Falcon Heavy Returns to Flight: What to Know About ViaSat-3 F3

Falcon Heavy Is Back — 18 Months Is a Long Time in Rocketry

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy last flew in October 2024, carrying NASA's Europa Clipper on its journey to Jupiter's moon. Since then, the three-core heavy-lift vehicle has sat quiet while Starship development dominated the headlines. That changes tomorrow.

The ViaSat-3 F3 mission — also known as ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific — will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, the same pad that launched Apollo 11 and the Space Shuttle. The window opens at 10:21 a.m. EDT (14:21 UTC) on April 27, with a backup opportunity on April 28 at 10:17 a.m. ET if needed.

📊 Key Figures

Metric	Value	Context
Launch Window Opens	10:21 a.m. EDT	April 27, 2026
Hiatus Duration	~18 months	Last flew Oct 2024 (Europa Clipper)
Overall Flight Number	12th	Debuted February 2018
Engines	27 Merlin engines	3 Falcon 9 cores strapped together
Thrust at Liftoff	~5.1 million lbs	2nd most powerful operational rocket
Target Orbit	Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit	ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific broadband sat
Side Boosters	B1072 & B1075	Landing at LZ-2 and LZ-40, CCSFS

The Mission: ViaSat-3 F3 Explained

ViaSat-3 F3 is the third satellite in ViaSat's next-generation broadband constellation, specifically targeting high-throughput internet service for the Asia-Pacific region. The previous two satellites in the series cover the Americas and EMEA. Once operational, the full constellation is designed to deliver significantly higher capacity than ViaSat's previous generation of satellites.

Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) is a demanding destination — it requires the rocket to do more work than a low-Earth orbit mission, which is exactly why Falcon Heavy's triple-core configuration earns its keep here. A single Falcon 9 couldn't manage this payload to this orbit.

Booster Recovery: The Part Worth Watching

One of the signature spectacles of any Falcon Heavy launch is the synchronized landing of the two side boosters. For ViaSat-3 F3, boosters B1072 and B1075 are expected to return to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — landing at Landing Zone 2 and Landing Zone 40 — just minutes after liftoff.

The central core, however, will be expended. GTO missions demand maximum performance from the center core, leaving insufficient propellant for a recovery burn. It will fall into the Atlantic Ocean. This is a known trade-off for high-energy missions and not a surprise.

🔭 The BASENOR Take

Eighteen months is an eternity in the current launch market. While Falcon Heavy sat idle, SpaceX's Falcon 9 was flying at a record pace and Starship was racking up test milestones. The gap raises a legitimate question: is Falcon Heavy becoming a niche vehicle, reserved only for payloads that Falcon 9 simply can't handle?

The answer is probably yes — and that's not a bad thing. Falcon Heavy's role has always been the heavy-lift specialist. With Starship eventually targeting even larger payloads, Falcon Heavy may settle into a specific corridor of missions: large GTO commercial satellites, deep-space science payloads (like Europa Clipper), and national security launches that require its unique performance envelope.

For the ViaSat-3 program, getting this third satellite up completes the global constellation architecture ViaSat has been building toward. The Asia-Pacific coverage gap closes once F3 reaches its operational slot — meaningful for aviation and maritime broadband customers across one of the world's busiest regions.

Watch the synchronized booster landings. After 18 months away, SpaceX will want a clean return. For our full SpaceX coverage, follow the tag.

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Sources verified at publish time. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email editorial@basenor.com.