KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – We were all excited for the potential of a rare, combined SpaceX and ULA launch double header on Florida’s Space Coast on Monday, April 27 – until poor weather intervened and scrubbed the liftoff of the first of the day namely the Falcon Heavy Monday morning as rain, winds and thunder rolled into the Kennedy Space Center and Launch Complex 39.
SpaceX was targeting liftoff of the triple core Falcon Heavy for 10:21 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida – carrying the six-ton Viasat-3 F3 next gen comsat to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO)
The team had 85 minutes long window – but decided to GO for the opening of the launch window
Despite the long odds SpaceX launch team counted down almost to the end and ultimately scrubbed the Falcon Heavy launch with about 29 seconds to T-zero
This launch counts as the first Falcon Heavy mission since Oct. 2024 on NASAs Europa Clipper science mission
Overall this flight will be the 12th Falcon Heavy launch.
After the scrub we media reset our remote cameras.
SpaceX ultimately delayed the liftoff to Wed. April 29 to make way for the off loading of NASAs Artemis III core stage from the Pegasus barge which arrive at the Turn Basin wharf at the KSC Press Site Monday afternoon.
NASA had to safely protect the Artemis III core stage and Pegasus barge – in case there were to be any rocket malfunctions with the Falcon Heavy rockey barely 3 miles away.
Credit: Ken Kremer / Spaceupclose.com
The 85-minute launch window opens at 10:13 a.m. ET on April 29.
The triple stick Falcon Heavy generates over 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust
SpaceX’s live webcast will go live approximately 15 minutes before Falcon Heavy’s liftoff at spacex.com/launches.
Viasat-3 F3 is a powerful 6 metric ton broadband internet commercial communications satellite from Viasat
For the first time the two twin side boosters will land at separate locations – not side by side at LZ-1 and LZ-2 – at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The LZ-1 property has been turn over and leased by the Space Force to another rocket company for launch operations
About eight minutes after liftoff, Falcon Heavy’s side boosters will land on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) and Landing Zone 40 (LZ-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
There is the possibility that residents of Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Seminole, Volusia, Polk, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee County counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions.
Jean Wright poses with the lucky launch trolls Astrolina & Nebulina & SpaceX Falcon Heavy – resting horizontal at launch complex 39A during our remote camera setup at NASAs Kennedy Space Center on April 27, 2026. Credit: Ken Kremer/SpaceUpClose.com
Ken Kremer of Space UpClose setting up remote cameras for SpaceX Falcon Viasat-3 F3 launch from Launch Complex-39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center on April 27, 2026. Credit: Jean Wright/SpaceUpClose.com
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