SpaceX Falcon Heavy Returns After 18 Months, Launches ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite

goodinfo.net — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:30:00 +0800

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Returns After 18 Months, Launches ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite

On April 27, 2026, at 10:21 a.m. EDT (14:21 UTC), SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, delivering the ViaSat-3 Flight 3 communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. This marks the Falcon Heavy’s first flight in more than a year and a half, and the 12th flight of the rocket type overall.

Mission Details

The mission carried the 6-metric-ton ViaSat-3 F3 communications satellite, which was scheduled to deploy from the rocket’s upper stage nearly five hours after liftoff. The satellite will take approximately two months to reach its final operational orbit using electric propulsion, positioned at 158.55 degrees East along the equator.

The launch window spanned 85 minutes, with the 45th Weather Squadron forecasting a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions. Launch weather officers noted they were monitoring for potential violations of cumulus cloud and surface electric field rules.

A Mix of Old and New Boosters

The three boosters used in this mission featured a combination of old and new hardware. The two side boosters, tail numbers 1072 and 1075, were flying for their second and 22nd missions, respectively. After separation, they targeted simultaneous landings at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) and Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — marking the first time SpaceX has used both landing zones simultaneously.

The center core booster (tail number B1098), however, was on its first and only flight. It will be expended into the Atlantic Ocean and will not be recovered.

The Final Piece of the ViaSat-3 Constellation

ViaSat-3 F3 is the third and final satellite in the ViaSat-3 constellation, targeting coverage over the Asia-Pacific region and adding more than one terabit per second (Tbps) of capacity to the overall Viasat network.

“It’s kind of the end of an era. We’ve been working this program for over 10 years now. So that’s a good chunk of life that’s gone by over the course of the program,” said Dave Abrahamian, Viasat’s vice president of Satellite Systems.

He added: “It’s a different world now than when we started the program. Back then, we had a handful of satellites in orbit. Since then, we’ve launched the two ViaSat-3s, we merged with Inmarsat, we’ve got the third one ready to go now. So totally different world, different feeling, and it’s pretty cool to have been part of it all.”

Technical Advantages

The core advantage of the ViaSat-3 satellites lies in their flexibility. Abrahamian explained: “ViaSat-3 because we’re using phased array technology and our antennas onboard, we can form a beam wherever we need it. We can allocate spectrum to it as we need it. We can put multiple beams in an area as needed. So we really don’t have the issue of trapped capacity.”

He noted that several airline customers in the Asia-Pacific region are eager to bring this capacity online to better serve their customers. ViaSat-3 F2, which launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket in November 2025, is still completing its on-orbit checkout and will begin operational service in the near future.

Historical Significance

The Falcon Heavy first flew in 2018, and this mission marks the rocket’s 12th flight. Two of those previous missions also carried ViaSat-3 satellites. This launch also marks the first time SpaceX has simultaneously used two ground-based landing zones for booster recovery at Cape Canaveral, demonstrating the company’s continued advancement in rocket reusability technology.

Source: Spaceflight Now | Space.com | Orlando Sentinel

Blue Origin's New Glenn Puts Customer Satellite in Wrong Orbit During Third Launch

goodinfo.net — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 21:40:00 +0800

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Suffers Orbital Deviation on Third Launch

On April 25, 2026, Jeff Bezos-backed space company Blue Origin suffered another setback — its heavy-lift rocket New Glenn malfunctioned during its third launch mission, failing to deliver a customer satellite into its intended orbit.

The Launch

New Glenn is a medium-to-heavy lift launch vehicle developed by Blue Origin, designed for commercial satellite deployment and future deep-space exploration missions. This launch was the rocket’s third flight, carrying the critical mission of deploying a commercial customer’s satellite.

According to initial reports, the rocket’s early flight phases proceeded normally, successfully completing key milestones including booster separation and fairing jettison. However, after the upper stage ignition, orbital parameters deviated from the planned trajectory, resulting in the satellite being placed into an incorrect orbit.

Technical Analysis and Impact

Orbital deviation can be caused by various factors, including upper stage engine thrust anomalies, navigation system failures, or propellant management issues. Blue Origin has not yet disclosed the specific technical cause of the incident, and the company is expected to conduct a thorough investigation.

This launch failure poses a challenge to Blue Origin’s commercial credibility. As a significant player in the commercial space sector, the reliability of New Glenn directly impacts the company’s position in the highly competitive satellite launch market. Currently, the global commercial launch market is dominated by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, and Blue Origin urgently needs to demonstrate New Glenn’s reliability and competitiveness.

Industry Context

Blue Origin has been advancing multiple projects in the space sector in recent years, including the New Shepard suborbital tourism flights and the New Glenn orbital launch system. However, the company’s progress in orbital launches has consistently lagged behind competitors like SpaceX.

This launch incident once again highlights the high-risk nature of space launches. Even in an era of increasingly mature technology, every orbital launch remains fraught with uncertainty. Blue Origin is expected to announce its follow-up launch plans and timeline after completing its accident investigation.

Source: TechCrunch, SpaceNews

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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Returns After 18 Months, Launches ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite