What was the launch trying to achieve?
The Falcon Heavy test flight was mostly a proof-of-concept, showing the world that it is possible to successfully fly a rocket with thee re-usable boosters beyond orbit.
The company has previously only launched what it calls ‘Falcon 9’ rockets with single re-usable cores.
Rockets are normally loaded with concrete or steel blocks during test flights to see how the craft perform with a payload, but in December SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the firm would load their rocket with his Tesla Roadster instead.
Musk said that the company planned to aim the rocket so the electric car reached the orbit of Mars around six months after launch, though he added it was ‘extremely unlikely’ the vehicle would reach the red planet.
What does SpaceX gain from the flight?
SpaceX was built around the idea that reusable rockets could drastically reduce the cost of carrying cargo such as satellites and resupplies to space for paying customers.
Showing that the huge Falcon Heavy rocket actually works is important if SpaceX plans to sell cargo space on the craft in future, which the company says will cost $90 million (£65 million) per flight.
Now Falcon Heavy has launched, it could soon begin missions for SpaceX’s clients, which include Nasa, Nato and the US National Reconnaissance Office.
As with previous SpaceX rocket launches, yesterday’s test also generated a flurry of media attention for the company, helped along by Musk’s quirky social media posts.
Has SpaceX achieved its goals?
Elon Musk repeatedly suggested Falcon Heavy would likely explode on the launchpad as a result of its sheer power, so by getting it beyond Earth’s orbit SpaceX has already surpassed the billionaire’s expectations.
The rocket took its unusual cargo into orbit before its three cores separated from the main module, leaving Musk’s Tesla on a mission toward Mars.
Two of the craft’s three re-usable cores landed successfully back at Cape Canaveral, Florida, while the third crashed into the ocean and exploded when two of its re-entry boosters failed during its return to Earth.
Musk later said that SpaceX had slightly overcooked one of its booster burns, sending the main module out of its planned trajectory. He said the car will likely end up further into the solar system than intended, missing Mars.
In short, the rocket made it to space – proving it worked – but missed its targets to re-land all three cores and send its cargo to Mars.
Does that matter?
SpaceX’ inability to land all three of its boosters without a hitch will be a concern for potential customers, who will likely want to see a fully successful flight before committing their money to the company.
Ultimately, the hiccup is unlikely to cut demand for commercial Falcon Heavy flights when they begin in the near future.
In 2016, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on its launchpad, destroying a $200 million (£145 million) Israeli satellite, but the firm has launched more than 20 Falcon 9 craft for paying customers.
Despite the faults, the launch has still been hailed by industry experts as a game-changer because of its potential to propel the California-based company to the very forefront of the modern day space race.
Once it irons out the errors, the company will offer cargo rides aboard the most powerful operational rocket in the world, capable of carrying twice the capacity of any other spacecraft.