- SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful vehicle flying today, has carried out its first commercial launch with its Falcon Heavy rocket tasked with placing a Saudi satellite in orbit.
- It was also the first time SpaceX managed to land all three rocket boosters after launch.
- The rocket took off on April 11, 2019 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It delivered a pricey communications satellite into orbit for Saudi Arabia-based firm Arabsat.
- For the first time ever, all three Falcon Heavy rocket boosters returned to Earth after launch: The two side-boosters landed simultaneously on ground pads in Florida, while the center core landed on a remote-controlled platform in the ocean a short time late.
- Falcon Heavy is by far the most powerful operational launch vehicle in the world.Introducing a new ultra-powerful rocket has allowed SpaceX to compete directly with arch rival United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, for lucrative government contracts that require heavy-lift launch vehicles. The California-based company was founded by Musk in 2002
