SpaceX is about to launch the most powerful rocket in over 30 years — but Elon Musk says he'll be happy if it 'doesn't blow the pad to smithereens.'

SpaceX is planning to launch its supercharged
If it works, Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket system in use.
SpaceX says Falcon Heavy could someday deliver more than 37,000 pounds of stuff to Mars in a single trip.
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Elon Musk is getting ready to launch the most powerful rocket that's taken off from US soil since Americans went to the moon in the 1970s. It'll be the strongest rocket the world has seen since the 1980s — if it works.

On Tuesday afternoon, SpaceX is set to send Falcon Heavy into space for the first time, from a pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

But on a call with reporters, Musk warned not to expect perfection.

The rocket will carry Musk's red 2008 Tesla Roadster as a test payload. The colorful stunt is meant to demonstrate how the company might someday help deliver people and other goods into space.

said on Twitter

If this carefully coordinated space "ballet" works, however, Musk's old car will be running laps between the sun and Mars in what's called a hyperbolic orbit.

37,000 pounds

The key difference between the Falcon Heavy and other rocket systems is two-fold: it's both bigger and cheaper.

Falcon Heavy system relies on three reusable boosters, which are each made of nine cone-shaped engines, for a total of 27 engines on board. Unlike most booster systems, these rocket-pushers are not for one-time use. When successful, the boosters land themselves

SpaceX first successfully tested the new recycling system in March of 2017 with its Falcon 9 rocket. Those same reusable cores make the price of a Falcon Heavy launch just $90 million, about a third of the cost of the competition.

The other perk of the new system, of course, is its power. The only rocket that was ever able to carry more stuff into space than Falcon Heavy was the Saturn V rocket, which was developed and used by NASA for its Apollo moon missions in the 1960s and 70s.

Musk said the beauty of his new system is that it's expandable: "

According to SpaceX, Falcon Heavy is capable of carrying roughly 2.6 times as much stuff as the US space shuttle program did:

Last week, SpaceX fired up Falcon Heavy on the launchpad, the first sign that the company was nearly ready for this week's historic event.

Other space moguls are rooting for a successful launch.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who's heading up his own privately-funded space company, sent Musk a well-wishing tweet on Monday. Musk chimed back just hours later with his own kissy face for the Blue Origin boss.

Those who want to see the drama unfold can tune in to the livestream of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch on Tuesday afternoon. The launch is scheduled to occur between 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. ET, though there is always a chance of delays.

Musk insists that whatever happens, it's going to be worth your time to watch the launch. "