SpaceXFalcon HeavyLaunch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)
Launched
April 29, 2026 · 14:13 UTC
Image: SpaceX
Summary
ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA on April 29, 2026 at 14:13 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:13 to 15:38 UTC. It was SpaceX's 670th launch, 51st this year and humanity's 7,274th orbital launch attempt. It was the 12th Falcon Heavy flight and the 1st this year. Booster B1075 flew for the 22nd time and landed at Landing Zone 40. Booster B1072 flew for the 2nd time and landed at Landing Zone 2. Booster B1098 flew for the 1st time and was expended. The payload was bound for Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). The tracked orbit of Viasat-3 F3, one of 2 catalogued objects, from May 4, 2026, was 23,023 × 33,157 km inclined 2.7°. 2 objects from this launch are catalogued, one of them a payload.
- Watch
- SpaceX ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)The Space Devs
- Live: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches Viasat-3 F3 satelliteSpaceflight Now
- SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch of ViaSat-3 F3 - SECOND ATTEMPTNASASpaceflight
- Vehicle
- Falcon Heavy · SpaceX
- Booster
- B1075 · flight 22 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 40 · landed5/5 landed here · 188 days after its previous flight, Starlink Group 11-5 · 6 km downrange
- B1072 · flight 2 · Return to Launch Site at Landing Zone 2 · landed18/18 landed here · 672 days after its previous flight, GOES-U · 15 km downrange
- B1098 · flight 1 · expendable38/42 landed here
- Mission
- Communications · Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO)for VSAT
- Milestone
- 12th Falcon Heavy flight · 1st this yearSpaceX's 670th launch51st this yearhumanity's 7,274th orbital launch attempt101st orbital launch attempt this year
Flight preview
Simulate in Flight ClubOrbit: as tracked
Viasat-3 F3 · NORAD 68893 · 2026-096 · Space-Track · tracking 1 of 2 objects
Show the numbers for orbit elements
- Object
- VIASAT 3-F3
- Object ID
- 2026-096A
- Epoch
- 2026-05-04 07:54:34 UTC
- Mean motion
- 1.3570805 rev/day
- Eccentricity
- 0.14703031
- Inclination
- 2.7062°
- Ascending node
- 280.4953°
- Arg. of perigee
- 179.7388°
- Mean anomaly
- 208.611°
- Element set
- 999
- Rev at epoch
- 6
- B*
- 0
Perigee, apogee and period are Kepler figures from the catalogued mean elements, not a propagated state. Published orbit: GTO.
Flight timeline
- T−53MGO for Prop Load
- T−50MStage 1 Propellant Load
- T−45MStage 1 LOX Load
- T−35MStage 2 Propellant Load
- T−18M30SStage 2 LOX Load
- T−7MEngine Chill
- T−59SStartup
- T−45SGO for Launch
- T−20STank Press
- T−6SIgnition
- T−0Liftoff
- T+1M9SMax-Q
- T+2M21SSBECO
- T+2M25SBoosters Separation
- T+2M30SBoosters Flip
- T+2M41SBoosters Boostback Burn Startup
- T+3M47SBoosters Boostback Burn Shutdown
- T+3M50SMECO
- T+3M54SStage 2 Separation
- T+4M1SSES-1
- T+4M17SFairing Separation
- T+6M28SBoosters Entry Burn Startup
- T+6M44SBoosters Entry Burn Shutdown
- T+7M41SBoosters Landing Burn
- T+7M58SBoosters Landing
- T+8M13SSECO-1
- T+26M5SSES-2
- T+27M33SSECO-2
- T+4H47M47SSES-3
- T+4H48M30SSECO-3
- T+4H57M31SPayload Separation
Catalogued objects
2 catalogued: 1 payload, 1 rocket stage; 2 still in orbit
- Viasat-3 F3 · NORAD 68893 · in orbit
Falcon Heavy-012 Stage 2 · in orbit
Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org
About this launch
The ViaSat-3 is a series of three Ka-band satellites is expected to provide vastly superior capabilities in terms of service speed and flexibility for a satellite platform. Each ViaSat-3 class satellite is expected to deliver more than 1-Terabit per second of network capacity, and to leverage high levels of flexibility to dynamically direct capacity to where customers are located.
Pad
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
222nd launch from Launch Complex 39A, 1st this year · 281st from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Local pad time at liftoff: Apr 29, 10:13 AM EDT, in daylight
224 launches from this pad · 283 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
133 days after the previous launch from this pad
Updates
Launch success with spacecraft signals acquisition.
Show 9 earlier updates
Spacecraft separation.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/29/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 4/29/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 4/29/2026 · source
Liftoff!
hitura-nobad · 4/29/2026 · source
Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
LL2 · 4/29/2026 · source
Updated launch weather, 90% GO.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/28/2026 · source
Rescheduled for April 29.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/27/2026 · source
Scrub for the due to weather.
Cosmic_Penguin · 4/27/2026 · source
Launch aborted due to weather.
hitura-nobad · 4/27/2026 · source
Questions
When did ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) launch?
ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) launched on April 29, 2026 at 14:13 UTC. The launch window ran from 14:13 to 15:38 UTC.
Where can I watch ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)?
Coverage: SpaceX ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific); Live: SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches Viasat-3 F3 satellite; SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launch of ViaSat-3 F3 - SECOND ATTEMPT. Watch the replay
What rocket launched ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific)?
Falcon Heavy, flown by SpaceX. Falcon Heavy spec sheet
Where did ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) launch from?
Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA. Liftoff was Apr 29, 10:13 AM EDT local time at the pad.
Did the booster land?
Booster B1075 flew for the 22nd time and landed at Landing Zone 40. Booster B1072 flew for the 2nd time and landed at Landing Zone 2. Booster B1098 flew for the 1st time and was expended.
What orbit did ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) reach?
The tracked orbit of Viasat-3 F3, one of 2 catalogued objects, from May 4, 2026, was 23,023 × 33,157 km inclined 2.7°.
How many satellites did ViaSat-3 F3 (ViaSat-3 Asia-Pacific) launch?
1 payload from this launch is catalogued, still in orbit (Data from J. McDowell, planet4589.org).