Which rocket carried SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy test flight in 2018?

Falcon Heavy carried SpaceX’s first Falcon Heavy test flight in 2018.

The Falcon Heavy is itself the launch vehicle, so the question’s answer names the rocket that performed the debut. It launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A on 6 February 2018. The vehicle used a central Falcon 9 core joined to two additional Falcon 9-derived side boosters.

SpaceX placed an unusual payload on the demonstration flight: a red Tesla Roadster, with a mannequin called “Starman” in the driver’s seat. The car was sent toward a heliocentric orbit that reaches roughly as far as the orbit of Mars, although it was not placed into Mars orbit.

Both side boosters landed successfully after launch, while the center core was lost during its attempted landing. Falcon Heavy is designed for heavy payloads and uses 27 Merlin engines during liftoff, giving it one of the largest launch thrusts of any operational rocket.