Rocket Report: Falcon Heavy is back; Russia's Soyuz-5 finally debuts

Falcon Heavy's return to flight and Russia's long-delayed Soyuz-5 debut marked a busy week in rocketry, with both missions delivering payloads despite notable technical hurdles. Falcon Heavy lifted a classified satellite into geostationary orbit, achieving a 22% lower cost per kilogram than the average heavy-lift competitor. Meanwhile, Soyuz-5 finally launched after a 4-year delay, carrying a communications satellite—but its payload capacity of 24 tons is 30% lighter than the runner-up, Falcon Heavy's 63 tons. The week's launches underscore a widening gap: SpaceX's reusability cuts turnaround times to 30 days, while Russia still relies on expendable boosters. Unless Soyuz-5's design is updated for reusability, it risks being outpaced by newer entrants like China's Long March 9.