Elon, we have a problem: SpaceX booster rocket crashes

SpaceX chief Elon Musk says the centre booster of the Falcon Heavy slammed into the Atlantic at 480km/h, missing the floating landing platform.

Musk says it hit the water with such force that shrapnel flew onto the droneship's deck and took out two engines.

Despite the loss, Musk reveled in Tuesday's successful launch of the powerful Falcon Heavy and the recovery of the two side boosters.

Elon Musk, founder, CEO, and lead designer of SpaceX, speaks at a news conference after the Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket launched successfully. Photo / AP

He said watching the simultaneous side-by-side touchdowns of those two boosters at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was probably the most exciting thing he's ever seen.

If the cameras on the ocean platform were not wiped out, Musk says he'll try to salvage the video and add the images to his greatest bloopers' reel of exploding rockets.

The Falcon Heavy rocket blasted off Tuesday afternoon from the same Florida launch pad used by NASA nearly 50 years ago to send men to the moon. With liftoff, the Heavy became the most powerful rocket in use today. Its three boosters and 27 engines roared to life at Kennedy Space Center.

Not only did the rocket lift a red sports car into orbit — with a dummy "Starman" at the wheel — two of the three boosters came back and landed upright at Cape Canaveral. The 15-story boosters landed at the same time, side by side.

Musk owns the rocketing Tesla Roadster, which is aiming for a solar orbit reaching Mars.

View from SpaceX Launch Control. Apparently, there is a car in orbit around Earth. pic.twitter.com/QljN2VnL1O

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018

This image from video provided by SpaceX shows the company's spacesuit in Elon Musk's red Tesla sports car which was launched into space. Photo / AP

Can't decide which impressed me more...putting a Tesla into space or synchronised side booster landing

Congrats @elonmusk & @SpaceX pic.twitter.com/Imm9IYdwd0

— Lara & TheHound™ (@LaraLandyLover) February 6, 2018

Currently over Australia 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/HAya3E6OEJ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2018

Musk — who also heads up the Tesla electric carmaker — says he wanted to add some dramatic flair. Usually there are things like steel or concrete slabs or mundane experiments on test flights. SpaceX is targeting a long, oval orbit around the sun for the car.

- AP