The missile at times reduces the cost of flights to space and gives a new impetus to the development of a private space company.

What is Falcon Heavy?.

Falcon Heavy is a super-heavy booster rocket. About its development, the director of the company SpaceX Ilon Mask said back in 2011.

The first rocket block consists of three modified Falcon 9 accelerators - together they have a capacity equal to 18 operating at full power of Boeing 747. Falcon Heavy is capable of bringing to low Earth orbit up to 63.8 tons, to Mars - 16.8 tons, to Pluto - 3.5 tons.

Only Saturn V, which was used for lunar missions, could throw more cargo into orbit.

Why is launch important?.

The last time a powerful rocket was launched in the United States in 2011 - from Cape Canaveral in the final path, such a rocket left with a shuttle Space Shuttle, who before that for 30 years, took and drove astronauts into orbit.

Only seven years later, a superheavy rocket was launched from the Earth again and this was done by the private company SpaceX. And this is a breakthrough for the space industry.

First, the new missile significantly reduces the cost of flights - about $ 90 million against $ 400 million to launch the nearest competitor Delta IV Heavy.

Secondly, the huge power allows SpaceX to put into orbit heavy satellites or vehicles that could not lift other rockets.

The company already has preliminary arrangements for orders.

Earlier Mask said that with the help of Falcon Heavy will send tourists to the moon. But most likely, the idea of ??tourist flights will still come up - Mask said that for the manned launch missile will not be used.

This missile will not fly to Mars, which is also one of the goals of the Mask - there will be sent a new BFR (Big F * cking Rocket). It has not been tested yet and the test launch has not been announced.

Source: LIGA.