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falcon heavy

(Updated: You tin sentry the launch live below; it's ready for Tuesday 3:45pm EST.)

SpaceX is working toward a much-predictable launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, and it'south confirming an impressive twist to the issue. A SpaceX spokesperson says the company volition endeavor the first-ever triple landing of its Falcon 9 booster engines. That, of course, assumes the rocket does not explode on lift-off, which CEO Elon Musk has repeatedly reminded us is a possibility. In fact, he'southward saying that an awful lot.

SpaceX is targeting the launch for Tuesday, Feb six, just there'southward a fill-in window the following day if the weather conspires to spoil the first i. The rocket won't behave a "real" payload, but Elon Musk has graciously donated his Tesla Roadster to human activity as anchor at the top of the rocket. The machine's eventual destination is a heliocentric orbit that passes shut to Mars.

The Falcon Heavy is basically three Falcon 9 rockets strapped together. The center booster has been structurally reinforced to support the side boosters, but the design is otherwise unchanged from the 1 SpaceX has successfully landed more than 20 times so far.

Afterward liftoff, the side boosters volition detach and render to the surface, landing at SpaceX's Landing Zones 1 and 2 (known as LZ-one and LZ-2) at Greatcoat Canaveral Air Force Station. SpaceX has never failed with a surface landing, then these should be a cakewalk. The center booster has to burn down for longer and will be at a higher speed when it releases the second stage. That booster volition aim for a landing on the drone ship "Of Course I Withal Honey Yous" in the Atlantic Bounding main. That one volition no doubt be more tricky.

falcon 9

A Falcon 9 landed on "Of Course I Still Love You."

If everything goes perfectly, SpaceX will cease up with a Tesla Roadster in orbit of the sun and three intact boosters back on Globe. In a worst-case scenario, the Falcon heavy could blow up on the launch pad. That doesn't seem likely now that SpaceX has successfully completed the static fire examination. Another possibility is that the Falcon Heavy clears the tower but fails to reach space. Musk has said he'd consider that a success, but he's probably trying to temper expectations.

When the Falcon Heavy is in performance, it will be the most powerful launch vehicle in the world since the Saturn V was retired. SpaceX will be able to lift around 37,000 pounds to Mars. That's more 12 Tesla Roadsters. Musk is really selling himself short just sending the one.