Skip to main content
Space Space
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
  • Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter
    • Space Exploration
    • Astronomy
    • Stargazing
    • Launches & Spacecraft
    • Videos
    • The Moon
    • More
      • Subscribe to Our Newsletters
      • Like 4K Video from Space
      • Artemis
      • James Webb Space Telescope
      • Entertainment
      • Solar System
      • Forums
      • Technology
      • Search for Life
      • Get Space Magazines
      • About Us
      • Web Notifications
    Trending
    • Daytime fireball meteorite hits house!
    • Aurora Forecast
    • Live 4K Sen video from space!
    • Night sky tonight!
    • Next Full Moon
    • Space Calendar
    • Best Binoculars
    • Best Telescopes
    • Lego Star Wars deals
    • Best Drones
    • Solar System Planets
    • Best Star Projectors
    Recommended reading
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-145 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 20, 2025.
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 3 rockets from 3 pads in less than 37 hours (photos)
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida on May 20, 2025.
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on brand-new Falcon 9 rocket after abort (video, photos)
    Long-exposure photo of SpaceX's 250th dedicated Starlink launch, which took place from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 27, 2025.
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 250th Starlink satellite mission, lands rocket at sea (video, photos)
    a ring-shaped cloud of multi-colored gas on a black background
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket creates nebula-like ring in night sky | Space photo of the day for June 27, 2025
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 28 Starlink satellites from Florida on April 5, 2025.
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast (photos)
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 14, 2025. It was the record-breaking 27th launch for this Falcon 9’s first stage.
    Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on record-breaking 27th flight (video, photos)
    a black and white rocket launches into an overcast gray evening sky, its engine thrust lighting up the landscape.
    Launches & Spacecraft 500 Falcon missions! SpaceX sends 26 Starlink satellites to orbit on landmark launch
    1. Space Exploration
    2. Launches & Spacecraft

    In Photos: The Amazing Triple Rocket Landing of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Launch of Arabsat-6A

    Countdowns
    By Meghan Bartels published 13 April 2019

    SpaceX launched the first commercial Falcon Heavy mission and aced a triple booster landing for the first time.

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    SpaceX's first Falcon Heavy rocket with a commercial payload on board blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT (2235 GMT) on April 11, 2019. The flight came more than a year after the rocket's first demonstration mission, which launched founder and CEO Elon Musk's cherry-red Tesla and a dummy named Starman into orbit around the sun.

    The Falcon Heavy is SpaceX's current megarocket, and is essentially composed of three of the company's standard Falcon 9 rockets strapped together. The April 11 mission launched an advanced communications satellite called Arabsat-6A, which will provide communications services to customers living in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe.

    Full Story: SpaceX Falcon Heavy Sticks Triple Rocket Landing with 1st Commercial Launch

    Page 1 of 14
    Page 1 of 14

    Onlookers turned out to enjoy the beautiful weather during the early-evening launch. The flight suffered a 24-hour delay from its previous launch attempt on April 10, on account of high winds at the pad.

    Page 2 of 14
    Page 2 of 14

    The Falcon Heavy rocket's 27 Merlin engines roar to life in this close-up view captured just seconds after liftoff. 

    Page 3 of 14
    Page 3 of 14

    This Falcon Heavy was the first to use Block 5 technology, which SpaceX rolled out to their Falcon 9 launches in May 2018. Block 5 versions are more powerful and designed to be more robust for the company to reuse.

    Page 4 of 14
    Page 4 of 14

    SpaceX is hoping that, with Heavy's first commercial flight under its belt, it can increase the frequency with which the massive rocket blasts off. The company is targeting another launch in June, which would carry an Air Force satellite and several smaller science and technology payloads.

    Page 5 of 14
    Page 5 of 14

    The Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket at work today. Launches on the massive rocket start at a base price of $90 million.

    Page 6 of 14
    Page 6 of 14

    SpaceX will return to its Florida pad in just two short weeks for a Falcon 9 launch that will carry cargo to the International Space Station aboard a Dragon capsule.

    Page 7 of 14
    Page 7 of 14

    During its April 11 flight, the Falcon Heavy deployed the Arabsat-6A about 34 minutes after blast-off. Once the satellite is fully operational, it will offer communications and internet services over the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe.

    Page 8 of 14
    Page 8 of 14

    In addition to the flawless launch, SpaceX also successfully landed all three first stages of the Falcon Heavy assemblage. They will be inspected by company staff and reflown on a future mission. SpaceX also intends to refly the payload fairing used during the mission, which it fetched out of the ocean shortly after the two halves dropped off the rocket before satellite deployment.

    Page 9 of 14
    Page 9 of 14

    During the landing process, the two boosters touched down at a designated landing site and the core successfully came to rest on SpaceX's droneship, "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This marks the first flight during which all three components successfully landed; during Falcon Heavy's initial launch, the core missed the droneship.

    Page 10 of 14
    Page 10 of 14

    The Falcon Heavy's two side boosters gracefully lower themselves onto the landing zones at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. 

