--- title: "SpaceX Aces Falcon Heavy Launch, Despite Booster Explosion" description: "SpaceX's groundbreaking Heavy Falcon rocket launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:30 am ET. Almost everything went according to plan." date: "2019-06-25" modified: "2019-06-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-success-booster" categories: - "Falcon" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "Falcon Heavy" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Aces Falcon Heavy Launch, Despite Booster Explosion ![SpaceX's groundbreaking Heavy Falcon rocket launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:30 am ET. Almost everything went according to plan.]() *\Image: SpaceX/Victor Tangermann\* ## Blast Off SpaceX's groundbreaking Falcon Heavy rocket — currently the most powerful operating rocket in the world — [launched successfully]() from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:30 am ET, marking the third launch of its kind. And almost everything went according to plan as the ground crews cheered. But not all three reusable rocket boosters stuck the landing. The center booster just missed its boat target, the "Of Course I Still Love You," off the coast of Florida – causing it to erupt into a [massive fireball](). The hiccup was somewhat expected. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called the launch "the most difficult launch ever" [in a tweet]() last week. ## Sticking the Landing Despite the explosion, the other two boosters landed neatly at their designated spots near the Space Center minutes into the launch. A giant net SpaceX set up called "Ms. Tree" even managed to [catch the Falcon Heavy's fairing]() like a baseball glove after years of trial and error and [five failed attempts](). Among the cargo are 24 [top secret satellites]() for the Air Force, setting the groundwork for future collaborations between the private space company and the U.S. military. The launch was [treated as a test]() by the Air Force before it commits to future launch contracts. It also carried the ashes of some [152 cremated individuals]() into orbit for Celestis inc. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launches on 3rd Mission]() \[*The New York Times*\] **More on the launch:** *[Elon Musk: This Is SpaceX's “Most Difficult Launch” Ever]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()