Sydney (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 07:14
Rio Tinto annual net profit soars 90% on strong commodity prices
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 05:43
Palestinian stabs Israeli in West Bank, shot dead: army
Washington (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 04:32
Casino tycoon Steve Wynn quits over harassment claims
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 02:44
Hong Kong stocks rally at open after mauling
Washington (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 01:26
White House says Trump has asked for military parade
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 01:12
Tokyo's Nikkei index rebounds over 3% after Wall St rally
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 22:05
US stocks close with solid gains after volatile session, Dow +2.3%
Bogota (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:51
Iran sends sick American back to jail: US official
Cape Canaveral (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:48
SpaceX launches world's most powerful rocket toward Mars
Nablus (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:24
Palestinian killed in clashes during Israeli raid: ministry
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:16
Dow shoots 2% higher as US stocks rebound
Cape Town (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 20:45
S.Africa's Zuma holds 'fruitful' talks with successor as exit looms: ANC
Washington (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 20:36
US 'disappointed' by signing of Holocaust law in Poland
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 18:18
Erdogan to meet EU chiefs in Bulgaria on March 26: official
Taipei (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 18:10
Taiwan hotel collapses after 6.4-magnitude quake: govt
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:54
EU to probe Apple plan to buy music app Shazam
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:45
Maldives Supreme Court revokes order to free prisoners
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:34
UK court to issue new ruling on Assange on February 13
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:41
Iraqi Kurds say 4,000 jihadists held including foreigners
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:38
US stocks fall about 1.0% in opening moments
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:30
Assange loses court bid to cancel UK arrest warrant
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:15
Boeing, Embraer near deal on commercial air business: source
Tehran (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:07
'We will negotiate with no one on our weapons': Iran president
Washington (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 14:35
US trade gap spikes 12% in 2017 on record imports
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:57
General Motors reports $5.2 bn loss on charge for US tax reform
Cape Town (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:52
S.Africa postpones State of Nation address amid turmoil
Geneva (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:17
UN says probing suspected chemical weapons use in Syria
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:13
Abdeslam says won't return to Brussels trial on Thursday: court
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 12:04
Maldives president says judges plotted to overthrow him
Warsaw (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 11:50
Poland's president to sign controversial Holocaust bill into law
Beirut (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 10:57
Regime strikes kill 16 in Syria's Ghouta enclave: monitor
Johannesburg (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 10:35
S.Africa's ANC divided on Zuma's fate: party official
Beijing (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:45
China says Swedish publisher held under criminal law
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:17
Hong Kong democracy activists walk free in appeal victory
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:16
Hong Kong stocks close down more than five percent
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:13
German stock market tumbles 3.6 percent at open
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:12
European stocks slump at open as panic spreads
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 08:36
Maldives' Nasheed asks India, US to help remove president
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 08:12
BP says annual profit rockets on higher oil prices
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:32
Toyota reports 40.5% jump in nine-month profit, raises FY forecast
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:10
Tokyo's Nikkei index closes down 4.73% after Wall Street rout
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:07
Palestinian prime suspect in rabbi's murder shot dead: Shin Bet
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 03:05
Maldives chief justice arrested: police
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 02:47
Tokyo's Nikkei index extends sell-off, dives 5%
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 02:36
Hong Kong stocks plunge almost four percent at open
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 01:10
Tokyo stocks plunge over 4% after Wall Street sell-off
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 22:12
Dow ends down 4.6% after brutal session
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 21:22
US stocks plunge further; Dow sinks over 5 percent
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 20:37
Wall Street stock sell-off accelerates; Dow -2.0%
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 20:07
Maldives police arrest ex-president Gayoom
Washington (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 19:40
US-led coalition says 'adjusting' down forces in Iraq
Stockholm (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 19:17
Sweden condemns China's 'brutal' snatching of Swedish bookseller
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:43
Trade barriers 'unavoidable' for UK after Brexit: Barnier
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:18
Maldives president declares state of emergency: official
Chicago (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:13
Ex-US gymnastics doc sentenced to another 40-125 years
Nairobi (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 15:41
Two Kenyan TV stations shuttered by govt resume broadcasts
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 15:12
Palestinian stabs Israeli dead near West Bank settlement: police
Paris (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 14:13
Broadcom makes improved, final offer for chipmaker Qualcomm
Beirut (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 13:31
Syria strikes kill 23 civilians in rebel area near Damascus: monitor
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 12:39
UK judges block US extradition of alleged hacker Lauri Love
The Hague (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 12:24
Dutch withdraw ambassador to Turkey as ties sour
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 11:37
Paris suspect Abdeslam tells court: 'I put my trust in Allah'
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 11:19
Paris suspect Abdeslam: 'My silence doesn't make me a criminal'
Paris (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 10:34
Amazon announces tax deal with French government
Kinshasa (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 10:06
23 killed in ethnic violence in DR Congo's Ituri: local official
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:49
Japan army helicopter crashes in residential area: local official
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:31
Paris suspect refuses to answer questions at Belgian trial
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:03
Belgian trial for Paris attacks suspect begins
Johannesburg (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:51
S.Africa's ANC to hold talks on Zuma's future: party official
Baku (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:36
Azerbaijani leader calls snap presidential election
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:35
Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam arrives for Belgian trial: source
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 07:42
Ryanair says quarterly profits rise despite cancellations crisis
Seoul (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 07:20
South Korea appeals court frees Samsung heir
Fleury-Merogis (France) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 05:17
Paris attacks suspect leaves French prison to stand trial in Brussels: source
Quito (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 02:24
Ecuador votes bar on presidential re-election in blow to ex-leader Correa
Nicosia (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 18:34
Cyprus president re-elected for second term: final result
Nicosia (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 17:14
Exit polls predict win for incumbent in Cyprus presidential run-off
Taipei (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 15:53
Shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits off Taiwan: USGS
Washington (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 12:40
At least two killed in South Carolina train collision: US police
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 11:05
Israel 'legalising' rogue settlement in response to murder: Netanyahu
Madrid (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 10:43
Bodies of around 20 migrants recovered from sea: Spanish official

