SpaceX aims to launch Falcon Heavy and two Falcon 9 rockets this week

SpaceX will aim to complete three successful launches this week, with Falcon Heavy leading the charge and two Falcon 9 launches coming afterward.

First up for SpaceX this week, Starlink satellites are scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 25 at 6:02 AM PDT (13:02 UTC). This will be the 13th launch of Booster 1061. Tucked away in the fairing, 46 version 1.5 Starlink satellites will join the growing constellation.

Following the very next day, Falcon Heavy is currently scheduled to launch the Boeing-built Viasat-3 communications satellite into Geostationary Earth Orbit from Launch Complex 39-A at Kennedy Space Center. The 1 hour launch window opens just before local sunset at 7:24 PM EDT (23:24 UTC} This will be the first time the Falcon Heavy is flown in its fully expendable variation. The two side boosters, B1052, on their 8th flight and B1053, on its 3rd flight, and the center core B1068 is on their first and only flight.

Rounding out the week on April 28th at 5:12 PM EDT (21:12 UTC), this time from Space Launch Complex 40 located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, SpaceX will launch O3b mPower 3 & 4 communication satellites, also built by Boeing and operated by SES. It is currently unknown which booster will perform this mission, but it will be attempting a landing on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ drone ship.

The two launches come just a week after SpaceX successfully launched Starship for the first time in a trial run that was the culmination of years of preparation and engineering.

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email @ rangle1555@gmail.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

Richard Angle: Launch journalist, specializing in launch photography. Based on the Space Coast, a short drive from Cape Canaveral and the SpaceX launch pads.
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