Space X Falcon Heavy Launch

Having just completed the GovStat-1 launch using their Falcon 9 rocket, with it now in orbit, it is now time for what we've all been waiting for; the launch of Space X's Falcon Heavy.

As ever trying to go one bigger and better Musk and his team of brainiacs attempted a high retrothrust water landing with the booster, this essentially means they tried landing the booster on water using three of their Merlin engines rather than the usual one! Musk took to twitter showing pictures of this booster floating in the Atlantic having miraculously survived the test allowing for the team to try again.

If perfected, this will mean Falcon 9 rockets will be able to carry heavier payloads further a field and still be equipped for land and sea landings.

With this said and done Space X is moving forward with the launch of it's Falcon Heavy rocket. The scheduled date is the 6th February from the infamous Launch Pad 39A- the same as used by NASA for the Apollo Moon missions. Whilst no official time has been released, the three hour launch window opens at 1:30 EST or 18:30 GMT with a backup launch date available the following day.

The Falcon Heavy booster is the most powerful rocket since NASA's Saturn V moon rocket. The rocket is capable of carrying 57-tonnes to space, twice the payload of it's nearest rival the Delta IV Heavy build by competitors Lockhart and Boeing's 'United Launch Alliance'.

With Mars as Space X's ultimate goal, the booster is able to carry a 16-tonne payload capsule to the red rock. However, for its debut in typical Muskian style the cargo will be his own midnight-cherry-red Tesla roadster. If successful the launch will bring this electric car, playing Space Oddity on continuous repeat, into circumsolar orbit eventually sending the cargo passed Mars and beyond.

Musk, whilst usually the over-estimator, has been cynical of the launch stating "there's a lot that could go wrong there" but whatever the outcome he's assured his twitter followings the launch is "guaranteed to be interesting".

Ever the believer in Musk I hope to see a successful and historical launch, a footstep in our journey to a multi-planetary civilisation.

Tell me your thoughts below and let me know where you'll be watching the launch from!

All pictures taken from the SpaceX.com website.

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• Dan.