The world's most powerful rocket blasted off on its first test flight, carrying a red sports car aiming for an endless road trip past Mars. The Falcon Heavy rose from the same launch pad used by NASA nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon. With liftoff, the Heavy became the most powerful rocket in use today, doubling the liftoff punch of its closest competitor. Here's a bunch of photos of SpaceX's rocket carrying Elon Musk's car to space.
A mannequin “Starman” sits at the wheel of a Tesla Roadster in this photo posted on the Instagram account of Elon Musk, head of auto company Tesla and founder of the private space company SpaceX. The car will be on board when SpaceX launches its new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral.
This photo shows a Tesla car next to the fairing of a Falcon Heavy rocket in Cape Canaveral, Fla. For the Heavy's inaugural flight, the rocket will carry up Elon Musk's roadster. In addition to SpaceX, Musk runs the electric car maker Tesla.
With more than 5 million pounds of liftoff thrust, the Heavy will be capable of lifting super-size satellites into orbit and sending spacecraft to the moon, Mars and beyond.
SpaceX fired up its newest, biggest rocket in a critical launch pad test. The Falcon Heavy briefly roared to life for the first time at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. All three boosters — 27 engines in all — were tested.
A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket stands ready for launch on pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The Falcon Heavy has three first-stage boosters, strapped together with 27 engines in all.
The crowd cheers at Playalinda Beach in the Canaveral National Seashore, just north of the Kennedy Space Center, during the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Playalinda is one of closest public viewing spots to see the launch, about 3 miles from the SpaceX launch pad 39A.
Crowds of people, reminiscent of shuttle launch days, line the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Centre and the return of the rocket's boosters landing at Landing Zone 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Crowds on the beach in Cape Canaveral watch two of the three boosters from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched from Kennedy Space Centre's Pad 39A land moments apart at Landing Zones 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Two booster rockets from the Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy, return for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
A SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from Launch Pad 39A, for the maiden demonstration test flight at the Kennedy Space Center. The big rocket is made up of three rocket boosters that will produce more thrust than any other rocket now flying.
A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A. The Falcon Heavy has three first-stage boosters, strapped together with 27 engines in all.
A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The image shows the company's spacesuit in Elon Musk's red Tesla sports car which was launched into space during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket.
The image shows the company's spacesuit in Elon Musk's red Tesla sports car which was launched into space during the first test flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket.