TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The most powerful operational rocket in the world, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, launched its first commercial mission on Thursday, April 11, from Florida in a key demonstration for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company in the race to grasp lucrative military launch contracts.
"The Falcons have landed" Elon Musk wrote on Twitter, inaugurating the first successful recovery of all three rocket boosters, which will be refurbished and re-fly in another Falcon Heavy mission this summer to carry a swarm of military and science satellites for the Air Force.
Privately owned SpaceX, also known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp, was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, who is also a co-founder of electric car maker Tesla Inc.