WATCH LIVE at 10:13 a.m.: SpaceX eyes launch of Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida coast

Added: 2026-04-30

[00:00:00]Launch director, go for launch.

[00:00:04]>> At tminus 40 seconds, all systems are go for launch. Let's listen in to the final seconds of the countdown.

[00:00:14]>> T-minus 30 seconds.

[00:00:28]T-minus 15 seconds.

[00:00:34]T-minus 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ignition and liftoff. Go Falcon Heavy. Go Viasat.

[00:00:54]MD chamber pressures are nominal.

[00:00:56]Vehicle is pitching down range.

[00:01:14]At t plus 30 seconds into flight, Falcon Heavy has successfully lifted off from launch complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. We're now throttling down the engines to prepare for max Q, which is the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure during ascent. Max Q occurs when the combination >> speed and air pressure puts the greatest stress on the vehicle.

[00:01:41]>> Falcon Heavy is supersonic.

[00:01:43]>> There we just heard the call out that the vehicle is now traveling faster than the speed of sound. Max Q coming up in a few seconds.

[00:01:54]>> Max Q.

[00:01:56]Now, we've passed the moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket and M1D engines are throttling back up.

[00:02:03]>> Now, we have several events coming up and a few more than we're accustomed to with Falcon 9 missions. So, let's get into it. First will be BCO or booster engine cutoff when the engines on the two side boosters shut down. After that, the side boosters will separate from the center core and perform a flip maneuver using their small thrusters to head back towards Earth. Next, the side boosters will initiate boost back burn to send the vehicles towards landing zones 2 and 40. After that is main engine cutoff or MO when all the engines on the center core shut down and that will be followed by stage separation where the center core and second stage are pushed apart.

[00:02:39]A few seconds later, we'll see that second stage MVAC ignite to continue to carry the payload to orbit. And finally, once in space, the fairings will be deployed from stage two.

[00:02:51]And we're about 15 seconds away from the start of that sequence of events.

[00:02:56]First again, we're looking out for BCO side booster separation, booster flip, and boost back burn startup.

[00:03:11]>> Booster engine cut off.

[00:03:12]>> Side booster separation confirmed.

[00:03:26]NY and PY boost back startup.

[00:03:31]>> Great news. At this point, both Falcon Heavy side boosters are performing the boost back burn. And this is the first of three burns that each side booster will undergo on the way back to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The primary objective of this burn, the boost back, is to quickly reorient the side boosters onto the required return trajectories. And that's particularly important in the event of a return to launch site like today as opposed to a drone ship ocean recovery.

[00:03:55]These boosters are heading towards landing zones 2 and 40. Meanwhile, on the center core, the nine M1 engines are continuing to power Falcon Heavy on its nominal trajectory and throttled back up following booster separation. We're about 20 seconds away from boost back burn shutdown, at which point the boosters will continue to coast until they restart for entry burn.

[00:04:17]Coming up next, we're standing by for the boost back burn shutdown, which will be followed by main engine cutoff on the center core stage separation and second engine start one of the MVAC engine.

[00:04:36]>> NY and PY boost back shut down.

[00:04:40]>> Main engine cut off.

[00:04:42]>> Stage separation confirmed.

[00:04:55]Fantastic news and a great view there on your screen following stage separation.

[00:04:59]And we're now looking out for fairing separation.

[00:05:05]>> All vehicles are following a nominal trajectory.

[00:05:09]>> Fairing separation confirmed.

[00:05:19]Great view there of the fairing in the background. And after those action-packed few minutes, we had two side boosters separate, perform their flip maneuvers after engine shutdown, followed by a complete boost back burn.

[00:05:30]The center core had its own engine cutoff right before it separated from stage two. And that was followed by the first engine start on the second stage, as well as a successful fairing separation. Now, the next major milestone coming up is entry burn on our two side boosters scheduled to occur just after the T plus 6 minute and 30 second mark. The entry burn is used to slow the first stage boosters as they head back towards landing zone 40 and landing zone 2. Now, we're currently in our first MVAC burn, and this burn should last for another few minutes. The next milestone will be the first stage entry burn coming up in about 2 minutes.

[00:06:06]Today, Falcon Heavy side boosters will be performing two burns in order to land. The first burn, known as the entry burn, slows the vehicle down before hitting the denser parts of Earth's atmosphere.

[00:06:16]>> Without this entry burn, we'd only be using atmospheric drag to slow down Falcon Heavy side boosters, which would add extra stress to the vehicle.

[00:06:24]>> FTS is safe.

[00:06:25]>> Following the entry burn, the boosters will initiate a landing burn to slow down even more for a precise touchdown.

[00:06:31]When Falcon Heavy side boosters fire up their center M1D engines for re-entry, the vehicles will be flying through Merlin's exhaust gases, also known as the rocket's plume. And that process deposits a layer of soot on the vehicle surface. The soot actually comes from the carbon based fuel RP1 that Falcon Heavy uses. And with each flight, that layer builds up a little bit more on the outside of the vehicle.

[00:06:53]Now, in about 20 seconds, those side boosters will execute the entry burn, followed by the landing burn. Both burns are meant to slow the side boosters down rapidly before landing. At the time of separation, the side boosters were traveling slow enough to turn around and make their way back to land at our landing pads.

[00:07:10]So, we're expecting entry burn in a few seconds.

[00:07:21]>> NYPY entry burn startup. And there's the color for the entry burn startup for the Falcon Heavy side boosters. This burn is set to last about 15 seconds and again is slowing those vehicles down in preparation for their final burn and landing.

[00:07:36]>> NYPY entry burn shutdown.

[00:07:39]>> And that concludes our entry burn. As mentioned earlier, we will be attempting to recover both side boosters which are targeting landings at landing zone.

[00:07:46]>> Vehicles continue to follow nominal trajectories.

[00:07:49]>> Great news there. We're targeting landings at landing zones 2 and 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. And you can continue to follow along with the upcoming landing burn with the engine graphics at the bottom of your screen.

[00:08:02]>> Landing burn is coming up in about 20 seconds.

[00:08:05]>> FTS is saved.

[00:08:06]>> Meanwhile, you can see on stage two that first burn of the MVAC engine is still underway. Viaat 3 flight 3 is on its way to >> orbit. Transic.

[00:08:14]>> Stage two FTS is saved.

[00:08:17]>> Stage two is in terminal guidance.

[00:08:20]>> Expecting that landing burn startup in just a couple seconds.

[00:08:30]Landing burn is started up. This is the final burn before the boosters will touch down.

[00:08:49]>> The Falcons have landed. As you saw, we had successful landing of Falcon Heavy side boosters. If you were in the vicinity, then you definitely heard those sonic booms on their way down.

[00:09:00]>> Now, shut down.

[00:09:02]>> We just heard the successful cut off of our second stage engine, and we are waiting for confirmation of good orbit.

[00:09:11]>> Nominal orbit insertion.

[00:09:12]>> And there was the call out. Now, we have a bit of a breather coming up before the next milestone for the mission, which is SCES2. when the MVAC engine on the second stage restarts as it continues to its orbital destination. That's going to come up at the T plus 26 minute mark.

[00:09:27]So, we're going to take a break and leave you with some fantastic views. So, see you back here in about 15 minutes.

[00:09:46]Heat.

[00:10:02]Heat.