Falcon Heavy
When Falcon Heavy lifts off in 2018, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two. With the ability to lift into orbit over 54 metric tons (119,000 lb)--a mass equivalent to a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel--Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost. Falcon Heavy draws upon the proven heritage and reliability of Falcon 9. Its first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft.
Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit. Falcon Heavy was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars.
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Cost per launch
$90M for up to 8,000 kg to GTO[
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Space X First Falcon Heavy Test Vehicle Raised Vertical On Pad
SpaceX Falcon Heavy is looking to launch late December 2017. The 3 Core rocket will launch from pad 39a at Kennedy Space Center. If everything goes to plan it will be the worlds most powerful rocket able to carry a payload to 63.8 metric tonnes, compared to 22.8 tonnes for a Falcon 9 full thrust.
With the announcements of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and Big Falcon Rocket, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and NASA's Space Launch System, it can be tough to tell one rocket apart from the other.
NASA’s Saturn V rocket was the pinnacle of technology during the Apollo era. More than 40 years after its final flight, it’s still the world’s most powerful rocket. But that’s finally about to change.
NASA, SpaceX, and Blue Origin are developing their most impressive rockets yet. Here’s how America’s monster rockets of the future measure up to NASA’s moon rocket
Saturn V - 363 feet tall
Falcon Heavy - 229 feet tall
BFR - 348 feet tall
SLS - 365 feet tall
New Glenn Rocket - 326 feet tall
At peak performance, the Saturn V could lift 310,000 pounds to orbit. That’s equivalent to the weight of 33 African elephants respectively (avg. African elephant weighs 9500 pounds.)
Some of these payloads are subject to change, but here’s an estimate of how much each rocket can carry to space.
Saturn V - 310,000 lbs (33 elephants)
Falcon Heavy - 119,000 lbs (12.5 elephants)
SLS - 286,000 lbs (30 elephants)
BFR - 330,000 lbs (34 elephants)
New Glenn Rocket - 99,210 lbs (10 elephants)
The Falcon Heavy will be the first rocket since Saturn V capable of sending humans to the Moon, though it won’t be quite as powerful. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket will compete with SpaceX for commercial satellite launches.
But the real monsters of the group are NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket. Both will out power the Saturn V and are designed to eventually launch humans to Mars.
Now, let’s check out the true test of a rocket’s power — its thrust.
Saturn V - 7.6 million pounds (42 Boeing 747s)
Falcon Heavy - 5.1 million pounds (28 Boeing 747s)
SLS - 9.2 million pounds (51 Boeings)
BFR - 11.8 million pounds (66 Boeings)
New Glenn - 3.85 million pounds (21 Boeings)
The Saturn V generated 7.6 million pounds of thrust at liftoff
That’s equivalent to the same propulsive power as 42 Boeing 747s
(referring to Boeing 747-400 model, which has 4 engines that produce 44,700 lbs of thrust each)