Three Falcons are better than one
Image: SpaceX/Gizmodo
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the most powerful operational rocket in the world, blasted off into space yesterday for the first time in over three years, hauling satellites into orbit on a US Space Force mission.
🚀 More details... The Falcon Heavy is made up of three modified Falcon 9 boosters, strapped together to generate a record-breaking 5 million pounds of thrust. That’s ~18 times more powerful than a jumbo jet, and enough to carry a payload of 64 metric tons into space.
More fun facts:
- The rocket’s maiden voyage, flown in 2018, featured SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster as a test payload. (The car is still orbiting around the Sun.)
- In the past, SpaceX has attempted to land all three Falcon 9 boosters back on landing pads so they can be reused. The company has yet to succeed at retrieving all three, but managed to safely land two boosters yesterday.
💪 Zoom out: Though the Falcon Heavy is currently the most powerful rocket in the world, NASA’s SLS booster is poised to overtake it soon.
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