Today, SpaceX made a successful test launch of their Falcon Heavy rocket, and it was a sight to behold. The rocket is the most powerful since the Saturn V that launched astronauts to the Moon (among other things) and will now be the most powerful rocket in modern use. On top of that, SpaceX is still landing rockets back on Earth after flight, giving us some of the most amazing space imagery we’ll ever see, right here on the ground.
Here’s what the launch looked like, followed by the two side boosters making simultaneous landings back on solid ground after doing their part to put the payload into orbit:
Shook.
The @SpaceX #FalconHeavy launched from @NASAKennedy‘s Launch Complex 39A earlier today.
You can read more on how NASA has partnered with over 90 companies to enable commercial space: https://t.co/NlCVgfIYGj pic.twitter.com/WxLzXi6drN
— NASA Goddard Images (@NASAGoddardPix) February 6, 2018
Now that’s what you call a landing https://t.co/m0NeswinwM #FalconHeavy pic.twitter.com/Cr5KIwFp5R
— WIRED Science (@WIREDScience) February 6, 2018
The payload in question was a car from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s other company, Tesla Inc, which is now soaring high above the Earth, complete with cameras:
View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018
That was a treat @spacex. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/TylBVAIV91
— Bobak Ferdowsi (@tweetsoutloud) February 6, 2018
After a few hours in orbit around Earth, the rocket still in space will reignite to get into a “transfer orbit” between Earth and Mars’ own path that will demonstrate its capability to fly to Mars (as Phil Plait explains), though it won’t actually go there. Meanwhile, the third booster that detached before orbit has also attempted landing on SpaceX’s barge, but we don’t know if it was successful just yet.
Whatever the case, this has been, so far, an extremely good test run for the new rocket and made faraway destinations like the aforementioned red planet seem more attainable than ever. To really drive things home, the car was blasting Bowie’s “Space Oddity” as it shot beyond the atmosphere, even if no one can hear it up there.
(image: SpaceX)
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