MORE THAN 1 BILLION DOLLARS. BREAKING RIGHT NOW. >> THIS IS NEWS 6 AT 11.
>> GINGER: AND BREAKING RIGHT
NOW AT 11, WE COULD BE MOMENTS
AWAY FROM LIFTOFF. SPACE-X’S
MOST POWERFUL ROCKET IN
OPERATION. THE FALCON HEAVY
ROCKET IS SET TO BLAST OFF
FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.
>> GINGER: AT 11, 00:04AM,
TONIGHT. NOW THIS IS SPACE-X’S
3RD ATTEMPT AT GETTING THIS
ROCKET OFF THE GROUND. THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.
I’M GINGER GADSDEN. MATT AND
LISA ARE OFF TONIGHT. THE
LAUNCH COMES ALMOST 24 HOURS
AFTER SPACE-X LAUNCH ONE OF
ITS SMALLER ROCKETS. THE
FALCON 9 ON A STARLINK
MISSION. THESE PHOTOS SHOW THE
FALCON 9 LAUNCH FROM A VANTAGE
POINT NOT FAR FROM WHERE THE
FALCON HEAVY IS STANDING AT
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TONIGHT,
NEWS SIX’S JAMES SPARVERO WANT
TO GET A CLOSER LOOK IN
ANTICIPATION OF TONIGHT’S
LAUNCH. SHE IS LIVE AT SPACE-X
LAUNCH AND LANDING CONTROL IN
CAPE CANAVERAL TONIGHT. JAMES.
LAUNCH AND LANDING CONTROL IN
CAPE CANAVERAL TONIGHT. JAMES. Barcode beat conductor. >> HEY, GINGER SAID JUST
OUTSIDE THE GATES OF CAPE
CANAVERAL, SPACE FORCE STATION
FOR MY MONEY. I THINK THIS IS
THE BEST PLACE ANYBODY CAN
WATCH THE LANDINGS, WHICH IS
REALLY THE HIGHLIGHT OF A
FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH. THE LAST
FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH, THE 6TH
IN ITS HISTORY. THAT WAS BACK
ON APRIL. 30TH. I STOOD IN THE
SAME SPOT. THE LAUNCH WAS
CERTAINLY THRILLING IN ITS OWN
RIGHT. BUT SPACE-X ON THAT
NIGHT DID NOT ATTEMPT TO LAND
THAT WHEN SIDE BOOSTERS THEY
ARE DOING THAT TONIGHT. SO
THERE’S A CROWD OUT HERE.
THERE BLEACHERS SEAT. PEOPLE
ARE GETTING VERY EXCITED.
WE’RE CLOSING IN ON T -2
MINUTES. THE 7TH LAUNCH A
FALCON HEAVY. WE’VE BEEN
REPORTING FOR THE PAST 3
NIGHTS THAT IT’S CARRYING A
RECORD IN ITS OWN RIGHT. A
RECORD-BREAKING SATELLITE, THE
HEAVIEST COMMERCIAL
COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE EVER.
