Institution's response to the launch of reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle Falcon Heavy

Dr Colin Brown, Director at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said about the launch of Elon Musk’s reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle Falcon Heavy:

“The maiden voyage of the enormous 70m rocket funded by Elon Musk is an exciting and ambitious project which pushes engineering to its utmost limits.

“The Falcon Heavy is a real behemoth; at lift-off it will create a combined thrust equivalent to approximately 18 Boeing 747 airplanes taking off. The engineering behind it is really awe-inspiring.

“With the launch of such a complex machine, there are always risks, but the rocket completed a static fire test earlier in January, when the Falcon Heavy successfully ignited its engines while still strapped to the launch pad, I remain hopeful that this remarkable project will be successful.”

Dr Colin Brown is available for interview.

Notes to Editors

• For interview requests and queries contact the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Press Office on 020 7973 1261 or email media@imeche.org.
• The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was established in 1847 and has some of the world’s greatest engineers in its history books. It is one of the fastest growing professional engineering institutions. Headquartered in London, we have operations around the world and over 120,000 members in more than 140 countries working at the heart of the most important and dynamic industries such as the automotive, rail, aerospace, medical, power and construction industries.