The Atlantic

A High-Stakes Dress Rehearsal for SpaceX

Elon Musk plans to launch the Falcon Heavy later this month—but first, the rocket has to survive a big test.
Source: Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images

The dress rehearsal is a critical part of any performance. The often nerve-wracking event requires a seamless run-through, a check of every detail, assurances that everyone knows the script by heart. The jitters, oh, the jitters. If you bungle the preparations for opening night, there’s a good chance you’re not ready for the big show.

The cast at SpaceX may be feeling some of those jitters now as they approach their own dress rehearsal: A major test of the Falcon Heavy that will determine whether the rocket is ready

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Return of the John Birch Society
Michael Smart chuckled as he thought back to their banishment. Truthfully he couldn’t say for sure what the problem had been, why it was that in 2012, the John Birch Society—the far-right organization historically steeped in conspiracism and oppositi
The Atlantic3 min readDiscrimination & Race Relations
The Legacy of Charles V. Hamilton and Black Power
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic’s archives to contextualize the present and surface delightful treasures. Sign up here. This week, The New York Times published news of the death of Charles V. Hamilton, the

Related Books & Audiobooks