IT WEIGHS 9 TIMES NEARLY
20,000 POUNDS AND FALCON HEAVY
HAS JUST THE RIGHT ROCKET
CARRIED INTO ORBIT. AND IF
THIS LAUNCH HAD HAPPENED LAST
NIGHT, SPACE X, IT IS STILL
QUITE THE TURNAROUND. THEY’RE
DOING TO ROCKETS IN JUST LESS
THAN 24 HOURS. IT WOULD HAVE
BEEN HAD FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH
LAST NIGHT AROUND THE SAME
TIME A FALCON 9 LAUNCH WITH
STARLINK. IT COULD HAVE THE
FASTEST TIME BETWEEN 2
LAUNCHES IN THE HISTORY OF THE
CAPE. SO SPACE-X JUST KEEPS
YOU ON YOUR TOES OUT HERE.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. ANYTHING
CAN CHANGE AT ANY MOMENT AS WE
APPROACH T -1 MINUTE AND 30
SECONDS UNDER THAT NOW, THE
BIG KEY HERE WILL BE AROUND
THE T MINUS ONE T MINUS. 45
0ND, MARK. THAT’S WHERE THE
LAUNCH DIRECTOR GIVES THE GO
FOR LAUNCH. IT WAS AROUND THIS
TIME WEDNESDAY NIGHT. GINGER,
WHEN SPACE-X CALLED OUT THAT
ABORT. THEY DID NOT SPECIFY
WHY THEY ABORTED THE LAUNCH
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. BUT THE
LAUNCH WAS, IN FACT, SCRUB
BRINGING US HERE TONIGHT. SO
VERY EXCITING. NOW T -1 MINUTE
UNTIL THE 7TH LAUNCH OF FALCON
HEAVY 5 YEARS NOW SINCE ITS
MAIDEN FLIGHT. IT’S THE 3RD
FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH THIS YEAR.
THE 4TH IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS.
AND THERE’S THE CALL WE’VE
BEEN WAITING FOR SPACE-X
APPLAUDING GINGER, THE CREWS
OF PLOTTING 6 FALCON HEAVY IS
IN START-UP MODE. IT LOOKS
LIKE WE’RE A GO FOR LAUNCH. IT
ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE FINAL
FINAL SECONDS, THOUGH, COURSE,
THE COMPUTER CAN ALWAYS
TRIGGER AN AUTOMATIC BUT WE’RE
LOOKING GINGERS. WE SEND IT
BACK TO YOU CAN’T WAIT TO
WATCH YEAH. I CAN’T WAIT TO
WATCH AND HOPE YOU GET TO HEAR
TWIN SONIC BOOMS.
>> LET’S LISTEN IN TO THE
COUNTDOWN FOR THIS HISTORIC.
>> LAUNCH TONIGHT. WE ARE JUST
SECONDS AWAY. NOW 11. 0, 4, IS
THE LAUNCH TIME. SPACEX NOT
STOPPED COUNTDOWN CLOCK. THEY
ARE STILL COUNTING
♪
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>> K HOME. ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> WE ARE JUST OVER 30 SECONDS
INTO FLIGHT UNDER THE POWER OF
OVER 5 MILLION POUNDS OF
THRUST AND FALCON HEAVY IS ON
ITS WAY TO SPACE. RIGHT NOW.
WE’RE THROTTLING DOWN IN
PREPARATION FOR WHICH IS, OF
COURSE, THE MOMENT ALL RIGHT,
ANDREA HOW HAS THEIR THAT
POWER AND TELEMETRY ARE BOTH
LOOKING GOOD FOR FALCON HEAVY.
AGAIN, WHAT WE’RE PREPARING
FOR NEXT IS MAX Q, WHICH IS
THE MECHANICAL STRESS ON THE
ROCKET. SO THAT IS A CRITICAL
FUNDING TO PROVIDE CRITICAL
FLIGHT MILESTONE FOR US TODAY.
AND WITH THAT SUPERSONIC CALL
OUT, WE KNOW THAT FALCON HEAVY
IS MOVING FASTER THAN THE
SPEED OF SOUND.
♪
>> THERE WE PASSED THROUGH MAX
SO NOW THE ENGINES ARE
THROTTLING EVERYTHING’S
LOOKING GOOD WITH THE STAGE.
