SpaceX is about to undertake one of the most ambitious rocket launches ever seen.
The company will send its new Falcon Heavy – twice as powerful as the rockets in operation today, and the most powerful seen since the Saturn V was launched in the 60s – to carry a Tesla Roadster into space. Then it will drop back down again, landing its three separate parts on Earth with the hope of re-using them.
Taken together, the mission represents one of the best hopes for allowing humans to explore our nearby planets once again. Some version of the rocket could eventually carry humans to Mars, and the re-usable rocket could drastically reduce the cost of doing so.
But first, SpaceX will hope for a successful launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The test launch will be the first time the huge rocket has been really tested – and while there is no reason to believe the launch will go wrong, SpaceX has had a number of high-profile failures.
The mission will kick off at 6.30pm UK time, or 1.30pm eastern, the local time in Cape Canaveral. But the launch window extends until 4pm local time, meaning that it could happen a little later if there's a problem with safety or the weather – if it takes any longer than that, the launch will be delayed until another day.
Follow here for all the latest updates as it heads off on its pioneering mission.
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