SpaceX Unveils Falcon Heavy Rocket; Space Vehicle Touted To Be The Most Powerful Space Craft In The World [VIDEO]
Louise BonquinSpaceX wants the public to know that the building of Falcon Heavy rocket is progressing well so it released the very first image of the Falcon Heavy rocket. The American aerospace manufacturer and space transport company posted the images on its social networking and video sharing sites on Dec. 28.
The photo of the Falcon Heavy rocket shows the massive space vehicle with its black and red logo. On the image uploaded on Instagram, the caption reads: "Falcon Heavy interstage being prepped at the rocket factory."
The said rocket was revealed a few months after the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket exploded while refueling. It blew up at the launching pad in Cape Canaveral in September, destroying the $200 million Amos 6 communication satellite along with it.
There were reports that the incident may have been the result of sabotage but this was not proven. Through investigations, SpaceX stated that there are strong indications that the handling of the pressurized helium being loaded to the space vehicle was the cause.
In any case, as posted on SpaceX website, once the Falcon Heavy launches to space in 2017, "it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world." The rocket is capable of carrying about 54 metric tons or 119,000 pounds, a weight similar to a 737 jetliner filled with passengers, crew, fuel and luggage.
Likewise, the weight that the Falcon Heavy rocket can hold is double the load that the next biggest operational rocket, the Delta IV Heavy, can lift. The rocket was estimated to cost $90-million which is a third cheaper than the Delta.
It should be noted that the development of the Falcon Heavy is being funded by private entities. The government is not providing any financial help in its construction and development.
Finally, the Falcon Heavy was mainly designed to transport humans to space and bring back the possibility of sending crews on a mission to Mars or Moon. Despite the setbacks that the company had recently encountered, it continues to remain optimistic of achieving the company's objectives.
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