A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A at 10:13 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, creating a double sonic boom felt across Brevard County. The rocket successfully delivered the ViaSat-3 F3 communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. This marked the first Falcon Heavy launch from the Space Coast since October 2024. Two of the rocket’s side boosters landed at Cape Canaveral Landing Zones 2 and 40, while the core stage was expended as usual. The satellite is the third and final Ka-band component of ViaSat-3, expected to add over 1 terabit per second of capacity to the Asia-Pacific region. The launch was rare for the Space Coast, with only four Falcon Heavy missions conducted from Florida since 2014. SpaceX plans its next Florida launch no earlier than 1:33 p.m. Friday, May 1, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 40. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry Starlink satellites, with its first stage booster landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. No sonic booms are expected for that mission. The Falcon Heavy’s return to the Space Coast followed a 15-month hiatus, during which SpaceX focused on Falcon 9 and Starship missions. The launch demonstrated the rocket’s capability to transport heavy payloads, though its core stage remains non-reusable. Residents reported hearing the sonic booms as the boosters re-entered the atmosphere at supersonic speeds. SpaceX has conducted 37 Falcon Heavy launches globally since 2014, but only four from Florida. The next Falcon Heavy mission from the Space Coast is not yet scheduled.