SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket

On November 1, 2022, the SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to send US military satellites into space.

What is Falcon Heavy rocket?

Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX. It is a powerful rocket comprising of 2 strap-on boosters made using Flacon 9 first stages, a centre code made from a Falcon 9 first stage and a second stage on the top. It has the highest payload capacity among the currently operational launch vehicles. It can generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at lift-off. This is equivalent to around eighteen 747 aircraft.

When was the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket conducted?

The first-ever launch of the Falcon Heavy Rocket happened on February 6, 2018. This launch vehicle carried a Tesla Roadster belonging to SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The car had a dummy named “Starman” at the driver’s seat.

The second Falcon Heavy Rocket was launched on April 11, 2019. All the three booster rockets successfully came back to the Earth. Since then, the launch vehicle has been certified for the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. This rocket will eventually be superseded by the Starship Launch System, which is currently under development.

The 2022 launch

On November 1, SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time in more than three years. Few minutes after the launch, two booster segments returned to the Earth, landing at Cape Canaveral. The return of the two side boosters marks the 150^th and 151^st recovery of orbital class rockets.

The Falcon Heavy Rocket had put multiple satellites on the target orbit on behalf of the Space System Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Delta, which aims to develop space technologies that help track objects in space and other such activities.

This is the 50^th launch conducted by SpaceX in 2022. This means SpaceX has been conducting launches every 6.10 days, putting it on track for 59 launches in 2022. It is 2022’s 70^th orbital launch attempt by the US space industry and the 150^th for the world.

Month: Current Affairs – November, 2022

Category: International / World Current Affairs • Science & Technology Current Affairs