Watch: Falcon Heavy launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX appears to have successfully launched Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster into orbit.

With the launch, the Falcon Heavy is now most powerful operational rocket in the world. It has the ability to loft 141,000 pounds into orbit. According to SpaceX, that’s a mass greater than a fully-loaded 737 jetliner.

SpaceX promises the Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational launch vehicle the Delta IV Heavy. Furthermore, it will cost one-third less than the Delta IV Heavy.

The Falcon Heavy consists of three Falcon 9 cores strapped together. Two of those cores have previously flown and returned to earth.

The two side cores returned to landing pads at Cape Canaveral, with the third central core continuing on targeting a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The status of the third central core and the drone-ship is not yet known. However, the upper stage engine sent Elon Musk’s personal Tesla Roadster–which is serving as test payload–into space.

Must himself has been less than optimistic about the inaugural flight, saying he would consider it a success if it doesn’t destroy the launch pad.

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