Sydney (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 07:14
Rio Tinto annual net profit soars 90% on strong commodity prices
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 05:43
Palestinian stabs Israeli in West Bank, shot dead: army
Washington (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 04:32
Casino tycoon Steve Wynn quits over harassment claims
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 02:44
Hong Kong stocks rally at open after mauling
Washington (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 01:26
White House says Trump has asked for military parade
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/07/2018 - 01:12
Tokyo's Nikkei index rebounds over 3% after Wall St rally
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 22:05
US stocks close with solid gains after volatile session, Dow +2.3%
Bogota (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:51
Iran sends sick American back to jail: US official
Cape Canaveral (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:48
SpaceX launches world's most powerful rocket toward Mars
Nablus (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:24
Palestinian killed in clashes during Israeli raid: ministry
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 21:16
Dow shoots 2% higher as US stocks rebound
Cape Town (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 20:45
S.Africa's Zuma holds 'fruitful' talks with successor as exit looms: ANC
Washington (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 20:36
US 'disappointed' by signing of Holocaust law in Poland
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 18:18
Erdogan to meet EU chiefs in Bulgaria on March 26: official
Taipei (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 18:10
Taiwan hotel collapses after 6.4-magnitude quake: govt
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:54
EU to probe Apple plan to buy music app Shazam
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:45
Maldives Supreme Court revokes order to free prisoners
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 17:34
UK court to issue new ruling on Assange on February 13
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:41
Iraqi Kurds say 4,000 jihadists held including foreigners
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:38
US stocks fall about 1.0% in opening moments
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:30
Assange loses court bid to cancel UK arrest warrant
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:15
Boeing, Embraer near deal on commercial air business: source
Tehran (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 15:07
'We will negotiate with no one on our weapons': Iran president
Washington (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 14:35
US trade gap spikes 12% in 2017 on record imports
New York (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:57
General Motors reports $5.2 bn loss on charge for US tax reform
Cape Town (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:52
S.Africa postpones State of Nation address amid turmoil
Geneva (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:17
UN says probing suspected chemical weapons use in Syria
Brussels (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 13:13
Abdeslam says won't return to Brussels trial on Thursday: court
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 12:04
Maldives president says judges plotted to overthrow him
Warsaw (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 11:50
Poland's president to sign controversial Holocaust bill into law
Beirut (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 10:57
Regime strikes kill 16 in Syria's Ghouta enclave: monitor
Johannesburg (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 10:35
S.Africa's ANC divided on Zuma's fate: party official
Beijing (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:45
China says Swedish publisher held under criminal law
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:17
Hong Kong democracy activists walk free in appeal victory
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:16
Hong Kong stocks close down more than five percent
Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:13
German stock market tumbles 3.6 percent at open
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 09:12
European stocks slump at open as panic spreads
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 08:36
Maldives' Nasheed asks India, US to help remove president
London (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 08:12
BP says annual profit rockets on higher oil prices
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:32
Toyota reports 40.5% jump in nine-month profit, raises FY forecast
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:10
Tokyo's Nikkei index closes down 4.73% after Wall Street rout
