The sleek, battery-powered hot rod is serving as a mock payload for the highly anticipated debut test flight of Musk's new Falcon Heavy jumbo rocket, set for liftoff as early as Tuesday by his other transportation venture, Space Exploration Technologies. It would likely give California-based SpaceX a leg up on rival commercial rocket companies seeking major contracts with NASA, the U.S. military, satellite companies and even paying space tourists. Propelled by 27 engines supplying three times the thrust of SpaceX's current workhorse Falcon 9 booster, the Falcon Heavy is essentially constructed from three Falcon 9s bolted together side-by-side, with the nose cone and payload capping the middle rocket. SpaceX already has lined up its first three paying missions for the Falcon Heavy, including the planned launch of two paying passengers on a tourist trip around the moon. Like the Falcon 9 that came before it, the Falcon Heavy is built to capitalize on SpaceX's cost-cutting reusable rocket technology, with each of the three main-stage boosters designed to fly back to Earth after launch.

Source: dna February 05, 2018 10:52 UTC