On a late autumn day in 2022, SpaceX sent its Falcon Heavy rocket aloft once more, carrying two satellites for the U.S. Space Force on the vehicle's fourth flight since its debut in 2018. The mission arrived after a long silence of roughly three years, a reminder that the company's great heavy-lift machine has been overshadowed by its more frequent Falcon 9. Its two side boosters returned to land, adding to the growing tally of rockets that come home to be flown again, while the center core was spent so the payload could travel farther. What the satellites will ultimately do remains largely un
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Flies Its Fourth Mission, Carrying Space Force Payloads and Landing Both Side Boosters
The center core did not come back — by design.
Mark
Falcon Heavy flew again. Why does a fourth flight matter?
Mimi
Mostly because it's rare. It first flew in 2018, its last launch before this was in 2019, so this was a return after about three years, and it carried Space Force satellites.
Mark
What were the satellites?
Mimi
Two of them. One is used for various prototype missions in geosynchronous orbit. The other is classified for national defense reasons.
Luke
So we know very little about the payloads. Anyone claiming detail on the classified one is guessing.
Mimi
Right, and the reporting doesn't try to say more.
Mark
And the boosters?
Mimi
Both side boosters landed on land. Those were SpaceX's 150th and 151st successful orbital rocket landings.
Mark
But the center core was lost.
Mimi
It was flown expendable on purpose, to use the maximum fuel and reach the target orbit.
Luke
Worth noting the source says that's the reason, but doesn't give the orbit details or how much performance it bought. And whether demand will raise the launch rate is unknown. That's a thing to watch, not a finding.
El Pulso
- A rocket with three boosters lifted off after nearly three years of silence, reawakening a machine that rarely flies.
- Two classified or secretive Space Force satellites rode aboard, their missions largely hidden from public view.
- The side boosters touched down on land, marking the 150th and 151st successful orbital landings in SpaceX history.
- The center core was sacrificed to squeeze out extra performance, trading a reusable stage for heavier payload capacity.
- The open question now is whether Space Force demand will turn Falcon Heavy from a rare event into a regular fixture of the manifest.
On a late autumn day in 2022, SpaceX sent its Falcon Heavy rocket aloft once more, carrying two satellites for the U.S. Space Force on the vehicle's fourth flight since its debut in 2018. The mission arrived after a long silence of roughly three years, a reminder that the company's great heavy-lift machine has been overshadowed by its more frequent Falcon 9. Its two side boosters returned to land, adding to the growing tally of rockets that come home to be flown again, while the center core was spent so the payload could travel farther. What the satellites will ultimately do remains largely unspoken, held quietly within the purposes of national defense.
SpaceX has flown its Falcon Heavy rocket again, sending two U.S. Space Force satellites toward orbit on the vehicle's fourth mission. The launch also marked the company's 50th of 2022, a steady pace that the heavy rocket itself rarely matches.
Falcon Heavy first flew in 2018 and has flown only sparingly since. Its previous launch came in 2019, leaving a gap of about three years. Meanwhile the Falcon 9 has carried most of the workload. The Heavy's difference is its three boosters instead of one core, which gives it far greater thrust and lift.
The cargo was military. One satellite will support what the service calls prototype missions in geosynchronous orbit. The other is classified, its purpose withheld for reasons of national defense, and little else is known about either spacecraft.
The flight brought a recovery milestone as well. Both side boosters landed successfully on land, the 150th and 151st successful orbital landings for SpaceX. The center core, flown expendable to maximize fuel for the payload, did not return. The trade was one booster for extra performance, suited to a demanding orbit.
What comes next is a question of cadence. Whether Space Force demand will make Falcon Heavy a more regular presence on SpaceX's manifest remains to be seen.
SpaceX has flown its Falcon Heavy rocket again, sending two U.S. Space Force satellites toward orbit on the vehicle's fourth mission. The launch was also the company's 50th of 2022.
Falcon Heavy first flew in 2018, and it has flown rarely since. Its previous launch was in 2019, so this mission came after a gap of roughly three years. SpaceX's workhorse in the meantime has been the Falcon 9, which flies far more often. The Heavy differs in a simple way: it uses three boosters, where the Falcon 9 uses a single core, and that gives it more thrust and more lift capacity.
The cargo was military. One of the two Space Force satellites is used for what the service describes as various prototype missions in geosynchronous orbit. The other is classified, its nature and purpose withheld for national defense reasons. Beyond that, the available reporting says little about what either spacecraft will do.
The flight also carried a recovery milestone. Both side boosters returned and landed successfully on land. Those touchdowns were the 150th and 151st successful landings of SpaceX orbital rockets, a tally that shows how routine booster recovery has become for the company.
The center core did not come back. SpaceX flew it in expendable mode, which means it was not held back for a landing and could burn the maximum amount of fuel to carry the payload to its target orbit. In practice, the mission traded one booster for extra performance, a choice that fits a launch whose job was delivering satellites into a demanding orbit.
The record so far is short but solid. Across four flights, Falcon Heavy has a strong track record, even though it flies much less frequently than the Falcon 9.
What to watch next is cadence. With the last Heavy launch in 2019 and this one in late 2022, the open question is whether Space Force demand for heavy-lift launches will make the vehicle a more regular presence on SpaceX's manifest.
Citas Notables
One satellite supports various prototype missions in geosynchronous orbit; the other is classified for national defense purposes.— Description of the Space Force payloads, per TechCrunch
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