After a two day stand down thanks to weather and the arrival of Artemis III’s core stage, SpaceX launched its first Falcon Heavy in 18 months from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. It was the 12th Falcon Heavy mission overall and the 31st lauynch overall this year from Florida.
About eight minutes after liftoff, the two side boosters returned to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for tandem landings at SLC-40 and LZ-2, while the center core was expended in the Atlantic. One of the side boosters making the trip back had previously flown 21 missions as a Falcon 9 before its conversion to Heavy configuration earlier this year.
The roughly 6-metric-ton ViaSat-3 F3 spacecraft is the third and final satellite in Carlsbad, Calif.-based Viasat’s Ka-band constellation. Once on station in geostationary orbit, it will deliver high-throughput broadband across the Asia-Pacific region, joining ViaSat-3 F1, which currently serves aviation customers, and ViaSat-3 F2, which is slated to bring service to the Americas next month.
Viasat said the satellite will spend several months traveling to geostationary orbit before in-orbit testing, with commercial service expected by late summer 2026.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Mission | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-38 — Go for Launch! |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Customer / Payload Provider | SpaceX (Starlink) |
| Location | Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 |
| Pad | Space Launch Complex 40 |
| Status | Go for Launch |
| Status Info | Current T-0 confirmed by official or reliable sources. |
| Window Opens | Friday, 05/01/2026 1:33 PM |
| Window Closes | Friday, 05/01/2026 5:33 PM |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Mission Description | A batch of 29 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation, SpaceX’s space-based internet communication system. |
| Broadcast Start Time | Coverage typically begins ~15 minutes before launch. |
| SpaceX Streaming Coverage | Watch Live on SpaceX.com |
| Spaceflight Now YouTube Coverage | Watch on YouTube – Spaceflight Now Live Stream |
As of Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Launch times are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Consult SpaceX.com for more information.
Author: Charles Boyer
NASA kid from Cocoa Beach, FL, born of Project Apollo parents and family. I’m a writer and photographer sharing the story of spaceflight from the Eastern Range here in Florida.
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