SpaceX Falcon Heavy Successfully Launches Viasat-3 F3 Satellite
Summary: On April 29, 2026 (Beijing Time), SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket conducted its 12th mission since 2018, successfully deploying the Viasat-3 ultra-high-throughput communications satellite to orbit. The 27 Merlin engines of the three Falcon boosters ignited at 10:13 AM EDT (14:13 UTC), launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
Credit: SpaceX
Mission Overview
The Viasat-3 F3 communications satellite, weighing approximately 6.6 tonnes, was the primary payload for this mission. The satellite is designed to provide over 1 Terabit per second of network capacity, representing a new generation of ultra-high-throughput communications satellites.
This launch marked Falcon Heavy's first flight since October 2024, when it launched NASA's Europa Clipper mission. The 18-month gap was primarily due to the limited demand for the heavy-lift vehicle's unique capabilities.