Time lapse: Watch the Falcon Heavy placed on pad 39A

A prototype rocket for a massive reusable vehicle SpaceX is designing to fly people to the moon and Mars took off from a launching stand in South Texas on Tuesday, flew to a height of roughly 500 feet, then made a controlled descent to a nearby landing pad.

Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic representatives all called for improvements to the regulatory framework that governs spaceflight operations during a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023.

The mission will the fifth flight to space for Peggy Whitson, the American with the most spaceflight experience in history. Liftoff on Wednesday, June 25 is set for 2:31 a.m. EDT (0631 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A.