SpaceX successfully tests Falcon Heavy rocket

Date:

Trending

Miami: SpaceX‘s Falcon Heavy rocket took off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and successfully completed its first commercial mission by deploying the communications satellite Arabsat-6A into a geo-synchronous orbit.

- Advertisement -

The most powerful operational rocket on the planet took off at 6.35 p.m. on Thursday from the historic 39A launch pad at the Kennedy Space Centre, the same platform that the Moon missions of the Apollo programme were launched from, and then managed to recover for the first time the three Falcon 9 rocket parts that make up the device, reports Efe news.

Less than eight minutes after take off, the two boosters landed side by side on Cape Canaveral, while the central core stage landed itself one minute later on the drone ship called “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Atlantic Ocean.

- Advertisement -

This successful landing of the three rocket parts represents a new step in the trajectory of the company, owned by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, whose policy is to re-use rockets in order to reduce the cost of space travel.

Thursday’s launch, which had to be postponed from the day before due to weather conditions, is the second since the initial trip in February 2018, when Falcon Heavy made a test flight with as dummy payload a Tesla electric roadster sent into deep space with a mannequin dressed in a space suit, which they called ‘Starman’, in the driver’s seat.

On that first voyage, however, the core stage failed to land on the Atlantic landing platform and instead plunged into the sea at a speed of more than 480 km per hour.

More than a year later, SpaceX has now launched the 70-meter-high Falcon Heavy, designed to carry more than 64 metric tonnes of cargo, with the Arabsat-6A on board.

The Arabsat 6A is a modern communications satellite developed by Lockheed Martin for Arabsat, an organisation founded by the Arab League in 1976 to provide telecommunications services to the region.

The modern and innovative satellite, weighing more than 5,900 kilograms, will provide television, radio, internet and mobile communication services throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa, according to SpaceX.

Nearly half an hour after taking off from Cape Canaveral aboard the Falcon Heavy, the satellite separated from the rocket and was placed in a geo-synchronous orbit where it will remain for years.

With this deployment the Falcon Heavy, created with the goal of sending manned missions to the Moon and Mars, has successfully completed its first commercial mission.

THE SNAPSHOTS

Sign up to get quick snaps of everyday happening, directly in your inbox.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

- Advertisement -

Support our independent journalism PayPal (Outside India) For PayU (For Indian Readers).

Krishna Mali
Krishna Mali
Founder & Group Editor of TechGraph.

More Latest Stories

More Articles

How AI-Powered Online Platforms Are Revolutionizing Life Insurance Recommendations

Anyone with a child, a spouse, a life partner, or a parent as a dependent needs life insurance. Purchasing a life insurance product has...

Loans in Crypto Wallet: Useful Feature or a Security Threat?

Integrating crypto loans into digital wallets is gaining traction, allowing users to borrow and lend crypto assets without the need for traditional financial institutions. With DeFi revolutionizing lending, crypto loans provide an alternative to banks while offering quick access to liquidity. However, concerns about security...

From Arcade to Adventure – The Evolving Face of Entertainment and Why It Counts

Entertainment has always been a reflection of the shifting expectations of society. Earlier, people...

How Technology Helps Combat Various Viruses and Diseases

Technology has transformed the ways we approach vaccines, particularly for the flu. One noteworthy...

The Long-Term Power of Investing: Selecting Undervalued Industries

Investing can seem overwhelming, especially for beginners, as the numerous options and strategies available...

The Impact of EdTech on Student Outcomes in Higher Education

The introduction of interactive whiteboards in the early 1990s marked a major shift in...

Shell Executive Robin Mooldijk Sells €1.69 Mn in Shares

Shell plc’s Projects & Technology Director, Robin Mooldijk, has offloaded 50,000 shares in the...

HR Chief Amy Coleman Reports Over 46,000 Microsoft Shares in SEC Filing

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Chief Human Resources Officer, Amy Coleman, has reported her stock holdings...

12 Eye-Popping Hacks to Make Your Next Business Presentation Sparkle

Business presentations are often necessary to gain new clients and showcase what it is you can offer, but more often than not, they end...

BGC Group raises $700 Mn in bond sale to refinance debt

BGC Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGC) has finalized a $700 million private offering of senior...

Alphabet Legal Chief John Kent Walker to Sell $2Mn in Shares via Morgan Stanley

Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Chief Legal Officer, John Kent Walker Jr., has filed to...

From Startup to Success: Essential Steps for Landscaping Entrepreneurs

Starting a landscaping business is so exciting, blending creativity with the reward of transforming...

Predictive Analytics: The Key to Supply Chain Resilience

In today’s interconnected global economy, supply chains are the lifeblood of businesses, weaving intricate...

Empowering Growth: Boosting the Robotics Sector with Targeted Support

India's robotics sector is emerging as a key area of technological progress, driving innovation across industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and agriculture. With...

Software and Technology Changing the Industry

The advent of software and technological advancements has been a game-changer across various industries. From enhancing productivity to transforming operational dynamics, tech plays an integral role today. This article delves into how software and technology are revolutionizing industries worldwide, providing insights and data to...

Jensen Huang Offloads $49.8Mn in Nvidia Shares

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO and President Jen-Hsun Huang has disclosed the sale of 431,611...

Canada, Australia Partner to Build $6 Bn Arctic Radar System

In a bid to enhance Arctic and national security, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney...

Why Smart Cities Are the Future of Water Conservation

Water conservation has become an important factor due to climate change and worsened water...

Interview: Vserve CEO Siva Balakrishnan on SEO Secrets for Amazon Seller Success

In an interview with TechGraph, Siva Balakrishnan, CEO and Founder of Vserve, shared how...

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai Increases Stocks Holdings Amid Dividend Adjustment

According to a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Alphabet...

Layer PR Wins SME News UK Awards, Expands to Bengaluru

Layer PR, a global public relations firm owned by TechGraph, has secured two major...
00:02:59

US President Trump Presses NATO on Greenland Annexation Plans

During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday, US President Donald Trump...
00:01:37

UK PM Kier Starmer Abolishes NHS England To Bring Health Services Under Govt Control

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to abolish NHS England and bring...

The Role of Edge Computing in AI-Powered Cloud Solutions

With businesses including artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations, cloud computing has grown in...

From Startup to Success: Essential Steps for Landscaping Entrepreneurs

Starting a landscaping business is so exciting, blending creativity with the reward of transforming...

Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead Offloads Shares as Part of Trading Plan

According to regulatory filings, Jennifer Newstead, Chief Legal Officer at Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:...

Nvidia Director Aarti Shah to Sell Shares Worth $2.37 Mn

Aarti S. Shah, a director at NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), has filed a notice...

Alphabet COA Amie Thuener O’Toole Increases Stock Holdings

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ...

Elon Musk’s X Sues Indian Govt Over Content Regulation Clash

X Corp, an Elon Musk-owned social media firm, sued the Indian government in the...

Predictive Analytics: The Key to Supply Chain Resilience

In today’s interconnected global economy, supply chains are the lifeblood of businesses, weaving intricate...

UK PM Kier Starmer Abolishes NHS England To Bring Health Services Under Govt Control

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to abolish NHS England and bring...

VIDEO: US President Donald Trump Calls NBC A ‘Worst Network’ On Television

During a press meeting at the Oval Office on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump...

The Role of Edge Computing in AI-Powered Cloud Solutions

With businesses including artificial intelligence (AI) in their operations, cloud computing has grown in...