SpaceX’s ambitious test of its Falcon 9 rocket’s landing may not have gone as smoothly as it had planned, but, if anything, it has only strengthened Elon Musk’s resolve to revolutionize space travel forever. The company has just released a video that shows its incredible plans for a reusable mega-rocket, called the Falcon Heavy.
In the 2.5 minute long video, the Falcon Heavy is seen with three boosters that are capable of landing safely back on Earth after they detach from the spacecraft — a feat that’s never quite been done before. After the two side boosters separate, they turn back around and make a perfect landing, upright on a pad on Earth. The core booster of the rocket separates from the second stage before flying back to the ground like the other two nine-engine boosters. The rocket’s second stage finishes delivering its satellite payload to orbit. The ensuing result is that most of the rocket is conserved for future use.
In a typical rocket launch, most of its body is either destroyed or lost, never to be recovered. This makes traveling to Lower Earth Orbit a costly endeavor, as a new rocket must be built for every launch.
“When Falcon Heavy lifts off later this year, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two,” SpaceX representatives wrote in the YouTube video description. “Thrust at liftoff is equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft operating simultaneously.”
Accentuated by the heavy metal guitar theme, the video is amazing, but it’s even more amazing to think it’s not that far from becoming reality.
