Falcon Heavy is going farther than expected, taking the world's first space sports car beyond Mars.
- SpaceX Falcon Heavy 3rd engine burn successful
- Rocket overshoots intended orbit between Mars and Earth
- Tesla Roadster will now be in solar orbit between Mars and Jupiter
- PREVIOUS STORY: SpaceX Falcon Heavy test flight sends Tesla Roadster into space
SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted Wednesday that the third engine burn for the rocket was successful, but it will send the Tesla Roadster beyond the Mars-Earth orbit it was intended for.
Third burn successful. Exceeded Mars orbit and kept going to the Asteroid Belt. pic.twitter.com/bKhRN73WHF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018
Instead, the Roadster will enter a solar orbit that stretches to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
The Roadster launched aboard the Falcon Heavy Tuesday in the rocket's first test flight from Kennedy Space Center.
#FalconHeavy launch! Watch @SpaceX's historic launch from @NASAKennedy: https://t.co/9lJ6htMjs4 pic.twitter.com/ALqKK6TSZg
— News 13 (@MyNews13) February 6, 2018
The Heavy is now the most powerful rocket in operation, but Musk says it will not be used to fly people as originally planned.
Musk says SpaceX is now working on an even bigger rocket for deep-space crews.
The Roadster has a passenger, nicknamed "Starman," inside. Live cameras streamed Starman's progress through space for hours.