SpaceX schedules early February launch of Falcon Heavy rocket

(Representational image)

New Delhi: After multiple delays, SpaceX managed to successfully test-fire its highly anticipated Falcon Heavy rocket on Wednesday.

Now, the California-based space company has scheduled the first flight of the three-core heavy-lift rocket for early February.

"Aiming for the first flight of Falcon Heavy on February 6 from Apollo launchpad 39A at Cape Kennedy," SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted. "Easy viewing from the public causeway."

Soon after the test flight, Musk tweeted that the rocket is ready for launch "in a week or so."

The tech billionaire has said the rocket will carry a red Tesla Roadster into space, eventually to a Mars orbit, where it should remain "for a billion years or so if it doesn't blow up on the ascent."

The Falcon Heavy, a reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle, is seen as the world's most powerful rocket since NASA's Saturn V moon rocket in the 1960s.

Its first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds (2.3 million kg) of thrust at liftoff, equal to about eighteen 747 aircraft.

Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit.

Falcon Heavy was designed to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with a crew to the Moon or Mars, according to SpaceX.

(With IANS inputs)