SpaceX successfully launched mega-rocket Falcon Heavy for first time, with Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicle on-board

Briefing

SpaceX successfully launched mega-rocket Falcon Heavy for first time, with Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicle on-board

February 15, 2018

Briefing

  • SpaceX Test Launch – SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy for first time, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, while carrying CEO Elon Musk’s red Tesla Roadster blasting David Bowie's "Space Oddity"
  • Falcon Heavy – 40-feet long and 230-feet tall mega-rocket with three first-stage boosters, 27 engines in total, and five million pounds of thrust at lift-off
  • Starman – Mannequin driver wearing actual SpaceX-designed spacesuit, which transmitted live video and audio of mission for four hours as it traveled beyond Earth's orbit
  • Successful Mission­ – Two of rocket’s cores successfully returned to Earth, marking mission’s positive result even after encountering booster problems, exceeding Mars’ orbit and landing outside target
  • Future Launches – Scheduled for more missions in 2018, such as launching Saudi Arabian communications satellite and testing payload for U.S. Air Force

Accelerator

Organization

SpaceX

Source

Original Publication Date

February 6, 2018

Leave a comment