Last week, SpaceX successfully static tested the main core engine of the Falcon Heavy rocket at their test facility in McGregor, Texas. This week, the firm has shared a video of the event, via a tweet.
For those not familiar, the Falcon Heavy will comprise two of the same core engines from the Falcon 9 rocket, which recently became the first rocket to be launched, landed back on Earth, and then launched again.
Once launched in full, the Falcon Heavy will be the largest and most powerful rocket currently in use, albeit for a short time, until NASA's Space Launch System or Blue Origin's New Glenn launch. The Falcon Heavy will be able to transport either a payload of 140,000 pounds into Earth's orbit, or carry 37,000 pounds to Mars. The Falcon 9 for comparison's sake could only carry 50,000 pounds of cargo into orbit.
This indeed will also be the rocket that is scheduled to take two tourists around the moon next year, and is also set to go to Mars in 2020. Not stopping its ambitions there, SpaceX also recently announced its plans to install a huge network of satellites around the globe to provide high speed internet.
Like the Falcon 9, the Falcon Heavy is supposed to have all three of its rocket engine cores return to Earth and successfully landed. If this is achieved, it would translate into an amazing amount of savings in terms of the cost of space travel.
Source and image: Tech Times
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