SpaceX New: Falcon Heavy Fire Test Success Can Help Visiting Mars in 2020
SpaceX has successfully its very first static fire test of the Falcon Heavy rocket, suggesting that it is the kind of power needed to reach Mars and take astronauts to the moon. The successful static fire test took place in McGregor, Texas ahead of a maiden voyage planned later in 2017. SpaceX hopes that Falcon Heavy will eventually deliver payloads in space.
The Falcon Heavy will essentially be three Falcon 9 rockets strapped together. Its core rocket received heavy changes and it was put to text. The core stage was fired while tethered to the ground in order to confirm none of the alterations would obstruct with the expected engine performance. The test was a success and next major step is to bring together all three boosters and prepare for the first launch in 2018.
The additional three rockets will aid SpaceX to get payloads into low-Earth orbit as huge as 140,700 pounds. The regular Falcon 9 is only capable of about 50,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit.
“When Falcon Heavy lifts off in 2017, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. [The Falcon Heavy rocket] generates more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately 18, 747 aircraft… Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with the crew to the Moon or Mars,” SpaceX said on its website.
In February, Elon Musk announced its plan of sending two space tourists around the moon in 2018, which is intended to be the first step in sending a manned mission to colonise the red planet within the next few years.
Moreover, SpaceX also announced launching of uncrewed Dragon spacecraft to Mars in 2018 is not possible because the technology for sending he capsule safely through deep space and propulsive land it on Mars is not yet ready. However, the delay opens up an opportunity to launch two Dragons in 2020.
