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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch with Arabsat Reset for Tuesday:
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch with the ArabSat 6A satellite aboard has been reset for Tuesday after a test fire was completed Friday, SpaceX has confirmed.
The launch window was previously 6:36 to 8:35 p.m. EDT Sunday, based on airspace closure warnings. A similar time is expected for the new date. Delays or postponements can happen because of weather, technical problems or other issues.
Arabsat 6A is a communications satellite for the Riyahd, Saudi Arabia-based company of the same name. It is to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
[...] On the Falcon Heavy's maiden voyage into space in February 2018, also on a Tuesday, an estimated 100,000 visitors came to watch. That launch had the additional pizzazz of being the biggest rocket since the Saturn era ended in the 1970s. It was carrying Elon Musk's red Tesla Roadster with the crash dummy Starman at the wheel.
Two side boosters will attempt to fly back to twin landing pads at Kennedy Space Center.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday April 08 2019, @03:24AM (2 children)
This launch uses Block 5 boosters and an "octoweb" structure, making it substantially different in some ways.
The first launch was great PR, but we have had talk in recent weeks of shifting work from the Space Launch System to Falcon Heavy. Non-U.S. countries [soylentnews.org] were already talking about using Falcon Heavy for LOP-G, no SLS pretense.
The Arabsat payload should not require Heavy; Falcon 9 should be sufficient. This is a demo for the U.S. government and to a lesser extent other potential customers.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 08 2019, @09:45AM (1 child)
At 6000 kg, Arabsat exceeds the demonstrated ability of Falcon 9 to launch in a recoverable mode. SpaceX would much rather use fully recoverable Falcon Heavy than expendable Falcon 9. This is likely cheaper for the customer as well. The only use for expendable Falcon 9 is for US military missions, who (I think) are still trying to pretend that the Space Shuttle is the only way to do reusable space flights.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday April 08 2019, @03:32PM
If true, I'd like to see SpaceX update their official pricing [spacex.com].
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]