Falcon Heavy Launches Final ViaSat-3 Terabit-Class Satellite A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched the third and final terabit-class ViaSat-3 broadband satellite toward geostationary orbit on April 29, marking the completion of a broadband constellation that has been in development for over a decade. The launch, the Falcon Heavy’s 12th since its 2018 debut, took place at 10:13 a.m. Eastern Time from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, with its two side boosters successfully landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station approximately eight minutes later for reuse. The satellite, weighing roughly 6,400 kilograms, is expected to separate from the rocket nearly five hours after liftoff and use onboard electric propulsion to reach its operational orbit over the Asia Pacific region several months later. Viasat expects the satellite, designated F3, to enter commercial service late summer after undergoing extensive health checks on its payload and spacecraft bus from Boeing. The launch followed a delay of just over a month, as SpaceX had initially planned to send F3 into space on April 27 but called off the mission seconds before liftoff due to unfavorable weather conditions. The satellite’s deployment is a critical milestone for Viasat, which has faced significant challenges in its efforts to deliver high-capacity broadband services. The ViaSat-3 constellation was originally slated to begin providing terabit-per-second (Tbps) services in 2019, but production delays, supply chain disruptions, and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the first launch to 2023. However, the first satellite, ViaSat-3 F1, launched in 2023, suffered a major setback when its deployable reflector failed to unfold properly, resulting in the loss of more than 90% of its planned terabit capacity.#spacex #kennedy_space_center #l3harris #northrop_grumman #viasat