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 07:07
Palestinian prime suspect in rabbi's murder shot dead: Shin Bet
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 03:05
Maldives chief justice arrested: police
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 02:47
Tokyo's Nikkei index extends sell-off, dives 5%
Hong Kong (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 02:36
Hong Kong stocks plunge almost four percent at open
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/06/2018 - 01:10
Tokyo stocks plunge over 4% after Wall Street sell-off
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 22:12
Dow ends down 4.6% after brutal session
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 21:22
US stocks plunge further; Dow sinks over 5 percent
New York (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 20:37
Wall Street stock sell-off accelerates; Dow -2.0%
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 20:07
Maldives police arrest ex-president Gayoom
Washington (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 19:40
US-led coalition says 'adjusting' down forces in Iraq
Stockholm (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 19:17
Sweden condemns China's 'brutal' snatching of Swedish bookseller
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:43
Trade barriers 'unavoidable' for UK after Brexit: Barnier
Malé (Maldives) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:18
Maldives president declares state of emergency: official
Chicago (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 16:13
Ex-US gymnastics doc sentenced to another 40-125 years
Nairobi (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 15:41
Two Kenyan TV stations shuttered by govt resume broadcasts
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 15:12
Palestinian stabs Israeli dead near West Bank settlement: police
Paris (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 14:13
Broadcom makes improved, final offer for chipmaker Qualcomm
Beirut (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 13:31
Syria strikes kill 23 civilians in rebel area near Damascus: monitor
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 12:39
UK judges block US extradition of alleged hacker Lauri Love
The Hague (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 12:24
Dutch withdraw ambassador to Turkey as ties sour
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 11:37
Paris suspect Abdeslam tells court: 'I put my trust in Allah'
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 11:19
Paris suspect Abdeslam: 'My silence doesn't make me a criminal'
Paris (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 10:34
Amazon announces tax deal with French government
Kinshasa (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 10:06
23 killed in ethnic violence in DR Congo's Ituri: local official
Tokyo (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:49
Japan army helicopter crashes in residential area: local official
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:31
Paris suspect refuses to answer questions at Belgian trial
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 09:03
Belgian trial for Paris attacks suspect begins
Johannesburg (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:51
S.Africa's ANC to hold talks on Zuma's future: party official
Baku (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:36
Azerbaijani leader calls snap presidential election
Brussels (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 08:35
Paris attacks suspect Abdeslam arrives for Belgian trial: source
London (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 07:42
Ryanair says quarterly profits rise despite cancellations crisis
Seoul (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 07:20
South Korea appeals court frees Samsung heir
Fleury-Merogis (France) (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 05:17
Paris attacks suspect leaves French prison to stand trial in Brussels: source
Quito (AFP) - 02/05/2018 - 02:24
Ecuador votes bar on presidential re-election in blow to ex-leader Correa
Nicosia (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 18:34
Cyprus president re-elected for second term: final result
Nicosia (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 17:14
Exit polls predict win for incumbent in Cyprus presidential run-off
Taipei (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 15:53
Shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake hits off Taiwan: USGS
Washington (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 12:40
At least two killed in South Carolina train collision: US police
Jerusalem (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 11:05
Israel 'legalising' rogue settlement in response to murder: Netanyahu
Madrid (AFP) - 02/04/2018 - 10:43
Bodies of around 20 migrants recovered from sea: Spanish official

