SpaceX is preparing to launch the world’s most powerful rocket for the first time tomorrow.
At 1:30pm ET (6:30pm GMT), the ‘monster’ Falcon Heavy rocket will blast off from the same pad in Florida that hoisted men to the moon a half-century ago.
With more than 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust – equivalent to 18 747s jetliners – the Heavy will be capable of lifting supersize satellites into orbit and sending spacecraft to the moon, Mars and beyond.
Founder Elon Musk, 46, today confirmed that the vehicle’s main module will carry his 2008 cherry red Tesla Roadster on a journey to the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away.
He also said that three reusable cores will separate from the main module after launch and return to Earth.
But the launch is high-risk. According to Musk, there is a ‘real good chance that vehicle does not make it.’
SpaceX is set to launch the world’s most powerful rocket for the first time tomorrow, the firm’s CEO Elon Musk has confirmed. The ‘Falcon Heavy’ spacecraft will take off from Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:30pm ET (6:30pm GMT) on February 6, Musk said on Twitter on Monday morning. Pictured is the rocket at the launchpad in Florida
In a post to Instagram on Monday morning, the billionaire shared a picture of the electric sports car strapped into the rocket, with a mannequin wearing a spacesuit sat in the driver’s seat.
Alongside the picture he wrote ‘Starman in Red Roadster’, a reference to the firm’s plan to play David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ from the car’s speakers during launch.
Musk also tweeted: ‘Falcon Heavy remains go for launch at 1:30pm on Tuesday. Florida time.’
The Falcon Heavy won’t surpass NASA’s Saturn V moon rocket, still all-time king of the launch circuit. It won’t even approach the liftoff might of NASA’s space shuttles.
Tesla CEO Musk, 46, has confirmed that the vehicle’s main module will carry his 2008 cherry red Tesla Roadster on a journey to Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away. In a post to Instagram on Monday morning, the billionaire shared a picture of thew car strapped into the rocket, with a mannequin wearing a spacesuit sat in the driver’s seat
But when it departs on its first test flight, the Heavy with its two boosters and 27 engines will be the most powerful working rocket out there today, by a factor of two.
‘I can’t wait to see it fly and to see it fly again and again,’ said the Southwest Research Institute’s Alan Stern.
He’s the lead scientist for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft which made an unprecedented flyby of Pluto and is now headed to an even smaller, icy world on the fringes of the solar system.
Cape Canaveral hasn’t seen this kind of rocket mania since the last space shuttle flight in 2011.
Huge crowds are expected for the afternoon launch from Kennedy Space Center. Visitor center tickets for the best up-close viewing, called ‘Feel the Heat’ and ‘Closest Package,’ sold out quickly.
‘When you’re talking about what would be the biggest and largest operational launch vehicle in the world, that adds another dimension of excitement,’ said Phil Larson, an assistant dean at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who used to work for SpaceX and the Obama administration.
The Heavy is capable of delivering, in one fell swoop, 140,660 pounds (63,800 kilograms) of cargo to low-Earth orbit, nearly 60,000 pounds (26,700 kilograms) to high-Earth orbit, 37,000 pounds (16,800 kilograms) to Mars, or 7,700 pounds (3,500 kilograms) to Pluto.
On Monday morning, Musk wrote on Twitter: ‘Falcon Heavy remains go for launch at 1:30pm on Tuesday. Florida time.’ The post suggests Musk will be present at tomorrow’s test at launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre – the same pad used by Nasa to launch its historic Apollo 11 moon mission
The 70-metre- (230-foot) long rocket is the first of its kind, powered by 27 engines and sporting three reusable cores that will separate from the main module after launch and return to Earth. Pictured is the craft during a static fire test last month
Tomorrow’s test will mark the first time SpaceX has flown its new, high-capacity rocket, which will allow the firm to send nearly far more payload into orbit than the average launch. It follows months of delays and setbacks, with the company targeting an unprecedented level of reusability as part of its long-term plan to make commercial rocket flights cheaper
Tomorrow’s test will mark the first time SpaceX has flown its new, high-capacity rocket, which will allow the firm to send nearly far more payload into orbit than the average launch.
It follows months of delays and setbacks, with the company targeting an unprecedented level of reusability as part of its long-term plan to make commercial rocket flights cheaper.
SpaceX had previously said it planned to launch the Falcon Heavy a week after the rocket’s first successful static test fire, which took place on January 24 after it was delayed by last week’s US government shutdown.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING SPACEX’S FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH?
If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth’s orbit on February 6 from from launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores in what is set to be one of the firm’s most technically complex challenges to date.
Once the Falcon Heavy enters space, two of the 70-metre- (230-foot) long craft’s booster rockets will separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings.
The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores in what is set to be one of the firm’s most technically complex challenges to date. This image shows an artist’s impression of the rocket’s engine and core layout as viewed from below
The rocket’s central core will then detach from the main module and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on the firm’s ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.
The main module will continue its trajectory into deep space, with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away.
According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk: ‘Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.’
Musk has said his original cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster will be strapped into the main module, playing David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ from its speakers.
