The company SpaceX in the last 4 years promises to make the launch of its heavy rocket, the Falcon Heavy. And it looks like we waited. Recently the company posted on Twitter videos that may say that this system is almost ready for its first flight. In the video you can see how is a static test of the main engine first stage of Falcon Heavy at the test site in McGregor, Texas, USA. The tests took place at the end of last week.
Booster Falcon Heavy is essentially a normal Falcon 9 rocket with a larger capacity, in aggregate approximately equal to the power of three engines a regular Falcon 9. The stated figures allow the accelerator to generate more thrust, increasing the overall carrying capacity of the launch vehicle. SpaceX noted that at the moment, the Falcon Heavy will be able to bring into orbit more than 22,000 kilograms of payload. Ideally heavy version of Falcon 9 will be able to output in low earth orbit a payload weighing up to 63.5 million pounds. And when launching to Mars its capacity will be about 17 thousand pounds. Next year the company plans to use Falcon Heavy for manned flight around the moon (fly two individuals for which information has not been disclosed). To Mars, the Falcon Heavy will have to go in 2020.
As indicated by Elon Musk, the power of the two engines of the main stage, the Falcon Heavy is almost equivalent to the capacity of a single engine Falcon 9, but the third engine heavy version has a high traction, but also uses the “additional equipment”. In other words, the main engine of the Falcon Heavy only one, and the other two used as auxiliary.
Despite the fact that the Falcon Heavy looks very similar to its more compact version of the Falcon 9, both the carrier rocket are very different. And apparently, last week’s test of the main engine, the Falcon Heavy has been very important from the point of view of testing its operational and technical characteristics.
For fans of SpaceX news about the tests should be a good reason to celebrate. For the first time Musk back in 2011, promised that the debut of the Falcon Heavy will take place in 2013. Since the first launch postponed several times, and several unpleasant incidents occurred much overshadowed the expected start. Right now SpaceX aims to launch an unmanned Falcon Heavy in late summer. The launch vehicle will occur from launch complex Launch Pad 39A. Recall that this historic site at the Space center Kennedy made a manned launch to the moon. The fact of the tests of the main boosters can be a great sign that the launch could happen at that time that he (currently) scheduled.
SpaceX has tested the main engine of the first stage of their heavy missiles
Nikolai Khizhnyak