SpaceX Gets License For First Falcon Heavy Launch
SpaceX has finally received a license from the Federal Aviation Administration for the first ever Falcon Heavy launch. This is the final hurdle to Elon Musk's dream to send his prized midnight cherry Tesla Roadster to Mars in what he calls "a red car for the red planet" mission.
The license issued by the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation is dated Feb. 2 and covers only the first launch of the rocket. Every commercial launch from the United States or by a U.S. company is expected to receive such a license regardless of launch location.
As for location, the Falcon Heavy is set to liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The pad also served as the launch point of Apollo 11 that saw Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin journey to the moon on another massive space vehicle, the Saturn V.
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The SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is touted as the most powerful rocket in operation since the Saturn V, able to lift roughly 64 metric tons into orbit. Its power is reflected in the insurance requirements contained in the license.
The company is required to hold third-party liability insurance or other means of financial responsibility for the $110 million in claims for the launch. This is a massive leap to the Falcon 9's insurance which ranged between $30 to 68 million.
SpaceX hopes to recover and reuse the rocket's upper stage, the success of which is essential if the company hopes to achieve its vision of cheap and reliable space flight. As for the payload, it's expected to journey 33.9 million miles to Mars and put its payload into orbit indefinitely. Musk even joked that the payload will sit in "deep space for a billion years" as long as it does not "blow up on ascent".
SpaceX is targeting its launch for 10.30 a.m. PT tomorrow.
