SpaceX CEO Elon Musk teased his followers and technology enthusiasts by posting an animation video visualising the launch of Falcon Heavy—claimed by the company to be “the world’s most powerful rocket.”
Along with the video, Musk posted on his Instagram account: “First draft animation of the Falcon Heavy three core launch. FH is twice the thrust of the next largest rocket currently flying and ~2/3 thrust of the Saturn V moon rocket. Lot that can go wrong in the November launch ...”
The video reflects the ambitions of the company which expects to recover two side boosters as well as the centre portion after the flight.
However, the trickiest part is the landing which will happen on drone-ships which will be stationed 400 miles off the coast of Florida. To be deemed reusable, the boosters and the central portion has to hit the drone-ships right on target.
Falcon Heavy will be one of the heaviest and most powerful rockets currently in operation. Credit: SpaceX.
Quoted in a report in BGR, Elon Musk explained the process: “Sides run high thrust, centre is lower thrust until sides separate and fly back, Center then throttles up, keeps burning and lands on droneship. If we’re lucky!”
SpaceX latest rocket comes after the repeated success of recovering Falcon 9 rocket stages for reuse.
The California-based startup is one of the most promising in its field. It has several high profile launches in its portfolio. Among other things, Musk's company also has a vision about travelling to Mars and colonise it in the future.
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