Musk, who is also CEO of Tesla, has confirmed the rocket will carry his 2008 cherry red Tesla Roadster (pictured in the spacecraft’s main module) on a journey to Mars
The test marked the first time the huge rocket roared to life, with all 27 of its Merlin engines fired up simultaneously at launchpad 39A.
As well as creating huge, billowing clouds of white smoke, the test fired off monstrous booms that could be heard up to three miles away.
‘Falcon Heavy hold-down firing this morning was good. Generated quite a thunderhead of steam. Launching in a week or so,’ Musk tweeted on January 24.
If all goes according to plan on February 6, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth’s orbit, at which point two of the craft’s booster rockets will separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings.
The 70-metre- (230-foot) long rocket’s central core will then detach from the main module and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on the firm’s ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.
The main module will continue its trajectory into ‘deep space’, the billionaire has said, with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away.
According to Musk: ‘Destination is Mars orbit. Will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn’t blow up on ascent.’
Musk has said his original cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster will be strapped into the main module, playing David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ from its speakers.
After months of delays, Musk tweeted a new target launch date for the rocket last month. He added that a nearby causeway will provide the public with clear views of the flight
On January 24, SpaceX completed a long-awaited static fire test of its Falcon Heavy megarocket (pictured). Musk’s rocket company performed the test at Kennedy Space Centre’s launch pad 39A. The test had been delayed for several months
HOW DOES THE FALCON HEAVY MEASURE UP?
Height: 70 meters (229.6 feet)
Stages: Two
Boosters: Two
Re-usable Cores: Three
Engines: 27
Payload to Low Earth Orbit: 63,800kg (140,660 lb)
Payload to Mars: 16,800kg (37,040 lb)
Total width: 12.2m (39.9 ft)
Mass: 1,420,788kg (3,125,735 lb)
Total thrust at lift-off: 22,819 kilonewtons (5.13 million pounds)
When it launches, the Falcon Heavy (left) will be the world’s most powerful rocket, capable of carrying payloads far greater than even the Apollo 11 space shuttle (second from left)
Last month’s static test marked the first time the rocket fired all 27 of its engines simultaneously. Musk said it created a ‘thunderhead’ of steam
The launch follows months of delays and build-up to the historic flight, with Musk frequently posting updates across his social media profiles.
On January 5, the billionaire wrote on Instagram: ‘Falcon Heavy now vertical on the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad.
‘At 2,500 tons of thrust, equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft at full throttle, it will be the most powerful rocket in the world by a factor of two. Excitement on launch day guaranteed, one way or another.
‘Hold-down test fire next week. Launch end of the month.’
The 46-year-old South African, who co-founded PayPal with venture capitalist Peter Thiel, predicts the Falcon Heavy’s payload will stay in deep space for a while.
Musk has said the huge launch vehicle will blast off on an unmanned mission with a unique payload – the billionaire’s cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars. Pictured is the car strapped into the Falcon Heavy’s main module
The rocket (pictured) will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores that will return to Earth after liftoff during the test flight, which is set to be one of the firm’s most technically complex challenges to date
A photo of its unusual cargo – Musk’s cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster – was released last month.
Images released by SpaceX show an original Roadster perched on a large cone inside the Falcon Heavy on what appears to be a secure mount to keep it stationary as the rocket makes its maiden flight.
‘Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring,’ Musk said in December.
‘Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.
‘The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.’
The mission marks SpaceX’s most ambitious project to date.
Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, with the aim of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonisation of Mars.
In a Washington, D.C., speech last July the Tesla founder said Falcon Heavy is one of the most difficult and technically complex projects SpaceX has ever undertaken.
‘There’s a lot of risk associated with Falcon Heavy,’ he said during the 2017 International Space Station Research and Development Conference.
If all goes according to plan on February 6, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth’s orbit, at which point two of the craft’s booster rockets will separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings. The 70-metre- (230-foot) long rocket’s central core will then detach from the main module and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth
‘Real good chance that the vehicle doesn’t make it to orbit. I want to make sure to set expectations accordingly.’
Musk has spent the proceeding months building up hype for the historic launch with a series of social media posts.
Last month he posted an image to Twitter of people stoof next to a landed Falcon Heavy rocket to give an idea of the vehicle’s scale.
He tweeted: ‘Falcon Heavy launching from same @NASA pad as the Saturn V Apollo 11 moon rocket.
‘It was 50% higher thrust with five F-1 engines at 7.5M lb-F.
In a Washington, D.C., speech last July the Tesla founder said Falcon Heavy is one of the most difficult and technically complex projects SpaceX has ever undertaken. Pictured is the rocket in a warehouse last year before it was erected at the Kennedy Space Centre earlier this month
‘I love that rocket so much.’
He also confirmed the rocket will have a ‘max thrust at lift-off is 5.1 million pounds or 2300 metric tons,’ adding the first mission will run at 92 per cent capacity.
‘Falcon Heavy to launch next month from Apollo 11 pad at the Cape.
‘Will have double thrust of next largest rocket. Guaranteed to be exciting, one way or another,’ Musk originally posted.