She sent a secret satellite of the US Department of Defense into orbit.
On November 1, SpaceX launched its heavyweight the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, which is the most powerful rocket in the world. According to Space.com, this is the first launch of the device in three years and the fourth since its creation.
Falcon Heavy consists of three modified Falcon 9 first-stage boosters connected together. The rocket launched from the spaceport of the Kennedy Space Center. It delivered several secret cargoes for the US Department of Defense as part of the USSF-44 mission.
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As the publication emphasizes, Falcon Heavy was launched for the first time since 2019. This is in stark contrast to the number of Falcon 9 launches that SpaceX currently launches every six days. In most cases, Falcon 9 launches use first stages that have already been in space. But today's Falcon Heavy launch involved new boosters.
In past missions, SpaceX has attempted to land the superheavy launch vehicle's center booster on a floating platform in the ocean. But the specifics of the USSF-44 demanded to abandon this, since the booster had to use the maximum amount of fuel to get to geostationary orbit. However, two side boosters, which the company intends to use in the future, returned safely to Earth. They made a successful landing eight minutes after liftoff.
Due to the classified nature of the USSF-44 payload, the exact number and duration of second stage thrusts required to deliver it to orbit are unknown.
Related video < p>Last week, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 launch vehicle with another batch of Starlink satellites on board. It was the 44th launch this year. The company is increasing the number of launches amid Russian threats to attack commercial satellites used to aid Ukraine.
