SpaceX's Falcon Heavy returns to flight for the first time since 2019. The rocket is hauling satellites to space for a secret US military mission.
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy — a towering, three-pronged vehicle that is the most powerful operational rocket in the world — returned to the skies on Tuesday for the first time since mid-2019. The rocket launched at 9:41 a.m. ET from
’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, hauling satellites to space for the US military in a secretive mission dubbed USSF-44. The Falcon Heavy debuted in 2018 to much fanfare as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk elected to launch his personal Tesla Roadster as a test payload on the launch. The car is still in space, taking an oblong path around the sun that swings out as far as Mars’ orbital path. Since that first test mission, SpaceX has launched only two other Falcon Heavy missions, both in 2019.
’s Space Launch System, or SLS, rocket, which is currently slated to attempt its inaugural launch later in November to send the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission around the moon, is sitting in the Kennedy Space Center’s towering Vehicle Assembly Building, which lies just a few miles from the launch pad where the Falcon Heavy will take flight. While the Falcon Heavy gives off about five million pounds of thrust, SLS is expected to put off as much as 8.
’s plans to return astronauts to the surface of the moon for the first time in half a century. SpaceX also has its own, ambitious vision for the Starship: ferrying humans and cargo to Mars in the hopes of one day establishing a permanent human settlement there. All about this mission There is not much publicly available information about the USSF-44 mission.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SpaceX launches first Falcon Heavy mission since 2019 from FloridaSpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the world's most-powerful active rocket, lifted off on Tuesday for the first time in more than three years through dense fog at Florida's Cape Canaveral, with Elon Musk's company sending satellites into orbit for the U.S. Space Force.
Read more »
SpaceX Falcon Heavy mission to bring back double sonic boom landing after a 3-year absenceThe 230-foot three-core SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket returns to launch a Space Force mission from Kennedy Space Center at 9:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Read more »
Watch SpaceX Attempt to Launch a Falcon Heavy for the First Time Since 2019The Falcon Heavy, currently the most powerful rocket in the world, is set to blast off on Tuesday at 9:41 a.m. ET.
Read more »
SpaceX rolls out Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of Tuesday launch (photo)The powerful rocket is scheduled to lift off Tuesday (Nov. 1) at 9:40 a.m. ET.
Read more »
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is scheduled to launch again after three yearsSpaceX is expected to livestream the launch tomorrow.
Read more »
Falcon Heavy: How to watch the world's most powerful rocket launch tomorrowSpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful operational rocket, is expected to launch into orbit for the first time in over three years tomorrow, November 1.
Read more »