—  SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launches classified mission for US Space Force The trio of Falcon Heavy first-stage boosters are designed to be reusable, but not all missions do so due to fuel requirements, among other parameters. On this mission, all three boosters will crash into the ocean, according to Everyday Astronaut. The Falcon Heavy's first-stage Merlin engines create more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, according to its SpaceX specifications page. The rocket was the most powerful currently operating until NASA's Space Launch System carried the Artemis 1 moon mission aloft on Nov. 16, 2022. Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of "Why Am I Taller?" (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book about space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. See all comments (0)