Tuesday, February 6, 2018

First Ever Falcon Heavy Launch Set For This Morning

The very first test flight ever for the Falcon Heavy, the new rocket from Los Angeles-based SpaceX, is set to take off this morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, at 1:30 PM ET (10:30 AM PT). SpaceX is hoping to successfully launch the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V, and deliver--most unusually--a red Tesla Motors automobile, complete with dummy astronaut, into orbit around Mars. The Falcon Heavy will launch from the historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX has said it will also to simultaneously land all three rocket boosters on the Falcon Heavy, with two returning to pads on land and another to its landing barge in the Atlantic. The risks are high for this launch--Elon Musk has said he hopes it does not "blow up" on the launchpad--however, if successful, the Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket available.