    News
  
World's biggest rocket soars toward Mars after perfect launch
        7
        Feb
        2018      

					    
					    AFP / Bruce WEAVER
					    The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on February 6, 2018
				    
The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla Roadster toward an orbit near Mars.
Screams and cheers erupted at mission control in Cape Canaveral, Florida as the massive rocket fired its 27 engines and rumbled into the blue sky over the same NASA launchpad that served as a base for the US missions to the Moon four decades ago.
"The mission went as well as one could have hoped," an ecstatic Musk told reporters after the launch, calling it "probably the most exciting thing I have seen literally ever."
"I had this image of a giant explosion on the pad with a wheel bouncing down the road with the Tesla logo landing somewhere," he said. "Fortunately that is not what happened."
Loaded with Musk's red Tesla and a mannequin in a spacesuit, the monster rocket's historic test voyage captured the world's imagination.
SpaceX's webcast showed the Tesla Roadster soaring into space, as David Bowie's "Space Oddity" played in the background -- with the words "DON'T PANIC" visible on the dashboard, in an apparent nod to the sci-fi series the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." 

					   
					   SPACEX/AFP / HO
					    An image from a livestream of "Starman," the mannequin at the wheel of the Tesla roadster blasted into space on board SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket 

				    
Musk posted a live video showing the "Starman" mannequin appearing to cruise, its gloved hand on the wheel, through the darkness of space, with the Earth's image reflected on the car's glossy red surface.
If the Roadster survives its five-hour journey through the Van Allen Belt -- a region of high radiation where it will be pelted with charged particles -- it will attempt a final burn toward Mars, Musk said.
Then, the car would enter an orbit around the Sun that brings it close to Mars, on a journey that could last a billion years and take it as far as 250 million miles (400 million kilometers) from Earth, the same as a trip around the equator 10,000 times.
"Maybe it will be discovered by some future alien race," Musk told reporters. "What were these guys doing? Did they worship this car?" he mused.
More about the status of the car's journey is expected in the coming hours.
The Roadster was also outfitted with a data storage unit containing Isaac Asimov's science fiction book series, the Foundation Trilogy, and a plaque bearing the names of 6,000 SpaceX employees.
- 'Giant step' -
About two minutes into the flight, the two side boosters peeled away from the center core and made their way back toward Earth for an upright landing.

					    
					    AFP / JIM WATSON
					    The SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster rockets land at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 6, 2018
				    
Both rockets landed side by side in unison on launchpads, live video images showed. 
"New Olympic sport - Synchronized Landings!" wrote NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik on Twitter.
The third, center booster failed to land on an ocean platform -- known as a droneship -- as planned.
"It didn't have enough propellant," Musk said, adding that it plunged into the ocean about 100 meters (yards) away from its landing point.
"Apparently it hit the water at 300 miles (480 kilometers) an hour and took out two of the engines," he added.
Experts said the launch would likely catch the eye of the US space agency NASA, which may consider using the Falcon Heavy as a way to fast-track its plans to reach the Moon again for the first time since 1972.

					   
					   AFP / Sophie RAMIS
					    Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in operation

				    
Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot congratulated SpaceX and called it a "tremendous accomplishment."
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said "the successful launch of a new vehicle on its first flight is a significant accomplishment they can be very proud of."
Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted:  "What we're watching is @SpaceX leaving all other rocket companies in the dust. Congrats to everyone there!"
- Falcon Heavy specs -
The Falcon Heavy launched from the same NASA pad that was the base for the Apollo-era Moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s.
It is "the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two," SpaceX said.
That means it can carry twice the payload of United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy, at a far lower cost -- about $90 million per launch compared to $350 million for its competitor. 
But the Falcon Heavy is not the most powerful rocket ever -- just the biggest in operation today.
The Saturn V rocket that propelled astronauts to the Moon could deliver more payload to orbit. The Soviet-era Energia, which flew twice in 1987 and 1988, was also more powerful.
The Falcon Heavy is essentially three smaller, Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, adding up to a total of 27 engines.
The 230-foot (70-meter) tall rocket is designed to carry nearly 141,000 pounds (64 metric tonnes) into orbit -- more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner.
It was initially intended to restore the possibility of sending humans to the Moon or Mars, but those plans have shifted and now the Falcon Heavy is being considered mainly as a potential equipment carrier to these deep space destinations, Musk said Monday.
Instead, another rocket and spaceship combination being developed by SpaceX, nicknamed BFR -- alternately known as "Big Fucking Rocket," or "Big Falcon Rocket" -- would be the vehicle eventually certified for travelers. 

Home

News

World's biggest rocket soars toward Mars after perfect launch

7 Feb 2018

AFP / Bruce WEAVER The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on February 6, 2018

The world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, blasted off Tuesday on its highly anticipated maiden test flight, carrying CEO Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla Roadster toward an orbit near Mars.

