Elon Musk's SpaceX Is Testing The Gigantic Falcon Heavy Rocket, One That Will Take Settlers To Mars

The Falcon Heavy rocket has been a major event to look forward to for SpaceX, For four years now, founder Elon Musk has been saying that it would launch the rocket in 2017, the biggest one currently in operation. In fact, it¡¯s only dwarfed by the giant Saturn V used in the Apollo missions.

SpaceX

Now, the company has released a video that shows the first static fire test of the Falcon Heavy, indicating the behemoth may finally be ready for a maiden launch this year. To be clear, this is a test where the main core¡¯s boosters are ignited while the vehicle is still strapped down. It may be far from a test flight, but it¡¯s still a monumental step forward for the space company, ahead of a planned launch late summer.

First static fire test of a Falcon Heavy center core completed at our McGregor, TX rocket development facility last week. pic.twitter.com/tHUHc1QiKG

¡ª SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 9, 2017

The Falcon Heavy is basically a buffed-up version of the flagship Falcon 9 rocket, currently used for SpaceX launches. It consists of three Falcon 9 cores strapped together to provide unbelievable thrust, something the company believes will enable it to lift much heavier payloads into space. Specifically, they expect the Falcon Heavy to be able to lift about 63,500 kilograms into lower-Earth orbit, or even take close to 17,000 kg all the way to Mars. In comparison, the Falcon 9 rocket currently used can take about 22,700 kg to orbit.

Though it¡¯s using existing Falcon 9 cores, the Falcon Heavy requires additional hardware to balance out the extra cores, which is why the company still needs to test the rocket. Elon Musk has been planning this beast since 2011, with the launch originally expected to take place in 2013. Since then, schedule delays and a few accidents along the way have slowed down the timelines, but it looks like the window of opportunity is finally here.

If all the launch tests go off smoothly, SpaceX will remain on track for a Falcon heavy launch later this year. And let¡¯s hope things do turn out fine, because the rocket is also pegged to carry two mysterious tourists around the Moon as early as 2018, before making a trip to Mars in 2020.