"SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launches Record-Breaking Commercial Communications Satellite"

SpaceX is set to launch the heaviest commercial communications satellite ever, the Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24, atop a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A. After technical problems halted the initial countdown, the launch is scheduled for Friday. The 9-metric-ton satellite will expand the reach of the HughesNet satellite internet service to nearly 80% of the population across the Americas, featuring 300 spot beams and 500 Gbps of capacity. The satellite will be launched into geostationary orbit, allowing for improved broadband connectivity in rural areas and aiding cellular backhaul and aeronautical connectivity.