Town, but the Falcon Heavy is a different story and serves a different purpose. With five million pounds of thrust, experts say the heavy rocket is the largest and most powerful rocket available — aside from NASA’s massive SLS moon rocket which was just carrying out its first test mission. “It has the ability to put satellites into an orbit that would be difficult for any other missile to approach,” Platt said. HEAVY consists of three Falcon 9 boosters lined up next to each other and connected. This makes it a more complex missile to launch and control. “There are a lot of drivers. There is a lot of plumbing. But there is also more software, and there are different control algorithms that are used to make sure the missile stays on the right trajectory. So in some ways it’s probably three times more difficult.” And one of those tricky aspects is also one of the most exciting to watch when the two side thrusters descend perpendicular to the landing zones with just one and two seconds apart. The main thruster will use all of its fuel to move the payload further, which is part of the reason the Falcon Heavy is in a class of its own. Like the last mission in November, it will deliver payloads for the US Space Force into deep Geo orbit. This will be the fifth Falcon Heavy and there are four more planned this year. What will make this launch even more exciting, because it will take place just a few minutes after sunset, we will see the so-called jellyfish effect. Once at high altitude, the plume of gas from the rocket will be illuminated by sunlight while it is much darker on the ground. The launch window opens at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Here in Central Florida, we’re used to almost weekly SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Cape Town, but the Falcon Heavy is a different story and serves a different purpose.
With five million pounds of thrust, experts say the heavy rocket is the largest and most powerful rocket available — aside from NASA’s massive SLS moon rocket that just completed its first test mission.
“It has the ability to put satellites into an orbit that would be difficult for any other missile to approach,” Platt said.
Heavy basically consists of three Falcon 9 boosters lined up next to each other and connected. This makes it a more complex missile to launch and control.
“There are a lot of drivers. There is a lot of plumbing. But there is also more software, and there are different control algorithms that are used to make sure the missile stays on the right trajectory. So in some ways it’s probably three times more difficult.”
And one of those tricky aspects is also one of the most exciting to watch when the two side boosters descend perpendicular to the landing zones with just one and two seconds apart.
The main booster will use all of its fuel to move the payload further, which is part of the reason the Falcon Heavy is in a class of its own. Like the last mission in November, it will deliver payloads for the US Space Force into deep Geo orbit. This will be the fifth launch of the Falcon Heavy, with four more launches scheduled for this year.
What will make this launch even more exciting, because it will take place just a few minutes after sunset, we will see the so-called jellyfish effect.
Once at high altitude, the gas plume from the rocket will be illuminated by sunlight while it is much darker on the ground.
The launch window opens at 5 p.m. Saturday.
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