Plans For World's Most Powerful Rocket Unveiled

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

The private rocket company SpaceX says its next rocket will be the most powerful in the world.

The new rocket, called the Falcon Heavy, is designed to carry up to about twice as much weight as a NASA space shuttle can take to orbit. It's expected to be at the launchpad at the end of next year for its first flight, with the launch likely coming in 2013.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described his company's new rocket during a press conference in Washington, D.C. He says it will be able to take about 117,000 pounds to orbit.

"So that is really, really humongous," says Musk. "It's more payload capability than any vehicle in history, apart from the Saturn V."

The Saturn V was NASA's moon rocket and was decommissioned after the Apollo program ended. Musk said the Falcon Heavy has about half the lifting capability of the Saturn V.

Rocket Mystery Solved - YinC News Release

Monday evening, something launched approximately 35 miles off the California coast. A news helicopter even filmed the rocket-like contrail rising like an arced pillar in the sunset. If seeing is believing, there was definitely a rocket launch of some description.

However, no one is claiming responsibility. The U.S. military seems baffled, U.S. airspace was not notified of any commercial satellite launches, no regional Air Force bases had any launches planned and all we're left with are scores of theories as to what it might be.

An undisclosed source hinted that a Polish terrorist group, Al WOJO, may be responsible for outfitting and stealing the early nuclear J-Class submarine that was in the mothball fleet near Long Beach.

An Eleventh Naval District source verified that a "submarine of some kind" may have broken loose from its moorings, and may have floated out to sea, or may have in fact, been stolen. "We have so many there it is difficult to keep track of all of them."

Andrzejek Wojoweiski, spokesman for Al WOJO, when contacted in Gdansk, stated, "It is possible that one of AL WOJO's Yellow Op groups borrowed a submarine from the United States Navy, and further possible that shortly after it got underway and submerged that when the temperature started dropping in the submarine that a considerate Yellow Op agent named Vladimir Wadsinzzki, when looking for a heating source, may have seen a big red button which had FIRE on the face of it, thought it meant heat and pushed the button."

The Coast Guard is escorting the submarine back to the mothball fleet in Long Beach.