SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has been a dream for the company for the better part of the last decade, with the idea being that what amounts to three Falcon 9 rockets strapped together would make a great launch vehicle for the heavier payloads going to space. Alas, years of delays put the project in doubt, with Elon Musk himself stating today that the rocket was almost cancelled several times due to the technical challenges of the vehicle. However, today was the day the doubters were put to rest. The massive Falcon Heavy lifted off from Cape Canaveral for the first time, carrying on it a Tesla Roadster bound for Mars. The two side boosters separated and landed back at the launch site while the core booster returned to the drone ship off the coast (eventually, we learned it failed to land on the ship and smashed into the sea at over 300mph). My viewing location was on a dock at a boat launch about 5 miles north of the launch pad in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Big thanks to former high school classmate and Skills USA teammate Danielle for providing today's transportation.
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