Maiden flight of SpaceX rocket that will take tourists to the Moon lifts off in three months
The Falcon Heavy will be one of largest rockets ever built and one day it could be the spacecraft that makes Humanity an interplanetary species
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Maiden flight of SpaceX rocket that will take tourists to the Moon lifts off in three months', 311 Institute, 19 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/spacexs-falcon-heavy-will-have-its-maiden-flight-in-three-months-time/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Elon Musk has been tweeting again and this time he’s telling everyone that the highly anticipated Falcon Heavy launch, the wanna be reusable heavy lift rocket that will carry the first space tourists to the Moon in 2018, and be the spacecraft that Musk will eventually uses to help humanity become an interplanetary species that colonises Mars from 2022 onwards, will launch in just a few months.
Post on X
All Falcon Heavy cores should be at the Cape in two to three months, so launch should happen a month after that
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 8, 2017
What this means for your organisation
Heavy lift opens new markets.
One of the largest rockets ever built could carry bigger loads and people further than before. Musk plans to use it for tourist trips to the Moon. Firms in travel, insurance and space services should consider what space tourism would need from them.
Reuse is the cost lever.
The rocket is designed to be reusable, and landing and reflying boosters is now spreading. Cheaper launches widen who can reach orbit. Investors should watch reuse rates as the clearest signal of falling access costs.
Private firms set the pace.
Private companies now drive most space spending and launches. A single founder's timeline can shape the industry agenda. Governments and suppliers should plan around private launch schedules and track how often those dates hold.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- What would cheaper heavy lift launches let us do in space?
- Could space tourism create demand for our services?
- How dependent are our plans on one private launch provider?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The Falcon Heavy will be one of largest rockets ever built and one day it could be the spacecraft that makes Humanity an interplanetary species
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity programme, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- View on X → twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 19 June 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Maiden flight of SpaceX rocket that will take tourists to the Moon lifts off in three months. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/spacexs-falcon-heavy-will-have-its-maiden-flight-in-three-months-time/
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