SpaceX prepares for a busy year of Falcon Heavy missions
The fifth launch of the largest and most powerful commercial rocket in the world is planned for January 12th. The US military was the main customer for the rocket's third and fourth launches. The mission is expected to be very similar to Falcon Heavy's most recent launch.
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It was the first time in history that a rocket had been launched directly from the ground, and it deployed a pair of satellites. The mission appeared to be more of a rocket test and loose collection of experiments than a major military launch. USSF-67 will likely be the same. According to the US Space Systems Command, USSF-67 will carry an Aerojet Rocketdyne Long Duration Propulsive EELV (LPDE) spacecraft. Various stakeholders will install an unknown number of experiments, instruments, and smaller satellites that can be activated or deployed once in space.
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The LDPE provides critical data to inform future Space Force programs and that the unique experiments and prototype payloads hosted on LDPE-3A advance warfighting capabilities in the areas of on-orbit threat assessment, space hazard detection, and space domain awareness.
The mission will be Falcon Heavy's second launch since June and is scheduled to lift off 72 days after the rocket's USSF-44 launch, which finally ended its 1225-day hiatus. The schedule is similar to last year, when the second and third Falcon Heavy rockets were launched 75 days apart. The second mission was a test flight for the US Air Force that was meant to push Falcon Heavy to its limits with a complex trajectory and demonstrate booster reusability. Two of the three Falcon Heavy boosters that supported the rocket's Arabsat 6A communications satellite launch were re-used. Both of USSF-44's side boosters will be reuse by USSF-67.
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credit:teslarati
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It was a near-flawless success, but endless delays left Falcon Heavy with nothing to launch for more than three years. After its return to flight in late 2022, Falcon Heavy may be able to stretch its wings. This isn't the first time that's happened. There were a lot of signs in February of 2021. There were strong signs in late 2021, that there would be up to five Falcon Heavy launches.
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There are five Falcon Heavy rockets that are scheduled to launch this year. The situation is not the same. The first ViaSat-3 and Jupiter-3 satellites, as well as the US military's mysterious USSF-67 and USSF 52, are on the verge of crossing their respective finish lines. The Psyche asteroid explorer has survived a continuation review after running into major software issues. The chronically delayed mission was finally launched by Falcon Heavy in November. There is plenty of margin for delays in the second half of the year, as four of the five Falcon Heavy launches are scheduled in the first half.
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Until NASA explicitly confirms that Psyche's technical issues are resolved, any launch targets should be treated with extreme skepticism. USSF-67 is not as uncertain. USSF-67 will reuse the Falcon Heavy side boosters that were recovered after USSF-44. The new center booster of Falcon Heavy will be used to launch USSF-67. The only confirmed USSF-67 payload arrived in Florida in November of 2022. USSF-67 prelaunch operations are running a day or two behind schedule, but all evidence shows that the mission is on track to launch in January.