SpaceX’s colossal Falcon Heavy has taken flight [Updated]

Enlarge / A view of the Falcon Heavy rocket on Monday, from one-quarter of a mile away. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann for Ars Technica)

Updated post: With 15 minutes to go in its launch window, the Falcon Heavy rocket launched on Tuesday afternoon from Kennedy Space Center. About eight minutes later, the rocket's two side-mounted boosters made a dramatic side-by-side landing along the Florida coast, but it was not immediately clear whether the central core booster touched down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

The upper stage put the payload into orbit, but two more burns are required before the Tesla is bound for deep space. Ars will have a comprehensive launch story, complete with photos and reaction from SpaceX founder Elon Musk, later Tuesday evening.

Original post: Today may finally be the day. After nearly a decade of development, the Falcon Heavy has finally reached the launch pad and undergone all of its preflight tests. All that remains is to fuel the three boosters and light 27 engines.

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