SpaceX Falcon Heavy Returns After 18-Month Hiatus for Critical Broadband Mission
Cape Canaveral, Monday, 27 April 2026.
Ending an 18-month hiatus, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launches today to deploy Viasat’s final broadband satellite, completing a decade-long infrastructure project crucial for future global revenue streams.
A High-Stakes Doubleheader for the Space Coast
Scheduled for liftoff at 10:21 a.m. EDT (14:21 UTC) on Monday, April 27, 2026, the Falcon Heavy will depart from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center [1][2]. This mission opens an 85-minute launch window and marks the 12th flight of the Falcon Heavy vehicle since its debut in February 2018 [1][3]. The heavy-lift rocket has not flown since October 14, 2024, when it launched NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter [2][3]. The morning launch is also the first half of a rare Space Coast doubleheader; a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is scheduled to launch 29 Amazon Leo satellites from nearby Launch Complex 41 later that evening, no earlier than 8:52 p.m. EDT [2].
Strategic Expansion for Viasat
The primary payload for this mission is the ViaSat-3 Flight 3 satellite, a massive orbital asset weighing approximately 6 metric tons [1][3]. The Falcon Heavy’s upper stage is tasked with carrying the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, with deployment scheduled to occur nearly five hours after liftoff [1][3]. Once deployed, the satellite will spend approximately two months raising its orbit to a geostationary position at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers, targeting an orbital slot at 158.55 degrees East longitude [1][3]. Following a subsequent checkout period of a couple of months, manufacturer Boeing will officially hand over control of the satellite to Viasat [1].
The Mechanics of the Heavy Lift
The sheer power required to lift the 6-metric-ton payload into such a high orbit necessitates the Falcon Heavy’s triple-booster configuration, which essentially combines three Falcon 9 first stages [1][2]. The operational plan for Monday’s launch involves the recovery of the two side boosters, bearing tail numbers 1072 and 1075 [1]. These boosters are expected to return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately eight minutes after liftoff, touching down at Landing Zones 2 and 40 and generating the vehicle’s signature twin sonic booms [2][3]. Booster 1075 will be making its 22nd flight, while booster 1072 will be making its second [1].