SpaceX has completed testing of all three first-stage cores on its Falcon Heavy rocket. The company is preparing for the rocket's first flight test, scheduled for early November.

"Falcon Heavy's 3 first stage cores have all completed testing at our rocket development facility in McGregor, TX," the aerospace company announced on Twitter.

Falcon Heavy's 3 first stage cores have all completed testing at our rocket development facility in McGregor, September 2, 2017

SpaceX touts the Falcon Heavy as the "world's most powerful rocket."

"Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost," the company claims on its website.

SpaceX expects the Falcon Heavy to eventually ferry crew and cargo between Earth and Mars.

The Falcon Heavy is essentially a trio of Falcon 9 cores bound together. The three rocket engines can generate 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff -- equivalent to eighteen 747 aircraft.

"Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit," according to SpaceX.

According to Fortune, one of the three cores included in the tests had previously powered a Falcon 9 rocket on a space station resupply mission. SpaceX remains committed to reusability as a strategy for dramatically reducing costs.

The company launched and landed a reusable rocket for the first time this year. All totaled, the company has executed controlled landings of 15 first-stage rockets.

Tweet

Falcon 9 launches from Vandenberg
Vandenberg AFB CA (SPX) Aug 24, 2017
Team Vandenberg launched the FORMOSAT-5 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4 here Thursday, Aug. 24, at 11:51 a.m. PDT. Col. Gregory E. Wood, 30th Space Wing vice commander, was the launch safety authority. "The 30th Space Wing takes great pride in supporting another successful SpaceX launch," said Wood. "It is a sterling example of the wing's commitment ... read more

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