The Falcon Heavy is SpaceX’s next-generation, heavy-lift vehicle, powered by 27 motors. Those engines were fired, with the rocket clamped down, this morning in Florida:
Falcon Heavy hold-down firing this morning was good. Generated quite a thunderhead of steam. Launching in a week or so. pic.twitter.com/npaqatbNir
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2018
With 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, the Falcon Heavy will be able to take equipment — and eventually people — beyond the low-Earth orbit to the moon and beyond.
Like the smaller Falcon 9, the Heavy is designed to be partially reusable, with all three cores are meant to return to Earth. The company will be landing these cores whenever the Falcon Heavy finally gets off the ground.