SpaceX is targeting to carry out maiden flight test of its heaviest Falcon Heavy rocket on February 6, Tuesday CEO Elon Musk revealed. ...
SpaceX is targeting to carry out maiden flight test of its heaviest Falcon Heavy rocket on February 6, Tuesday CEO Elon Musk revealed.
The heavy lift launcher will lift off from the Apollo Launchpad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
The Falcon Heavy is a human rated launcher which is designed from outset to carry humans into space and would enable crewed missions to the Moon or Mars.
With its ability to lift into orbit over 54 metric tons (119,000 lb), Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the ULA Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost.
The 240 ft long rocket had completed a successful static ground test firing on Wednesday from the launch pad, in which all 27 Merlin engines comprising the first stage was fired for 12 seconds.
The FH is based on SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 launch vehicle, consisting a strengthened Falcon 9 rocket core with two additional Falcon 9 first stages as strap-on boosters.
The 1420 tonne megarocket produces around 5 million pounds off thrust on lift off.
The payload for the Heavy's first flight will be Elon Musk's personal Tesla Roadster sports car that will be mounted in the rocket's nose cone.
Musk says he plans to launch the payload in a looping orbit beyond the Mars.
