The SpaceX rocket that will soon be heading toward Mars is now on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center.

The company's Falcon Heavy rocket went vertical at Pad 39A on Thursday morning.

The Falcon Heavy is SpaceX's largest rocket to date, with double the thrust of its next largest rocket, three boosters instead of one and 27 engines instead of nine.

SpaceX, headed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has not released an official first launch date for the Falcon Heavy, though it will be sometime in January. Musk has said the payload for the rocket's test flight will be his cherry-red Tesla Roadster, which the company hopes to put in Mars orbit.

Stay with Spectrum News 13 and Spectrum Bay News 9 for live coverage of the launch.