Falcon rocket

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The heavy-lift vehicle lifted off from Launch Complex 39A, adding to the company's string of missions this year. Details about the payload, mission objectives and whether the rocket's side boosters were recovered have not been specified, but the launch drew broad attention as one of the day's most-watched space events.

A new explainer compares SpaceX's two main rocket engines, the Merlin, which powers the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, and the Raptor, built for the much larger Starship and Super Heavy system. The piece looks at how they differ in fuel, design, thrust and reuse, and why SpaceX developed two distinct engine families for different missions.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launched a classified US spy mission, capping off a tripleheader of three successful launches. The mission carried a secret payload for the US military, with few details disclosed publicly. The launch drew attention for both the secrecy surrounding the payload and SpaceX completing three flights in quick succession, underlining the company's growing launch cadence.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has flown its first mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that operates the country's spy satellites. The launch marks a milestone for the heavy-lift booster, expanding its role beyond commercial and NASA missions into classified national security spaceflight, and underscores the growing reliance on SpaceX hardware for sensitive defense payloads.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off shortly before midnight from Florida's Space Coast, delivering a dramatic night launch visible across the region. Florida Today published a photo gallery of the booster soaring skyward. Night launches by the heavy-lift rocket routinely draw large crowds and widespread attention from space enthusiasts and photographers.