>> IT’LL BE PRETTY COLD OUT ON THE CAPE TOMORROW, BUT MANY FOLKS WILL BE OUT THERE BRAVING THE LOW TEMPERATURES TO WATCH THE LAUNCH OF A SPACEX FALCON HEAVY. IT’S SET TO HAPPEN JUST AFTER SUNSET AND SHOULD BE QUITE A SITE. >> WESH TWO BREVARD COUNTY BUREAU CHIEF SCOTT HEIDLER JOINS US LIVE FROM JETTY PARK. SCOTT, THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS LAUNCH! >> WE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO THE NEAR-WEEKLY LAUNCHES OF SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKETS FROM THE CAPE. THE HEAVY IS A DIFFERENT STORY AND IT SERVES A DIFFERENT PURPOSE. WITH FIVE MILLION POUNDS OF THRUST ASIDE FROM NASA’S SLS BIG MOON ROCKET THAT JUST HAD ITS FIRST TEST MISSION. >> “THE FALCON HEAVY IS THE LARGEST MOST POWERFUL ROCKET THAT WE HAVE. IT HAS THE ABILITY TO PUT SATELLITES INTO ORBIT THAT PRETTY MUCH NO OTHER ROCKET CAN COME CLOSE TO.” ESSENTIALLY THE HEAVY IS THREE FALCON 9 BOOSTERS LINED UP NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND CONNECTED. MAKING IT A MUCH MORE COMPLEX LAUNCH. >> “THERE ARE SO MANY MORE ENGINES, THERE’S SO MUCH MORE PLUMBING. BUT THEN THERE’S ALSO MORE SOFTWARE THERE’S DIFFERENT CONTROL ALGORITHMS THAT ARE USED TO MAKE SURE THE ROCKET STAYS ON TRACK. SO IN SOME ASPECTS ITS PROBABLY MORE THAN THREE TIME MORE DIFFICULT.” >> AND ONE OF THOSE DIFFICULT ASPECTS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR TO WATCH. NEAR-SIMULTANEOUS VERTICAL LANDING OF THE TWO SIDE BOOSTERS. THE CORE BOOSTER WILL USE ALL ITS FUEL TO CARRY THE PAYLOAD FURTHER OUT PART OF THE REASON WHY THE FALCON HEAVY IS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF. LIKE THE LAST MISSION IN NOVEMBER IT’LL BE CARRYING LARGE SATELLITES FOR THE US SPACE FORCE. AND TO A DEEPER GEO ORBIT. THIS IS THE 5TH FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH FOUR MORE ARE PLANNED FOR THIS YEAR. WHAT’S GOING TO MAKE THIS LAUNCH EVEN COOLER AS IT’LL TAKE PLACE JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER SUNSET WE WILL SEE WHAT’S BEEN CALLED A JELLY FISH EFFECT. ONCE IN HIGH ALTITUDE ROCKET’S PLUME WILL BE LIT UP BY SUNLIGHT WHILE IT’S DARKER DOWN HERE ON THE GROUND. IT WILL BE AN AMAZI
Falcon Heavy launch delayed to Sunday evening
Here in Central Florida, we have gotten used to the near-weekly launches of SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets from the Cape, but the Falcon Heavy is a different story and serves a different purpose.With five million pounds of thrust, experts say the Heavy is the largest and most powerful rocket available – aside from NASA’s SLS big moon rocket that just had its first test mission.This weekend’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch was delayed to Sunday, from its original Saturday evening launch window. The window is now set to open at 5:56 p.m. on Sunday.“It has the ability to put satellites into orbit that pretty much no other rocket can come close to,” Platt said.Essentially, the Heavy is three Falcon 9 boosters lined up next to each other and connected. And that makes it a much more complex rocket to launch and control.“There are so many more engines. There’s so much more plumbing. But then there’s also more software, there’s different control algorithms that are used to make sure the rocket stays on track. So, in some aspects, it’s probably more than three times more difficult,” Play said. And one of those difficult aspects is also one of the most spectacular to watch when the two side boosters land vertically on Landing Zones One and Two just seconds apart.The core booster will use all its fuel to carry the payload further out and that’s part of the reason why the Falcon Heavy is in a class by itself. Like the last mission in November, it’ll carry payloads for the U.S. Space Force into deep GEO orbit. This will be the fifth Falcon Heavy launch and there are four more planned for this year.What’s going to make this launch even more spectacular, as it’ll take place just a few minutes after sunset, we will see what’s called a jellyfish effect. Once in high altitude, the rocket’s gas plume will be illuminated by sunlight while it’s darker down on the ground. The launch was scheduled for Saturday, but SpaceX says they are rescheduling it to Sunday and targeting 5:56 p.m. for the launch. Other top headlines:Deputies: 19-year-old shot, killed Orange County father in front of family at birthday party Orange County deputies identify woman found shot to death in crashed carOperation Viper: FWC investigation leads to arrests of snake trafficking suspectsSuspects ram Polk County deputy vehicle, cause deadly crash in stolen SUV, sheriff says
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
Here in Central Florida, we have gotten used to the near-weekly launches of SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets from the Cape, but the Falcon Heavy is a different story and serves a different purpose.
With five million pounds of thrust, experts say the Heavy is the largest and most powerful rocket available – aside from NASA’s SLS big moon rocket that just had its first test mission.
This weekend’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch was delayed to Sunday, from its original Saturday evening launch window. The window is now set to open at 5:56 p.m. on Sunday.
“It has the ability to put satellites into orbit that pretty much no other rocket can come close to,” Platt said.
Essentially, the Heavy is three Falcon 9 boosters lined up next to each other and connected. And that makes it a much more complex rocket to launch and control.
“There are so many more engines. There’s so much more plumbing. But then there’s also more software, there’s different control algorithms that are used to make sure the rocket stays on track. So, in some aspects, it’s probably more than three times more difficult,” Play said.
And one of those difficult aspects is also one of the most spectacular to watch when the two side boosters land vertically on Landing Zones One and Two just seconds apart.
The core booster will use all its fuel to carry the payload further out and that’s part of the reason why the Falcon Heavy is in a class by itself. Like the last mission in November, it’ll carry payloads for the U.S. Space Force into deep GEO orbit. This will be the fifth Falcon Heavy launch and there are four more planned for this year.
What’s going to make this launch even more spectacular, as it’ll take place just a few minutes after sunset, we will see what’s called a jellyfish effect.
Once in high altitude, the rocket’s gas plume will be illuminated by sunlight while it’s darker down on the ground.
The launch was scheduled for Saturday, but SpaceX says they are rescheduling it to Sunday and targeting 5:56 p.m. for the launch.
Other top headlines:
- Deputies: 19-year-old shot, killed Orange County father in front of family at birthday party
- Orange County deputies identify woman found shot to death in crashed car
- Operation Viper: FWC investigation leads to arrests of snake trafficking suspects
- Suspects ram Polk County deputy vehicle, cause deadly crash in stolen SUV, sheriff says