Video: SpaceX Falcon Heavy static fire test

Falcon Heavy test flight slated for this summer

SpaceX posted a small glimpse Tuesday of the company's new heavy lift rocket, the Falcon Heavy, in a static fire test video.

The 18-second video posted to Twitter shows the Falcon Heavy’s center core during a static fire test at the SpaceX rocket development facility in Texas.

The heavy lift vehicle will have the ability to lift off with large payloads weighing 54 metric tons, which is the equivalent of a 737 jetliner with passengers, luggage and fuel, according to SpaceX.

Three cores,with 27 Merlin engines, make up the first stage of the rocket.

The company describes the Falcon Heavy as a less expensive, more powerful alternative to the United Launch Alliance Delta IV.

SpaceX officials said in March that they hope to launch the Falcon Heavy on a test flight at the end of the summer from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39A.

CEO Elon Musk said in March that the first Falcon Heavy launch will use two previously flown boosters.

The California-based company made history in March with the Falcon 9 SES satellite launch using a flight-proven booster. The Falcon 9’s first stage also returned to Earth, landing on an ocean barge in the Atlantic soon after launching from Kennedy Space Center.

The historic "flight-proven" SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on "Of Course I Still Love You" at Port Canaveral Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

The company has been using 39A while repairing Space Launch Complex 40 after a Falcon 9 exploded in September during fueling.

Falcon 9 will begin launching back at Complex 40 after repairs on the pad are complete.

Watch the static fire test below.


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