SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is truly a remarkable sight, especially because its boosters land in unison, offering a glimpse into the future of space travel.
The recent Falcon Heavy launch involved transporting a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite into orbit approximately 22,000 miles above the Earth's surface. The new satellite is designed to monitor weather conditions across various regions of Earth, such as the United States, South America, and Central America.
The satellite was transported to its designated place in orbit by Falcon Heavy, which is comprised of three of the Falcon 9 boosters and is specifically designed for heavy payloads, hence the name. The NOAA satellite called the GOES-U was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, and upon launch the Falcon Heavy generated 5.5 million pounds of thrust.
Shortly after launch Falcon Heavy initiated its booster separation phase which means exactly what is in the name, the Falcon Heavy booster disconnect from the ship and begin their descent back to Earth's surface. The boosters landed successfully in Space Landing Zones 1 and 2 back at Kennedy Space Center approximately 8 minutes after launch, and there was no effort made to recover the core booster.
It should be noted that landing the boosters back on the ground enables reusability, and some of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy boosters have flown more than 20 times, marking a fundamental milestone in space exploration.