Miami: SpaceX is poised for the first test launch on Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world’s most powerful rocket in operation, capable of reaching the Moon or Mars some day. The launch, scheduled for 1:30 pm (1830 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is the most ambitious yet for SpaceX, and has been hailed by industry experts as a game-changer because of its potential to propel the California-based company to the very forefront of the modern day space race.
“NASA may decide to use it (the Falcon Heavy) as a way of fast-tracking its plans to get to the Moon and Mars,” Erik Seedhouse, assistant professor of applied aviation sciences at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said.
Tuesday’s launch is a “huge deal, even for a spaceflight company that routinely accomplishes huge deals,” said Jason Davis of the Planetary Society, describing the Falcon Heavy as “mythical.”
No people are on board, just a mannequin wearing a futuristic spacesuit, strapped into CEO Elon Musk’s very own cherry red Tesla car.
“Starman in a Red Roadster,” Musk posted on Instagram Monday, showing the rocket’s payload on a pedestal, aiming skyward.
Musk has also said David Bowie’s hit “Space Oddity” would play in the vehicle during the launch.
Musk reiterated his warning that the maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy — a project he first unveiled in 2011 — may indeed fail. It may even explode on the launchpad.
“I would consider it a win if it just clears the pad and doesn’t blow the pad to smithereens,” he said.
There is also a chance the Tesla might not make it beyond low-Earth orbit.
First it has to go through the violent Van Allen belt where it will be pummelled by charged particles for about six hours.
Even if there is a disaster Tuesday, Seedhouse said it is unlikely to harm the reputation of SpaceX — already a top cargo supplier to the International Space Station under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA and busy with a steady stream of
satellite clients and government payloads.
“Last year, they had more launches than any other country in the world — never mind any other company,” Seedhouse said.
“Every failure they have had they have bounced straight back.”
The Falcon Heavy is essentially three Falcon 9 rockets in one, with a total of 27 Merlin engines.
The 70-metre tall rocket is designed to carry nearly 64 metric tonnes into orbit, more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner.
Musk said another massive rocket under development, called BFR may be the one to transport crew, while Falcon Heavy may be reserved for equipment.
In any case, when the Falcon Heavy lifts off, “it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two,” SpaceX said.
The Falcon Heavy is designed to lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at a far lower cost. The Delta IV Heavy costs about $350 million per launch, according to United Launch Alliance.
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy starts around $90 million.
The US has been unable to send its own astronauts to space since 2011, when the 30-year shuttle programme ended, leaving the world’s astronauts to rely on Russian Soyuz rockets for transport to the International Space Station. — Reuters
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