KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Florida Space Coast residents will likely hear some sonic booms Wednesday night as SpaceX launches a school-bus-sized satellite on the Falcon Heavy rocket.
SpaceX is targeting 11:04 p.m. Wednesday to launch the Jupiter 3 (Echostar XXIV) communications satellite from Kennedy Space Center Launchpad 39A.
Before NASA’s Space Launch System rocket launch to the Moon last year, Falcon Heavy was the world’s most powerful rocket. The Falcon Heavy has 27 Merlin engines and three first-stage boosters compared to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with one first-stage booster and nine Merlin engines.
About 8 minutes after launch, the two side rocket boosters will return to land at Cape Canaveral Landing Zones 1 and 2. As the rockets return to Earth, breaking the sound barrier, people across Central Florida will feel and hear the double sonic booms.
Launch weather officers with the Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 85% chance of favorable weather for liftoff. The primary concern will be cumulus clouds from isolated coastal showers.
According to the satellite operator Hughes, Jupiter 3 will support in-flight Wi-Fi, maritime communications and HughesNet satellite internet connectivity across North and South America.
SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket is designed for larger payloads. Jupiter 3 is a massive spacecraft weighing about 9 metric tons with 14 solar panels that span 10 stories.
The satellite was built by Maxar in Palo Alto, California, before being carried by a special Antonov commercial cargo plane to Cape Canaveral. The nose of the plane hinges open for large cargo to be loaded up.
SpaceX is planning another launch this week but with its smaller Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The company plans to launch another round of Starlink internet satellites Thursday night.