After aborting its launch attempt on the 27th of July 2023, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launched from Launch Complex 39A from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying Jupiter 3 / EchoStar 24 to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The Falcon Heavy for this mission used B1064 and B1065 as side boosters making their third launch and landing back at Cape Canaveral after separating, the center core was B1074 making its first and final flight as it isn't being recovered to get more performance out of the booster.

The Jupiter 3 satellite in its launch configuration at Maxar Technologies' manufacturing plant in Palo Alto, California.

What is Jupiter 3 / EchoStar 24?

Jupiter 3/EchoStar XXIV is a large, multi-spot beam Ka-band satellite built on the space-proven SSL-1300 architecture, which allows it to handle a wide range of space-based applications. It has a totally new architecture based on a wide range of technological improvements such as miniaturization of electronics, solid-state amplifiers, and more efficient antenna designs that enable 500 Gbps throughput. SSL has trademarked 18 technological advancements that have been integrated into the spacecraft design, allowing it to deliver highly focused capacity in critical locations. Maxar built the satellite, which weighs 9,200 kilograms (20,282 pounds) and has 14 solar arrays that extend to 127 feet across once deployed on orbit.

The satellite was scheduled to launch in 2021 but was repeatedly pushed back to the first half of 2023 due to COVID-19 pandemic-related issues.

Falcon Heavy's engine section with 27 Merlin engines inside the Horizontal integration facility at LC-39A.

What is Falcon Heavy?

Falcon Heavy is the super-heavy lift variant of SpaceX's very reliable Falcon-9 rocket. It can deliver up to 63,800 kilograms to low-Earth-orbit and 26,700 kilograms to geosynchronous transfer orbit when fully expended or 8,000 kilograms to geosynchronous transfer orbit when all three cores are reused. Falcon Heavy launched for the first time on the 6th of February 2018 and has since launched five more times, all successfully placing its payloads into space. SpaceX has only recovered all three boosters once and currently chooses to expend the center core for more performance.

Falcon Heavy lights all twenty-seven of its Merlin 1D engines at launch with the boosters burning for up to 154 seconds and the center core burning for up to 187 seconds generating up to a combined 2510 tons of thrust. The second stage is powered by one Merlin 1D Vacuum engine and burns for up to 397 seconds generating up to 95 tons of thrust. Falcon Heavy uses kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants for all of its stages.