Screams and cheers erupted at mission control in Cape Canaveral, Florida as the massive rocket fired its 27 engines and rumbled into the blue sky over the same NASA launchpad that served as a base for the US missions to the Moon four decades ago.

"The mission went as well as one could have hoped," an ecstatic Musk told reporters after the launch, calling it "probably the most exciting thing I have seen literally ever."

"I had this image of a giant explosion on the pad with a wheel bouncing down the road with the Tesla logo landing somewhere," he said. "Fortunately that is not what happened."

Loaded with Musk's red Tesla and a mannequin in a spacesuit, the monster rocket's historic test voyage captured the world's imagination.

SpaceX's webcast showed the Tesla Roadster soaring into space, as David Bowie's "Space Oddity" played in the background -- with the words "DON'T PANIC" visible on the dashboard, in an apparent nod to the sci-fi series the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

SPACEX/AFP / HO An image from a livestream of "Starman," the mannequin at the wheel of the Tesla roadster blasted into space on board SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket

Musk posted a live video showing the "Starman" mannequin appearing to cruise, its gloved hand on the wheel, through the darkness of space, with the Earth's image reflected on the car's glossy red surface.

If the Roadster survives its five-hour journey through the Van Allen Belt -- a region of high radiation where it will be pelted with charged particles -- it will attempt a final burn toward Mars, Musk said.

Then, the car would enter an orbit around the Sun that brings it close to Mars, on a journey that could last a billion years and take it as far as 250 million miles (400 million kilometers) from Earth, the same as a trip around the equator 10,000 times.

"Maybe it will be discovered by some future alien race," Musk told reporters. "What were these guys doing? Did they worship this car?" he mused.

More about the status of the car's journey is expected in the coming hours.

The Roadster was also outfitted with a data storage unit containing Isaac Asimov's science fiction book series, the Foundation Trilogy, and a plaque bearing the names of 6,000 SpaceX employees.

- 'Giant step' -

About two minutes into the flight, the two side boosters peeled away from the center core and made their way back toward Earth for an upright landing.

AFP / JIM WATSON The SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster rockets land at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 6, 2018

Both rockets landed side by side in unison on launchpads, live video images showed.

"New Olympic sport - Synchronized Landings!" wrote NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik on Twitter.

The third, center booster failed to land on an ocean platform -- known as a droneship -- as planned.

"It didn't have enough propellant," Musk said, adding that it plunged into the ocean about 100 meters (yards) away from its landing point.

"Apparently it hit the water at 300 miles (480 kilometers) an hour and took out two of the engines," he added.

Experts said the launch would likely catch the eye of the US space agency NASA, which may consider using the Falcon Heavy as a way to fast-track its plans to reach the Moon again for the first time since 1972.

AFP / Sophie RAMIS Falcon Heavy, the most powerful rocket in operation

Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot congratulated SpaceX and called it a "tremendous accomplishment."

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana said "the successful launch of a new vehicle on its first flight is a significant accomplishment they can be very proud of."

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted: "What we're watching is @SpaceX leaving all other rocket companies in the dust. Congrats to everyone there!"

- Falcon Heavy specs -

The Falcon Heavy launched from the same NASA pad that was the base for the Apollo-era Moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s.

It is "the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two," SpaceX said.

That means it can carry twice the payload of United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy, at a far lower cost -- about $90 million per launch compared to $350 million for its competitor.

But the Falcon Heavy is not the most powerful rocket ever -- just the biggest in operation today.

The Saturn V rocket that propelled astronauts to the Moon could deliver more payload to orbit. The Soviet-era Energia, which flew twice in 1987 and 1988, was also more powerful.

The Falcon Heavy is essentially three smaller, Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, adding up to a total of 27 engines.

The 230-foot (70-meter) tall rocket is designed to carry nearly 141,000 pounds (64 metric tonnes) into orbit -- more than the mass of a fully loaded 737 jetliner.

It was initially intended to restore the possibility of sending humans to the Moon or Mars, but those plans have shifted and now the Falcon Heavy is being considered mainly as a potential equipment carrier to these deep space destinations, Musk said Monday.

Instead, another rocket and spaceship combination being developed by SpaceX, nicknamed BFR -- alternately known as "Big Fucking Rocket," or "Big Falcon Rocket" -- would be the vehicle eventually certified for travelers.