The Falcon Heavy recently launched on July 29th carrying the Jupiter 3, or the EchoStar 24, the heaviest satellite put into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). In this article we will cover the launch and the payload, as well as some information on the Falcon Heavy, the heavy-duty spec of the Falcon 9 rocket system.
What is the Falcon Heavy?
The Falcon Heavy is a larger configuration of the Falcon rocket system by SpaceX, most known for launching the Falcon 9. The Falcon heavy utilizes 3 Falcon 9 rocket boosters to provide thrust to the upper stage, of which two of the boosters are recovered and the central stage is expended in this mission. While only flown 3 previous times, two operational and one demo mission, the rocket has seen some activity this year, with 2 prior launches under its belt, the USSF 64 and ViaSat.
What is the Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24 Satellite?
The Jupiter 3 Satellite is satellite-based internet service providing machine made to double the capacity of the Jupiter satellite fleet. Made by Hughes, a connectivity company who championed the satellite infrastructure used today, the Jupiter 3 offers a “next generation Ultra High-Density Satellite” which will increase the support for in-flight Wi-Fi, Mobile Network Operators, and other more complex connectivity locations. As mentioned previously, the satellite is the heaviest satellite to be put into GTO, clocking in at 9.2 metric tons.
How was the launch?
The launch went smoothly but did suffer a small delay when it was first scheduled for the 28th instead. The launch itself was called off to perform some more checks but was shortly concluded and the window was moved to Friday.
Final Remarks
This launch was just another launch for the Falcon 9/Falcon Heavy team, demonstrating the incredible reliability and power of the Falcon launch platform. The fact that these have become so routine is a testament to the engineering that went into creating these machines, and it is exciting to see what the future holds for the Falcon Heavy.
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