Maxar Technologies photographed the Falcon Heavy rocket before launching the largest satellite in history. Before SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy made its seventh flight into space, the satellite was decided to send some photos of the huge and powerful Falcon Heavy rocket to Earth.
In the photos transmitted from one of the Maxar Technologies satellites, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch vehicle stands at the launch complex-39A of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The photo was taken before the first launch attempt. Maxar has posted an image of the Falcon Heavy on its social media pages. The images were taken using another Maxar satellite, which was already in orbit. They show the Falcon Heavy standing on the launch pad from three different angles and heights, and serve as a visual reminder of the huge size of the Falcon Heavy.
SpaceX was ready to launch the Falcon Heavy on Wednesday night (July 26), but this attempt was canceled just a minute before launch. Another planned attempt on July 27 was also canceled. In the end, the rocket successfully launched on July 29 at 06:04 a.m., GMT+3. The rocket launched into space the only payload of record mass – the 9.2-ton Jupiter 3 communications satellite.
Jupiter 3 is the largest commercial communications satellite created by Maxar Technologies. Maxar designs and manufactures satellites and other components for spacecraft, and has 285 satellites in orbit, according to the company’s website.
Putting the Jupiter 3 communications satellite into orbit with a mass of 9.2 tons did not become an absolute record in the history of cosmonautics. The record remains with the Ariane 5 rocket, which launched two satellites with a total mass of 10.2 tons into space in 2021. However, sending Jupiter 3 into orbit was the launch of a single object of record mass. It seems that now this spacecraft will become the heaviest civilian satellite to reach geostationary orbit.
Take a ???? at our view of LC-39A at @NASAKennedy!
This image, taken today at 11:57 a.m. ET, shows the @SpaceX Falcon Heavy that will launch @HughesConnects #JUPITER3 mission AND it’s the largest @satellite we’ve ever built! ????
???? Tune in and watch live: https://t.co/FnFREmHeqM pic.twitter.com/Ys8khYaU6G
— Maxar Technologies (@Maxar) July 26, 2023
The Jupiter 3 communications satellite will be operated by EchoStar’s Hughes Network Systems division. It will provide wireless Internet to the countries of North and South America. The spacecraft will create a communication channel with a maximum bandwidth of 500 Gbit/s.
Earlier we reported on how the Maxar Technologies satellite took new pictures of the main camp of the Wagner PMC.
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