The pioneering rocket company carried out a perfect launch 

Space X, the company owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, seems to have changed the game by launching an impressive rocket called Falcon Heavy.  It took flight on February 6th at 3:45pm ET from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States.

“I’m still trying to absorb everything that happened because it’s still kind of surreal to me”, Musk affirmed

21 stories tall, Falcon Heavy flew unmanned for its demonstration lunch. Interesting enough, representatives of Space X affirmed that they might not be capable of sending astronauts just yet, contrary to what they had hopped.

“This is, in many ways, the most significant launch since the first shuttle launch nearly four decades ago”, Dylan Taylor, space investor, commented to CNBN

The launch, as of right now, seems to be the most ambitions yet for Space X, putting the rocket company on the top of the list of available heavy lift rockets. According to various media outlets, Falcon Heavy is capable of lifting more than the biggest rockets owned by either United Launch Alliance or Arianespace, at a much friendlier price.

Musk commented to reporters that the creation of the BFR, Big Falcon Rocket, is “coming along quickly”, which means that said machine could carry astronauts. If things do not go according to plan, Tesla’s CEO noted that if there are delays on BFR, the solution could be putting Space X’s crewed Dragon capsule back on the Falcon Heavy.

The rocket’s surprising takeoff wasn’t the only interesting thing about this event

In a never before seen event, the rocket company also managed to guide two of the three Falcon Heavy’s first-stage rocket boosters IGNORE INTO landing upright.  According to CNN, they cut through the atmosphere and landed in unison at a landing pad over at the Kennedy Space Center.

The third booster didn’t have the same fate. It was meant to land on a sea-faring platform, but as soon as it was about to, the livestream was interrupted leaving everyone slightly confused. Later, Musk confirmed that after the launch, the booster had crashed.

This success marked a step forward in space traveling, as well as for the company, due to its ground-breaking technology.  These actions made the world notice that recycling can also be implemented when it comes to boosters.  

The company proved it can safely return first-stage boosters with its Falcon 9 rocket, which Space X has used since then for more than 40 missions since 2012; the company safely recaptured them after various Falcon 9 launches.

After this, Space X made it a habit of putting used boosters back to work. This doesn’t only provide a more environmentally friendly aspect, but it also provides initiatives for investors due to the fact that, reusing parts, drives the prices of manufacturing down.

Latin American Post | Susana Cicchetto