Falcon Heavy Makes Its First National Security Space Launch

USSF-44 mission launch with Falcon Heavy side boosters touch down

A pair of Falcon Heavy side boosters touched down at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Nov. 1, following launch on the USSF-44 mission.

Credit: SpaceX
Almost five years after SpaceX demonstrated its Falcon Heavy launch service by putting Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster into an orbit that crosses Mars, the most powerful rocket in operation today joined the elite fleet of vehicles tasked for U.S. national security space missions. Launch of the U.S. Space...
Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

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