It’s time to bring in the big engines. Those on the Space Coast will soon find their way.
Not one, but three Falcon 9 first-stage rockets making up the Falcon Heavy are tentatively scheduled to blast off into Florida skies in tandem this week to launch a weather satellite into orbit.
It’s been a while since Florida saw this sight: two Falcon 9s carrying the main rocket to carry the second stage and payload into space. The Falcon Heavy last took off in Florida skies in late December from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A, carrying the Space Force’s secret space plane known as the X-37B. The only other comparable launch since then was the final three-core ULA Delta IV Heavy carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office in April from Cape Canaveral.
Why is the Falcon Heavy needed for this launch?
Bigger payloads require more power, and with NOAA and NASA set to launch the GOES-U weather satellite as soon as Tuesday, June 25, they needed a bigger rocket. The satellite is comparable in size to a small school bus, so one of the heaviest lift rockets will be used. Enter the Falcon Heavy.
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SpaceX Space Coast rockets: Falcon Heavy vs Falcon 9
Simply put, the Falcon Heavy is the three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket – which together give three times the lift. The center Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and payload above. The payload, in this case a NOAA satellite, is enclosed in aerodynamic shrouds to protect it on its way into space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches the Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these simple rockets is 229.6 feet tall with a second stage and 12 feet in diameter.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands at the same height. However, it is much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to nearly three cars parked bumper to bumper.
According to SpaceX, the Falcon Heavy has completed nine launches, 17 booster landings and 14 booster flights.
The first successful Falcon Heavy took to the skies in February 2018, carrying a red Tesla Roadster as cargo along with a dummy called “Starman” – which was decked out in a SpaceX space suit.
Falcon Heavy thrust: how powerful is this rocket?
Three Falcon 9 rockets—each with nine Merlin engines—give the Falcon Heavy vehicle the power of 27 Merlin engines at launch. Each of these 27 engines provides 190,000 pounds of thrust. According to SpaceX, this force provides a total of five million pounds more thrust.
SpaceX says the Falcon Heavy can lift a weight comparable to a 737 jetliner, along with all the fuel, cargo, passengers, and get that weight into orbit.
Space X Falcon Heavy booster landing
SpaceX will recover two Falcon 9 booster boosters. If they follow the procedure of previous flights, the two boosters will land on the landing pad at Cape Canaveral – giving off a double sonic boom. If SpaceX were to continue the routine of past Falcon Heavy flights, Falcon 9’s core would disintegrate after completing its mission over the ocean.
Landing all three boosters proved to be a difficult task. While the booster core landed on a droneship in the Atlantic in 2019, SpaceX failed to return it to port.
Get ready for the Falcon Heavy’s sonic booms
Two sonic booms will be heard on the Space Coast as the two booster boosters land at SpaceX Landing Sites 1 and 2 on Cape Canaveral. As the boosters fall back to Earth, they travel faster than the speed of sound. This in turn breaks the sound barrier and releases a noise comparable to the loud rumble of thunder.
The sonic booms occur when the boosters are already landing, which can seem confusing. Physics explains this situation simply because light travels faster than sound. Returning boosters will be seen before the sonic booms.
It can be a startling sight, especially if one has never seen it before – the boosters seem to land quietly before a loud Earth-shaking sound is heard.
When will the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch?
On Tuesday, weather permitting on the Space Coast, the Falcon Heavy will lift off from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A and carry the NOAA/NASA GOES-U satellite into orbit.
GOES-U is NOAA’s newest weather satellite that promises continued hurricane tracking. Weather observation satellites like the GOES series are important for places that experience these extreme weather events – like Florida.
GOES-U will provide a valuable watch from above – observing hurricanes as they form. “We know about them because of the GOES satellites. They sit over the equator about 22,000 miles above the Earth and are constantly watching,” Dan Lindsey, NOAA program scientist, told FLORIDA TODAY.
Be sure to follow the FLORIDA TODAY space team for the latest updates from the Space Coast.
Brooke Edwards is a space reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or X: @brookeofstars.