Next Launch:
Calculating...

Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
:
Seconds

Nations
United States of America
United States of America
Agencies
SpaceX
SpaceX
Date: Monday, May 1, 2023
Time: 12:26 AM UTC (UTC +0)

This goes

to space

ViaSat-3 Americas

ViaSat-3 is a global constellation of three geostationary Ka-band communications satellites by Viasat, Inc.

The satellites are intended to provide broadband connectivity with speeds of 100-plus megabits per second to homes, business and enterprise internet users, commercial, government and business aircraft, as well as government and defense markets, maritime and oceanic enterprises in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The satellites were first announced in 2015. In February 2016, Viasat announced a partnership with Boeing Satellite Systems. For each of the three ViaSat-3 class satellites, Viasat will build the satellite payload, integrate the payload into the Boeing-provided payload module.

Boeing will provide the scalable 702 satellite platform, system integration and test, launch vehicle integration and mission operations services. Each ViaSat-3 satellite payload is being manufactured at Viasat's own manufacturing facility in Tempe, Arizona, using modular structures from Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, California. The satellites are projected to have a total network capacity over 1 terabit per second.

ViaSat-3 consists of three separate satellites, each designed to provide coverage to select global regions: ViaSat-3 (Americas) will cover the Americas; ViaSat-3 (EMEA) will cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and ViaSat-3 (APAC) will cover the Asia-Pacific regions.

Viasat has three launch contracts, one for each ViaSat-3 class satellite. In 2016, the company announced plans to launch the first satellite with Arianespace on an Ariane 6 rocket. And in 2018, announced that the second one will be launched with United Launch Alliance on an Atlas V, and the third one with SpaceX on the Falcon Heavy.

The Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the Americas and the EMEA will be launched on an Atlas V rocket in 2023.

This goes

to space

Arcturus

Arcturus is a small geostationary high-throughput communications satellite built by Astranis Space Technologies. The 300 kg satellite will provide high speed internet to remote areas in Alaska.

This goes

to space

G-Space-1

G-Space 1 is Gravity Space's new spacecraft with a primary mission to provide communication services for IOTs (Internet of Things).

The spacecraft is also designed to provide orbital slot reservation services (BIU) around the geosynchronous arc. It features three wideband frequency bands and will also carry an imaging system capable of imaging both the Earth and spatial bodies, as well as an experimental rendezvous and docking payload.

Image courtesy of Gravity Space

On this

rocket

Falcon Heavy

Falcon Heavy is designed and manufactured by SpaceX in Hawthorne, California. It is derived from the Falcon 9 vehicle and consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 first stage as a central core with two additional first stages as strap-on boosters.

Stats

Total launches: 9

Total landings: 17

Total reflights: 14

Specs

Height: 70m / 229.6ft

Width: 12.2m / 39.9ft

Mass: 1,420,788kg / 3,125,735lb

Payload to LEO: 63,800 kg / 140,660 lb

Payload to GEO: 26,700 kg / 58,860 lb

Payload to Mars: 16,800 kg / 37,040 lb

Lineage

SpaceX conducted Falcon Heavy's first launch on February 6th, 2018, at 3:45 PM EST. The rocket carried a Tesla Roadster belonging to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, with a dummy dubbed "Starman" in the driver's seat.

The second Falcon Heavy launch occurred on April 11th, 2019. This launch successfully launched the Arabsat-6A satellite and all three booster rockets successfully returned to Earth except but the center core subsequently fell over and was lost during transport due to heavy seas.

The third Falcon Heavy launch successfully occurred on June 25th, 2019. This mission successfully launched multiple payloads including USAF STP-2, a space memorial for Celestis, and Lightsail-2. The mission also supported the U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch certification process for the Falcon Heavy. The side boosters were successfully recovered but the center core failed to land and was destroyed on impact with the Atlantic Ocean.

The fourth Falcon Heavy mission, USSF-44 for the U.S. Space Force, successfully launched on November 1st, 2022 from Kennedy Space Center.

The fifth Falcon Heavy mission launched USSF-67 on January 15th, 2023.

The soxth Falcon Heavy mission launched ViaSat-3 Americas on April 30th, 2023.

The seventh Falcon Heavy mission launched EchoStar 24 (Jupiter 3) on July 28th, 2023.

The eighth Falcon Heavy mission launched Psyche on October 13th, 2023.

Photo by SpaceX

From this

launch site

LC-39A - Kennedy Space Center, Florida (FH)
May 1, 2023

NASA's historic Kennedy Space Center is located on Cape Canaveral, Florida, and has hosted decades of historic space missions since the early days of the Apollo program.

Today, Kennedy Space Center is a multi-user spaceport and hosts private companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and others.

SpaceX leases Launch Complex 39A at NASA's flagship facility and uses the pad to launch its Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 rockets. The pad is also used to launch missions for the Commercial Crew Program for which SpaceX launches astronauts to the Space Station for NASA aboard their Crew Dragon capsule.

Launch Complex 39A was previously used by NASA to launch the Apollo 11 mission to land the first humans on the moon and Space Shuttle missions to assemble the International Space Station and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

Boosters

land here

Atlantic Ocean (All Boosters Expended)
May 1, 2023

SpaceX will expend all three Falcon 9 rockets of the Falcon Heavy. They will be dropped into the Atlantic Ocean.

This is possibly due to the heavy payload and SpaceX needing all the power from the three boosters to get the payload to the correct orbit.

The boosters will have their landing legs and grid fins removed to minimize weight.

Here's where to view Falcon Heavy ViaSat-3

Viewing Sites
  • Alan Shepard Park
  • A. Max Brewer Parkway Bridge
  • Saturn V Building / Banana Creek
  • Cherie Down Park
  • Cocoa Beach Pier
  • Exploration Tower
  • Jetty Park
  • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
  • Lori Wilson Park
  • Playalinda Beach
  • Rotary Riverfront Park
  • Sand Point Park
  • Sidney Fischer Park
  • Space View Park

Space is for everyone. Here’s a link to share the launch with your friends.