SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launch: USSF-44 Mission, Nov 1, 2022
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Falcon Heavy (Attribution: SpaceX, Presented at: WindermereSun.com)
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy, USSF-44 Mission, launched on Nov. 1, 2022, from Kennedy Space Center, FL (Attribution: SpaceX, Presented at: WinderemereSun.com)
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Today, November 1, 2022, at 9:41 am EDT, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launched for USSF-44 Mission, from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA.
USSF-44 is a classified mission for the United States Space Force. There will be 2 payloads on board this mission, a larger, unconfirmed satellite and a micro-satellite named TETRA-1. TETRA-1 is the first in a series of prototype GEO satellites being launched by the US Military which will test systems procedures for future satellites.
This will be the: |
– 4th Falcon Heavy launch – 1st flight for B1064, B1065, B1066 – 150th and 151st booster landing if successful – 76th and 77th consecutive landing (a record) – 193rd overall SpaceX mission – 50th launch for SpaceX in 2022 (a record) – 56th SpaceX launch from LC-39A – 149th orbital launch attempt of 2022 |
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For more about Falcon Heavy & the Nov 1, 2022 launch, please refer to excerpts from wikipedia, in italics, below:
Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle that is produced by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer. The rocket consists of two strap-on boosters made from Falcon 9 first stages, a center core also made from a Falcon 9 first stage, and a second stage on top.[8] Falcon Heavy has the highest payload capacity of any currently operational launch vehicle and the third-highest capacity of any rocket ever to reach orbit, trailing the Saturn V and Energia.
SpaceX conducted Falcon Heavy’s maiden launch on 6 February 2018, at 20:45 UTC.[4] The rocket carried a Tesla Roadster belonging to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, with a dummy dubbed “Starman” in the driver’s seat, as a dummy payload.[9] The second Falcon Heavy launch occurred on 11 April 2019, and all three booster rockets successfully returned to Earth.[10] The third Falcon Heavy launch successfully occurred on 25 June 2019. Since then, Falcon Heavy has been certified for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.[11]
Falcon Heavy was designed to be able to carry humans into space beyond low Earth orbit, although as of February 2018, SpaceX does not intend to transport people on Falcon Heavy, nor pursue the human-rating certification process to transport NASA astronauts.[12] Both Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 are expected to eventually be superseded by the in-development Starship launch system.[13]
First classified flight of Falcon Heavy. The contract was awarded to SpaceX for a price of under 30% of that of a typical Delta IV Heavy launch (US$440 million). Payload includes two separate satellites and at least two additional rideshare payloads (including TETRA-1[136]) and will weigh roughly 3.7 t (8,200 lb) at launch.[137] They will be launched in a direct geosynchronous orbit, necessitating for the first time a planned partially expendable launch, that is, to deliberately expend the center core which lacks grid fins and landing gear needed for a landing,[138] while the two side-boosters will be targeting simultaneous landings at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.[139] It was originally scheduled for Q1 2022, but it has been delayed due to payload issues.[140]
The second stage will feature a gray band due to its long coast phase between subsequent burns, to allow more heat from sunlight to be absorbed to warm the RP-1 kerosene tank during the longer coasting period, a first for FH and third for any falcon rocket. When it gets too cold, kerosene – which freezes at a much higher temperature than Falcon’s liquid oxygen oxidizer – becomes viscous and slush-like before it freezes solid. If ingested, slushy fuel would likely prevent ignition or destroy the upper stage’s Merlin engine.[141]
SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, November 1 at 9:41 a.m. ET (13:41 UTC) for Falcon Heavy’s launch of the USSF-44 mission to a geosynchronous Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available on Wednesday, November 2 at 9:37 a.m. ET (13:37 UTC). Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, in the video streamed on Nov 1, 2022, by SpaceX, as “USSF-44 Mission“, below:
SpaceX Falcon Heavy’s launch of the USSF-44 mission to a geosynchronous Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available. Following booster separation, Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land at SpaceX’s Landing Zones 1 and 2 (LZ-1 and LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. A live webcast of this mission will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, in the video streamed on Nov 1, 2022, by SpaceX, as “USSF-44 Mission | Launch! Elon Musk gives an update on SpaceX USSF-44 Mission!“, below:
SpaceX Falcon Heavy’s launch of the USSF-44 mission to a geosynchronous Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A backup launch opportunity is available. SpaceX and NASA are targeting no earlier than Monday, October 3 for Falcon 9’s launch of Dragon’s fifth science expedition mission (Crew-5) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window opens at 12:46 p.m. ET, 16:46 UTC, with a backup opportunity available on Tuesday, October 4 at 12:23 p.m. ET, 16:23 UTC. The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-3 to and from the space station, and – following stage separation – Falcon 9’s first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, in the video streamed on Nov 1, 2022, by SpaceX, as “Watch Live: NASA & SpaceX Falcon Heavy USSF-44 Mission Launch…Elon Musk about SpaceX Starlink“, below:
Falcon Heavy has lifted off once again for the first time in over 3 years. Still holding the title for most powerful operational rocket in the world, earlier this morning we watched it launch apart of the USSF-44 mission. Not to mention this launch marked multiple milestones including the 150th and 151st recovery of orbital class rockets for SpaceX. The last time we watched a Falcon Heavy lift-off prior to today was in June 2019. While there are a few reasons for the long time period between these launches, what’s important is that the dry streak has ended. This mission marks the first launch in many years for Falcon Heavy and the beginning of a much busier and more aggressive launch schedule in the coming months. With this launch finished and successful, SpaceX will move on to multiple other Falcon Heavy launches set to happen in the coming months and throughout 2023. Here I will go more in-depth into exactly what happened on today’s mission, why it took years between now and the last launch, what to expect in the coming months regarding missions, and more, in the video streamed on Nov 1, 2022, by TheSpaceBucket, as “Why Falcon Heavy’s Core Was Expanded, Gray Band On Upper Stagge, Future Schedule, & More“, below:
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its first Falcon Heavy mission in over three years Tuesday morning. Touted as the most powerful operational rocket in the world, with 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the rocket is carrying the classified USSF-44 mission for the U.S. Space Force. It’s the first operational national security mission for the Falcon Heavy, in the video published on Nov 1, 2022, by CNBC Television, as “Musk’s SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy on first military mission to space“, below:
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy — a towering, three-pronged vehicle that is the most powerful operational rocket in the world — returned to the skies on Tuesday for the first time since mid-2019, in the video published on Nov 1, 2022, by CNN, as “SpaceX is back with Falcon Heavy rocket launch. See the moment of liftoff“, below:
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