SpaceX Shares Animation of Rocket That Could Send Humans to Mars

— -- Elon Musk's private space company showed off a sexy new animation today demonstrating how its Falcon Heavy rocket could one day send humans on long-haul missions to Mars.

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket is so powerful it can blast off carrying a load as heavy as a commercial jetliner packed with hundreds of passengers, luggage and fuel.

A new animation from SpaceX shows how the Falcon Heavy, called the "most powerful rocket in the world," would operate from liftoff to booster recovery.

The first stage of the rocket has three Falcon 9 engine cores, providing an incredible 27 engines' worth of power at liftoff.

Musk has long been a proponent of recycling rocket parts -- something he said he believes will make space travel cheaper and usher in a new era for exploration.

During a launch of its Dragon vessel to the International Space Station earlier this month, SpaceX attempted a historic maneuver by trying to land part of a rocket on a floating barge.

The rockets came close to the barge but ultimately crashed at a 45-degree angle, smashing its legs and engine section, and rendering it unable to be reused, Musk said after the attempt.

Last week, Google and Fidelity announced a $1 billion investment in SpaceX, which will help the company push ahead with its plan to create a space-based global Internet service.