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SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy

 Falcon Heavy is a reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX. The Falcon Heavy (previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy) is a variant of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle and consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 rocket core with two additional Falcon 9 first stages as strap-on boosters.[8] This increases the low Earth orbit (LEO) maximum payload to 63,800 kilograms (140,700 lb), compared to 22,800 kilograms (50,300 lb) for a Falcon 9 full thrust. The Falcon Heavy is the world’s highest capacity rocket in operation as of February 6, 2018, superseding the Delta IV Heavy payload to LEO by over a factor of two. The Falcon Heavy is only able to deliver this mass when it is fully expended; the maximum mass to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) with first stage and side booster recovery is 8,000 kilograms (17,637 lb), compared to 5,500 kilograms (12,100 lb) for a recoverable Falcon 9.[9] Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and would enable crewed missions to the Moon or Mars. Although as of February 5, 2018 there are longer plans to use Falcon Heavy for crewed missions and will instead focus on unmanned payloads such as large satellites.[10]

SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy on February 6, 2018 at 3:45pm EST (20:45 UTC).] The dummy payload on its maiden flight was SpaceX founder Elon Musk‘s Tesla Roadster and a mannequin in a spacesuit.[13][14]

 

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