April 05, 2019
The upcoming SpaceX launch of the Falcon Heavy will be a key milestone for the rocket's commercial and military prospects.
The Falcon Heavy performed a static-fire engine test Friday on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, Fla., a day later than planned.
Falcon Heavy SpaceX Launch Will Mark First Commercial Mission
The SpaceX launch had been scheduled for Sunday, but it now looks like it will be pushed back. Showers and thunderstorms are also threats on Monday or Tuesday, according to meteorologists. The Air Force's 45th Space Wing, which is in charge of launches at Cape Canaveral, tweeted that the new launch date would be Tuesday but then deleted the post.
Whenever the SpaceX launch takes place, it will be the first one for the Falcon Heavy with a paying customer and the first for a commercial client.
The rocket, which is two times more powerful than any other operating today, had its maiden flight in February 2018. Its payload then was CEO Elon Musk's Tesla (TSLA) Roadster, which is now in deep space traveling along an elliptical Mars orbit.
For the first commercial SpaceX launch of the Falcon Heavy, the rocket will carry a communications satellite built by Lockheed Martin (LMT) for the Saudi Arabian company Arabsat.
SpaceX will also attempt to recover all three of the first-stage boosters: two on land and one on a drone ship. Last year, the center-stage booster missed the drone ship and crashed into the ocean, while both side boosters landed safely.
Lockheed shares edged up 0.4% to 300.86 on the stock market today. Tesla climbed 2.4% to 274.16.

Falcon Heavy SpaceX Launch Key For Air Force
The Air Force will be closely watching the Falcon Heavy launch. While SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 rocket has been cleared for national security missions, the Falcon Heavy still must prove itself to the Pentagon.
The military has said that three Falcon Heavy launches are needed before flying a national security mission.
After the Arabsat mission, another SpaceX launch of the Falcon Heavy is due in June, when the Air Force will use it for a non-national security mission. That launch will include research payloads for NASA and private institutes, like the Planetary Society's LightSail.
The SpaceX launch manifest includes another Falcon Heavy mission for Viasat, but it's unclear when that will take place.
The missions lead up a mid-2020 SpaceX launch for the Air Force, which will put a classified national security payload on the Falcon Heavy. SpaceX won the $130 million contract, beating legacy launch provider United Launch Alliance, a Lockheed-Boeing (BA) joint venture.

Heavy-Lift Rocket Market
But even if the Falcon Heavy launches go well, the market for large payloads that would need such a heavy-lift rocket could be diminishing as the focus turns to small satellites.
The Air Force announced Thursday that it has bought five small launches from Rocket Lab, Vox Space and others, for $25 million as it looks to send 21 test small satellites into space this year.
Still the market for military launches, while relatively small, is lucrative, Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project and the director of Defense Budget Analysis at CSIS, told IBD earlier.
Large spy satellites with telescopes for high-resolution imagery as well as antenna arrays for signals intelligence will need heavy-lift rockets.
Related Stories
Latest News
Top news around the world
Academy Awards

‘Oppenheimer’ Reigns at Oscars With Seven Wins, Including Best Picture and Director

Get the latest news about the 2024 Oscars, including nominations, winners, predictions and red carpet fashion at 96th Academy Awards

Around the World

Celebrity News

> Latest News in Media

Watch It
Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Celebrate “Three Years of Bliss” Ahead of Wedding
March 24, 2024
C4Ehegcq1-A
Kate Middleton & Prince William "Enormously Touched" by Public Support
March 24, 2024
s8fig-RCjFc
Gisele Bündchen Denies Cheating on Ex-Husband Tom Brady
March 23, 2024
_SpRMagA8BM
Eminem, 50 Cent & Snoop Dogg Present Dr. Dre with a Star on the Walk of Fame
March 19, 2024
4bNLs1hxVp8
Opening Remarks for the Variety Summit October 20th, 2023 Jay Penske
March 18, 2024
c6Z707iLq8E
'Everybody Was S----ing Their Pants': Nick Thune Jokes About Being Born in the '70s and Fatherhood
March 16, 2024
mm7Baf6o2d8
Gunna Says Tour Will Up Creativity in Rap, Endorses Flo Milli | TMZ
March 22, 2024
QfMU24fw-Qo
Reporter Taylor Lorenz Says Palace Botched Kate Cancer News Rollout | TMZ Live
March 22, 2024
o43ZucdiyEo
Riley Strain's Body Found After Going Missing in Nashville 2 Weeks Ago | TMZ NOW
March 22, 2024
1m1zM-4_Cs8
Kyle Richards hasn’t spoken to co-star Dorit Kemsley, denies sending her a ‘manipulative’ text
March 24, 2024
LqLZzDP1hm4
Jordan Emanuel on her connection to 'RHOSLC' star Meredith Marks, advice from Amanda Batula
March 24, 2024
5NPAwlOov1Y
Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary apologizes after slamming ‘fickle’ Meghan Markle in scathing interview
March 24, 2024
JWG9kitALZk
TV Schedule
Late Night Show
Watch the latest shows of U.S. top comedians

Sports

Latest sport results, news, videos, interviews and comments
Latest Events
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SK Brann W - Barcelona W
20
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Hacken W - PSG W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
SL Benfica W - Lyon W
19
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Playoffs - Women
Ajax W - Chelsea W
17
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Atletico Madrid - Barcelona
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester United - Liverpool
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Inter Milan - Napoli
17
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Brighton - Manchester City
17
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt
17
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Chelsea - Leicester City
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Roma - Sassuolo
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Verona - AC Milan
17
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Genoa
16
Mar
GERMANY: Bundesliga
Darmstadt - Bayern Munich
16
Mar
ENGLAND: FA Cup
Manchester City - Newcastle United
16
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Fulham - Tottenham Hotspur
16
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Osasuna - Real Madrid
13
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Atletico Madrid - Inter Milan
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Barcelona - Napoli
12
Mar
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 1/8 Final
Arsenal - Porto
11
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Chelsea - Newcastle United
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Liverpool - Manchester City
10
Mar
SPAIN: La Liga
Real Madrid - Celta Vigo
10
Mar
ENGLAND: Premier League
Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Juventus - Atalanta
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
Fiorentina - Roma
10
Mar
ITALY: Serie A
AC Milan - Empoli
Find us on Instagram
at @feedimo to stay up to date with the latest.
Featured Video You Might Like
zWJ3MxW_HWA L1eLanNeZKg i1XRgbyUtOo -g9Qziqbif8 0vmRhiLHE2U JFCZUoa6MYE UfN5PCF5EUo 2PV55f3-UAg W3y9zuI_F64 -7qCxIccihU pQ9gcOoH9R8 g5MRDEXRk4k
Copyright © 2020 Feedimo. All Rights Reserved.