The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s big new rocket, Falcon Heavy was successfully fired off on Tuesday on its first test flight. The Falcon Heavy rose from the same launch pad used by NASA nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon. With the liftoff, Falcon Heavy became the most powerful rocket in use till date, doubling the liftoff punch of its closest competitor. The rocket also carried a red electric sports car aiming for an endless road trip past Mars. A space-suited mannequin was at the wheel, named ‘Starman’ after the David Bowie song.
Thousands of spectators watched the launch as three boosters and 27 engines roared life at Kennedy Space Center. The Falcon Heavy launch came as a massive achievement for SpaceX and was visible by the fact that employees screamed, whistled and raised pumped fists into the air as the launch commentators called off each milestone. Two of the boosters, both recycled from previous launches, returned minutes after liftoff for on-the-mark touchdowns at Cape Canaveral.
Musk also shared a video shot from the rocket on his official Twitter handle. In this video, one could clearly see the earth. “View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth,” Elon Musk wrote as the caption of the tweet.
View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018
“I had this image of just a giant explosion on the pad, a wheel bouncing down the road, the Tesla logo landing somewhere,” Musk had said at the launch. “But fortunately, that’s not what happened,” he added. Musk’s rocketing Roadster is shooting for a solar orbit that will reach all the way to Mars.
The Falcon Heavy is a combination of three Falcon 9s, the rocket that the company uses to ship supplies to the International Space Station and lift satellites. SpaceX is reusing first-stage boosters to save on launch costs. Most other rocket makers discard their spent boosters in the ocean. Unlike most rockets out there, the Falcon Heavy receives no government funding. The hulking rocket is intended for massive satellites, like those used by the US military and communication companies. Even before the successful test flight, customers were signed up.
