Falcon Heavy launches: What it carried & user images

Another highly anticipated Falcon Heavy rocket was launched on Sunday evening after some delays, mainly in the weather department. It was quite a spectacle seen across several along the Southeast Atlantic coast.

The first ever Flacon Heavy was launched in February 2018. These launches are rare compared to the “regular” Falcon 9 rocket launches, as there have been only 6 Falcon Heavy missions in total launched.

The Falcon Heavy is a derivative of the Falcon 9 rocket, but much more powerful. In Fact, the Falcon Heavy has two Falcon 9 rockets as side boosters, as well as a main core booster in the center, which allows the launch of heavy payload of up to 18300 pounds, and it often takes satellites to geostationary orbit or to farther away places. Like most of SpaceX’s rockets, this super heavy-lift launch vehicle can be reused.

The latest Falcon Heavy launch lifted from Cape Canaveral on Sunday, April 30, shortly after 8 p.m. after being postponed from earlier in the day due to strong winds.

The payload of this launch was ViaSat-3 Americas, a series of satellites that would enhance broadband communications in the Americas. This is the first of at least three geostationary satellites for Viasat. The satellite reached geostationary orbit about 4 hours after launch.

The launch was seen from the coastal area of North Carolina to South Florida. Even areas 200 miles west of Cape Canaveral were able to see the light streaking across the sky. Many South Florida residents, unaware of the launch, had quite a show in the sky as the weather cleared up just in time to make a beautiful view of the rocket traveling across the sky with a bell-like feature. Some wondered if there were aliens!