Feb 7, 2018
SpaceX has successfully launched its new Falcon Heavy spacecraft, making it the world’s most powerful rocket.
Tuesday’s launch took place at NASA’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida, the spot also used for the Apollo 11 moon mission and several space shuttle launches.
The launch was delayed by several hours because of high winds in the upper atmosphere.
Falcon Heavy carried a car – SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster – as a mock payload, along with a mannequin in a spacesuit and a playlist consisting of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” into the orbit of Mars.
Minutes after take-off, the two outer boosters landed at the nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
A third booster was designated to land on a floating barge in the middle of the ocean, although it is unclear if that landing succeeded as well.
