Last Updated Feb 6, 2018 8:16 PM EST
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. — America’s private space program made another giant leap Tuesday when a giant SpaceX rocket, named Falcon Heavy, blasted off from the launch pad once used in the moon missions. And new dreams of astronauts exploring deep space were reignited.
The Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in the world, lifted off and streaked across the sky as it climbed toward outer space. The roar of its 27 engines was matched only by the crowd.
But the show in the sky wasn’t over. The rocket’s boosters detached, and minutes later, two of them could be seen descending back to Earth. They landed in tandem near the launch site.
The payload — a Tesla Roadster carrying a dummy named “Starman” — hurtled away from Earth and toward the orbit of Mars to the sounds of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars.”
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The Falcon Heavy combines the power of three rockets into one that can carry bigger satellites and equipment — and eventually humans — deeper into space.
“The mission went on as best as expected … it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said during a press conference Tuesday night.
He mentioned that the two side boosters that landed back in Florida are in good condition.
When asked what Falcon Heavy taught Musk: “I didn’t really think this would work … thousands of things could have gone wrong. The two boosters landed just like the simulation. It gives me confidence that the BFR is really quite possible.”
Musk said that crazy things can come true.
“Falcon Heavy has the same flexibility of Falcon 9 … even though it has three times the capability,” Musk added. “The cost between Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy is minor.”
Musk mentioned that the Tesla Roadster launched in space is a normal car and he said if you look closely on the dashboard, there’s a tiny Roadster with a tiny “Spaceman.” He said it’s kind of silly and fun, but that’s important.
He joked that an alien may find the Roadster and wonder, “Hmmm, did they worship this car?” as the reporters in the room laughed.
“Falcon Heavy opens up a new class of payload … it can launch things to Pluto and beyond, no stop needed,” he added.
“You know all the ways it could fail … I’ve seen rockets blow up …” Musk answered a question about his pre-launch jitters.
Musk spoke earlier about the possibilities with CBS News space analyst Bill Harwood.
“You could actually send people back to the moon with the Falcon Heavy,” Musk said. “You could, with interplanetary fueling, send people to Mars.”
Musk’s goals are to leave his mark — and his brand — on space travel.
“We’re just trying to make space exciting again and trying to push the frontier back where it was during the good old days,” he said.
SpaceX is expected to update the progress of its mission later Tuesday evening, since it’s not over yet. The rocket’s final phase involves igniting one more time in order to thrust the car and “Starman” into their intended orbit.
CBS News’ Peter Martinez contributed to this report.
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