CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – For most of 2017, SpaceX has targeted the maiden voyage of its heavy lift rocket, Falcon Heavy, to happen before the year’s end. On Tuesday, company President Gwynne Shotwell confirmed the launch has been pushed into 2018.
Shotwell told Aviation Week in an interview that the Falcon Heavy debut has slipped to 2018.
Most recently, SpaceX officials said they were targeting Dec. 29 for liftoff from Cape Canaveral.
Falcon Heavy will launch from Kennedy Space Center's historic launch pad 39A.
The Falcon Heavy is designed to carry large payloads and the Dragon spacecraft. The rocket's first stage has three boosters and 27 engines compared to Falcon 9's nine engines.
The rocket's boosters will land, after launch, on SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 back at Cape Canaveral and at sea on a drone ship for later reuse.
All three Falcon Heavy core stages are already at Kennedy Space Center, awaiting launch; two are previously flown, sources confirmed to News 6.
SpaceX also has another cargo mission to complete to the International Space Station before the end of the year
NASA officials said Tuesday that the 13th cargo resupply delivery, known as CRS 13, via the Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, would happen no earlier than Friday, Dec. 8.
The Falcon 9 launch will be the first for SpaceX from the renovated Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40, which was badly damaged during a rocket explosion last year.
The Falcon 9 launch will likely be one of the last of the year from the Space Coast, unless SpaceX targets a new date for the mission known only as “Zuma.”
The secret mission was postponed after two days of launch delays. A new date has not been announced.