    Page 11 of 14
    Page 11 of 14

    Touchdown! The two side boosters successfully landed at SpaceX's Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. They touched down nearly in unison about 8 minutes after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center. 

    Page 12 of 14
    Page 12 of 14

    The center core of SpaceX's second Falcon Heavy rocket sits atop the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. The rocket landed successfully, completing a triple landing for SpaceX during the Arabsat 6A satellite launch on April 11, 2019.

    Page 13 of 14
    Page 13 of 14

    The communications satellite Arabsat 6A separates from the second stage of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket during its April 11, 2019 launch, ending a successful liftoff and trip to orbit.

    Page 14 of 14
    Page 14 of 14
    Meghan Bartels
    Meghan Bartels
    Social Links Navigation
    Senior Writer

    Meghan is a senior writer at Space.com and has more than five years' experience as a science journalist based in New York City. She joined Space.com in July 2018, with previous writing published in outlets including Newsweek and Audubon. Meghan earned an MA in science journalism from New York University and a BA in classics from Georgetown University, and in her free time she enjoys reading and visiting museums. Follow her on Twitter at @meghanbartels.

    Read more
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-145 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 20, 2025.
    SpaceX launches 3 rockets from 3 pads in less than 37 hours (photos)
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida on May 20, 2025.
    SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites to orbit on brand-new Falcon 9 rocket after abort (video, photos)
    Long-exposure photo of SpaceX's 250th dedicated Starlink launch, which took place from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 27, 2025.
    SpaceX launches 250th Starlink satellite mission, lands rocket at sea (video, photos)
    a ring-shaped cloud of multi-colored gas on a black background
    SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket creates nebula-like ring in night sky | Space photo of the day for June 27, 2025
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 28 Starlink satellites from Florida on April 5, 2025.
    SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida's Space Coast (photos)
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 14, 2025. It was the record-breaking 27th launch for this Falcon 9’s first stage.
    SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on record-breaking 27th flight (video, photos)
    Latest in Launches & Spacecraft
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the MTG-S1 weather satellite for EUTEMSAT on July 1, 2025.
    SpaceX launches advanced European weather satellite, lands rocket at sea (video, photos)
    a white and black rocket lifts off into a bright blue sky
    US set new record with 21 commercial launches in June, FAA says
    the silhouette of a rocket stands against a soft orange sky at sunset.
    Launch of Australia's 1st orbital rocket, Gilmour Space's Eris-1, delayed again
    a camera mounted on the side of a rocket captures a downward looking view showing the booster, its fiery engine plume and the Earth below
    SpaceX sends two batches of Starlink satellites on Saturday doubleheader (video)
    an orange and white rocket ignites its engines on the launch pad for a night liftoff
    Japan launches GOSAT-GW on 50th and final liftoff of the H-2A rocket (video)
    a four-wheeled rover on a reddish dusty surface
    NASA budget cuts threaten Europe's already troubled flagship Mars rover
    Latest in Countdowns
    Startrails can be seen moving around the north star above an English country landscape
    Night Sky Tour: North Stars past, present and future
    The Milky Way and its stars in the sky over La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain, as captured by David Rius and Núria Tuca in March 2018
    10 Night sky targets to celebrate International Dark Sky Week 2025
    sequence of total lunar eclipse showing the moon get progressively more red and the turning back to it's usual gray/white.
    7 fascinating facts about lunar eclipses
    A collage of four stunning natural landscapes, each divided by a diagonal line. The first section showcases vibrant yellow, orange, and green mineral terraces, likely from a geothermal area. The second section highlights a striking blue ice formation with intricate textures. The third section features a multicolored geothermal geyser emitting steam, with red, orange, and green hues. The fourth section depicts dramatic limestone tufa formations rising from a reflective body of water under a soft purple sky.
    20 jaw-dropping places on Earth that look like an alien planet
    a person in a bulky white spacesuit stands next to a wheeled rover and a cylindrical spacecraft on four legs, all on a dusty grey surface
    25 biggest space conspiracy theories: Debunked
    Image from the Fallout TV show. This is a close up of a man wearing a cowboy hat. His face has no skin.
    Best sci-fi TV shows of 2024
    MORE FROM SPACE...
    1. Liftoff of the MTG-S1 mission occurred today (July 1) at 5:04 p.m. ET.
      1
      SpaceX launches advanced European weather satellite, lands rocket at sea (video, photos)
    2. 2
      James Webb Space Telescope uses cosmic archeology to reveal history of the Milky Way galaxy
    3. 3
      An enormous 'X' and 'V' will grace the moon's surface on July 2. Here's how to see them
    4. 4
      Launch of Australia's 1st orbital rocket, Gilmour Space's Eris-1, delayed again
    5. 5
      US set new record with 21 commercial launches in June, FAA says

    Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    • About Us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Advertise with us
    • Web notifications
    • Careers

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

    Please login or signup to comment

    Please wait...