SpaceX has revealed the updated schedule for Falcon Heavy's debut flight. CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company is aiming to send it to the Martian orbit next month from the same iconic launch pad where Apollo 11 took off. The business tycoon has also divulged that Falcon 9's more powerful sibling will carry his personal midnight cherry Tesla Roadster to space. Musk expects his Roadster to remain in deep space for a billion of years unless Falcon Heavy blows up on its way to the red planet.
While it would be marvelous to see SpaceX's heavy-lift rocket carry a Tesla to Mars next month, it may be best to limit our expectations. The company pushed back Heavy's first flight more than once: it was originally gunning for a summer launch but eventually moved it to November (and then again to December). On the last day of November, SpaceX announced that it had to push the launch back yet again to next year.
Falcon Heavy is the followup to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. It’s a more powerful rocket that the company hopes to use for missions to the Moon and Mars. Company executives previously spoke of how difficult it is to build such a large rocket-powered by three Falcon 9 cores, meaning it has thrice the thrust of original Falcon 9. Musk said at a press conference earlier this year that Heavy might not even make it to orbit the first time it leaves the atmosphere.
with inputs from Ars technica and the Verge.
