A SpaceX Falcon Heavy flew from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, carrying the ViaSat-3 F3 satellite toward geosynchronous transfer orbit, according to SpaceX.

A Space Coast Wire affiliate filmed the climb with a long zoom lens from the Space Coast. In the affiliate's footage, the rocket's engine plume glows bright orange against a clear blue sky as it arcs upward.

What happened after liftoff

The rocket's two side boosters separated and flew back to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, landing at SpaceX's Landing Zones 2 and 40, SpaceX said. One of those boosters had flown 21 earlier missions, including 18 Starlink flights, and the other had flown the GOES-U mission, according to SpaceX.

The satellite separated from the rocket's upper stage just under five hours after liftoff, and Viasat picked up its first signals minutes later, the company said. Boeing, which built the spacecraft on its 702MP+ platform, said its mission controllers confirmed the satellite was healthy.

What ViaSat-3 F3 is for

ViaSat-3 F3 was the third and last of Viasat's ViaSat-3 satellites to launch. It is meant to serve the Asia-Pacific region and is designed to deliver more than 1 terabit per second of capacity, Viasat said. Viasat said on Aug. 31, 2026, that the satellite had entered service over the Asia-Pacific region.

Have launch photos or video you shot yourself? We'd like to see them.