spacetoday.net: SpaceX signs first commercial Falcon Heavy launch

SpaceX signs first commercial Falcon Heavy launch

Posted: Wed, May 30, 2012, 6:11 AM ET (1011 GMT)
Falcon Heavy illustration (SpaceX)

SpaceX announced Tuesday it has signed its first commercial customer for the company's heavy-lift Falcon Heavy rocket. SpaceX announced that communications satellite operator Intelsat has signed a deal for a Falcon Heavy launch. The announcement did not disclose the date of the launch or the Intelsat satellite(s) that will be the payload, but reports indicate the launch may take place in 2017 or 2018, depending on the development schedule of the Falcon Heavy. The rocket will make its debut on a demonstration mission some time in 2013 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.