ONE TRAJECTORY WHICH IS GREAT
NEWS. OUR SIDE BOOSTERS ARE
THROTTLED ALL THE WAY UP RIGHT
NOW. BUT THE CENTER CORE IS
OPERATING A REDUCED POWER WILL
GRADUALLY BEGIN REDUCING
THRUST FROM THE SIDE BOOSTERS
TO DECREASE FORCES ON THE
VEHICLE STRUCTURE AS WE
APPROACH OUR NEXT MAJOR FLOOD
EVENT. COUNTY. COW WHICH
STANDS FOR BOOSTER ENGINE
CUT-OFF IS EXPECTED AT ABOUT 2
AND A HALF MINUTES INTO
FLIGHT. THAT’S WHERE WE’LL
SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES ON THE
SIDE BOOSTERS. AND THEN
FOLLOWING HOW THE SIDE MOST
ARE STILL SEPARATE AWAY FROM
THE CENTER FOR AND BEGIN THEIR
TRIP BACK TO CENTER FOR
ENGINES WILL THEN RAMP UP TO
FULL POWER AND BURNED FOR
APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER MINUTES.
WHILE THE SIDE BOOSTERS
EXECUTE THEIR BACK BURNS
SIMULTANEOUSLY. INCREDIBLE
VIEWS OF FALCON HEAVY RIGHT
NOW. AND AS A REMINDER,
ALTHOUGH WE’RE NOT ATTEMPTING
TO RECOVER CENTER. 42
PERFORMANCE TODAY, WE WILL BE
ATTEMPTING TO LAND THOSE 2
SIDE BOOSTERS ON LANDING
ZONES, ONE 2. SO WE’LL HAVE
GREAT NEWS FOR YOU ON THE
RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR
SCREEN.
♪
SCREEN. ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> USED SEPARATION CONFIRMED
UPPER
>> NATION OUTSIDE FOR
SEPARATION. THERE. AND
SHORTLY, THOUGH, SIDE JUST
GOING TO BE IN THE FIRST OF 3
BURNS PRIOR TO LANDING PART OF
>> BACK ON LAND. THERE’S THE
CALL OUT THAT WE’VE HAD FACT
BEGAN. GOING TO HAVE SEVERAL
THINGS HAPPEN IN QUICK
SUCCESSION HERE. SO SOME OF
THE THINGS WE’RE LOOKING FOR
ARMY GO ON OUR MAIN ENGINE.
AND THEN THOSE TO ENTRY AND
LANDING BRUNT OF THE SIDE.
MISTERS. ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT
NOW. WE HAVE VIEWS VIEWS OF
BOTH OF THOSE SIDE BOOSTERS ON
THEIR WAY BACK WE GO OVER ON
THE SIDE RIGHT THERE.
FOLLOWING MAIN ENGINE CUT OFF OF THE CENTER CORE. WE’RE LOOKING FOR STAGE SEPARATION
OF THE CENTER FOR AND THE
SECOND STAGE AND THEN STS ONE
WERE SECOND ENGINE. START ONE
FOR BACK ENGINE ON BOARDS
TEACH TOO. SHORTLY AFTER THAT,
WE WILL ALSO HAVE FAIRING
SEPARATION. SO LET’S KEEP AN
EYE ON ALL FIGURING ALL OF
THOSE EVENTS HAPPENING BACK TO
BACK HERE IN JUST A COUPLE
SECONDS.
>> MISTER BACK SHUT DOWN.
>> THERE’S CONFIRMATION THAT
THE BOOST BACK BURN ON BOTH
SIDES. EASTER’S AS NATION
CONFIRMED.
♪
CONFIRMED. ♪ >> GINGER: YEAH. FACT FALCON
HEAVY, YOU JUST HEARD NICO
MAIN ENGINE CUT OFF. ALL
SYSTEMS WERE A GO FOR TONIGHT
IN THIS BY ALL ACCOUNTS, A
FLAWLESS LAUNCH. IT IS TAKING
ONE OF THE HEAVIEST
COMMUNICATION SATELLITES EVER
DEPLOYED INTO SPACE. THE
JUPITER 3. IT’S TO EXPAND THE
BROADBAND CAPABILITIES HERE ON
EARTH. SO SPACEX, VERY HAPPY
ABOUT THIS LAUNCH TONIGHT. AND
THE NEXT THING WE SHOULD HEAR
WHEN THOSE SIDE BOOSTERS LAND