World's Highest-Capacity Satellite Launched by SpaceX in Latest Mission

SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the sixth time on Sunday, April 30, carrying three satellites towards a geostationary orbit. The launch was initially delayed due to weather conditions and a last-minute abort on April 28. The Falcon Heavy lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:26 p.m. EDT, carrying three satellites aloft.

The primary payload for Sunday's mission is ViaSat-3 Americas, a 14,000-pound (6,400 kilograms) broadband satellite, operated by Viasat, which is expected to be the world's highest-capacity satellite and the largest all-electric satellite ever to be launched. Arcturus, a communications craft that weighs 300 kg (660 pounds), is the second satellite flown, which will provide data throughput up to 7.5 Gbps for Alaska and the surrounding region. The third satellite, GS-1, is a cubesat, operated by Gravity Space, which provides communications for Internet of Things applications, among other things in orbit.

According to Atticus Vadera, SpaceX propulsion engineer, Viasat-3 Americas will be the largest all-electric satellite ever launched. The Falcon Heavy, which consists of three strapped-together first stages of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, made its debut in February 2018, sending Elon Musk's red Tesla Roadster into orbit around the sun with a spacesuit-clad mannequin at the wheel. Since then, the Falcon Heavy has flown five more times, including Sunday's mission and a U.S. Space Force mission in January 2023.

While the Falcon Heavy's three first-stage boosters are designed to be reusable, none of the boosters were recovered on Sunday's mission due to fuel constraints after sending such a heavy load to a distant orbit. SpaceX's gigantic Starship vehicle debuted on April 20, taking the title of the company's most powerful rocket. Its 33 first-stage Raptor engines generate 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, which is more than three times more than the Falcon Heavy produces.

In conclusion, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launched its sixth mission, carrying three satellites aloft towards geostationary orbit. Viasat-3 Americas, the primary payload, is expected to be the world's highest-capacity satellite and the largest all-electric satellite ever launched. While none of the Falcon Heavy's boosters were recovered due to fuel constraints, the launch was still considered a success.