SpaceX Gears Up to Finally, Actually Launch the Falcon Heavy | WIRED

Lofty expectations

"At Cape Canaveral, the nearby Visitor Complex has already sold out of its close launch viewing spots for Tuesday, February 6. That’s when SpaceX will attempt to launch its new rocket from Space Launch Complex 39A, during a three-hour window opening at 1:30 PM Eastern. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who launched off the same pad toward the moon in 1969, will be in there. Another notable audience member? Harrison Ford, who has a special connection with the rocket: The Falcon Heavy gets its name from Han Solo’s ship in Star Wars.

For most of the world, a livestream view will have to do, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been encouraging people to tune in. But he’s managing expectations: Falcon Heavy may not reach orbit, and simply not destroying such a historic launch pad would be a “win.” And though SpaceX originally signed a 20-year lease with NASA for the facility, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll always be a tenant."

SpaceX Gears Up to Finally, Actually Launch the Falcon Heavy | WIRED