The momentous occasion was further accentuated by the sight of Falcon Heavy’s three boosters roaring to life. A total of 27 first-stage Merlin engines produced an awe-inspiring 5 million pounds of thrust, propelling Psyche on its 2.2-billion-mile journey to the asteroid belt, nestled between Mars and Jupiter.
Psyche Mission
Psyche is one of several upcoming missions contracted with NASA, a testament to the versatility of the Falcon Heavy rocket. During a prelaunch press conference on October 11, Tim Dunn, senior launch director for NASA’s Launch Services Program, revealed plans to recycle the side boosters. These boosters will be repurposed for a Department of Defense launch later this fall, and again in 2024 for the Falcon Heavy launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.
Approximately 2.5 minutes into the mission, the Falcon Heavy’s side boosters gracefully cut off their engines and separated from the central core stage. These boosters would perform simultaneous landings back at Florida’s Space Coast.
