In the race for space dominance, SpaceX is expected to take a huge leap when it launches the massive Falcon Heavy Rocket, which is being billed as a one of its kind spacecraft. The Elon Musk owned company has already tested out the engines of the Falcon Heavy on previous occasions, but space enthusiasts were waiting eagerly to find out when the rocket will finally take flight for its first mission. A recent statement from Musk indicates that this lift-off may be much sooner than previously anticipated.
Rocket flight plans revealed
On Thursday, July 27, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk released statements through both his Twitter and Instagram accounts revealing that the company’s Falcon Heavy rocket will be launched by the end of this fall.
He stated that the launch will take place this November in fact, which is much earlier than what people were speculating previously. However, no information was given out regarding the mission that the Falcon Heavy will be a part of in its maiden flight.
People have started speculating whether SpaceX will use the historic Launch Pad 39A, that it leases from NASA, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida for the launch, or if a different launch pad will be utilized for this amazing feat. However, no concrete information regarding the supposed November launch has been revealed yet, and will most likely emerge in the coming months.
What is so special about the rocket?
The Falcon Heavy could become the first heavy-lift rocket, capable of carrying huge amounts of cargo aboard it.
The rocket measures 230 feet in height and can carry 60 tons of payloads to the Earth’s orbit. The same rocket will also be able to haul 24 tons to a geostationary transfer orbit. This is an immense improvement to the payload carrying capacity of smaller rockets used presently.
The Falcon Heavy is being seen as the kind of rocket which can in the future help humans colonize Mars and other worlds.
The large carrying capacity will be able to carry the necessary equipment needed to setup the colony in a foreign world. So, the success of the Falcon Heavy may be a monumental achievement for all mankind.
However, Musk himself claimed in a speech on July 19 that the chances of the Falcon Heavy reaching orbit may be slim. In the speech, he also mentioned that he hopes that the rocket reaches far enough to avoid damaging the launch pad itself and that it would be miraculous for it to reach Earth’s orbit. It remains to be seen how successful SpaceX with this ambitious project upon the launch in November.
