![]() Falcon-Heavy (Block 5)(px) (USSF 44) |
Falcon-9 is a liquid fueled orbital launch vehicle for medium to heavy sized missions, which was developed at SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.). It is technologically based on the Falcon-1 launch vehicle. Both stages are Kerosene / LOX fueled.
The first stage, which will be reusable after recovery by powered landing, is to be powered by 9 of the SpaceX built Merlin-1C engines with regenerative cooling. The upper stage will use a single Merlin engine and will also be reusable. The Falcon-Heavy is offered with a 5.2 m fairing.
High inclination launches will launch from Vandenberg AFB. Launch site for low inclination launches is the former Shuttle pad at Cape Canaveral, LC-39A. An additional launch site at Boca Chica near Brownsville, Texas, was also under construction, but this site has in 2018 been dedicated for the Starship development.
The first flight for a Falcon-Heavy was originally planned for 2014 from Vandenberg, but has been moved to Cape Canaveral in 2015, eventually delayed to early 2018. All subsequent rockets are the improved Falcon-Heavy (Block 5) series.
Version | Strap-On | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
---|---|---|---|
Falcon-Heavy (Block 5) (px) | 2 × Stage 1 (str., reusable) / 9 × Merlin-1D | Stage 1 (str.) / 9 × Merlin-1D (upr.+) | Stage 2 (str.) / Merlin-1D-Vac (upr.+) |
Performance (kg) | LEO | LPEO | SSO | GTO | GEO | MolO | IP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Falcon-Heavy (Block 5) (px) |
No. TypNo Type Serial/Core Date LS Payload
187 1 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) B1066.1/64.1/65.1 01.11.2022 CCK LC-39A Shepherd Demonstration (USA 339) / LDPE 2 / Tetra 1 / Alpine / LINUSS 1, 2 / USA 344 201 2 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) B1070.1/64.2/65.2 15.01.2023 CCK LC-39A CBAS 2 (USA 342) / LDPE 3A (USSF 67) 249 3 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) B1074.1/64.3/65.3 29.07.2023 CCK LC-39A Jupiter 3 (EchoStar 24) 270 4 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) B1079.1/64.4/65.4 13.10.2023 CCK LC-39A Psyche (Discovery 14) planned launches: Falcon-Heavy b5(px) . xx.xx.2024 CCK LC-39A GOES U Falcon-Heavy b5(px) . xx.xx.2026 CCK LC-39A GPS-3F 1 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) . xx.10.2026 CCK LC-39A NGRST (WFIRST) Falcon-Heavy b5(px) B1084.1/64.5/65.5 xx.12.2023 CCK LC-39A X-37B OTV-7 (USSF 52) Falcon-Heavy b5(px) . xx.xx.202x CCK LC-39A USSF 70 Falcon-Heavy b5(px) . xx.xx.202x CCK LC-39A USSF 75 F failure P partial failure p partial failure (prime payload in usable orbit) r recovery failure (prime mission successful) n no recovery attempted (only for recoverable missions) Failures: Flight 75: Stage 1 core stage landing failure Launch sites: CCK = NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USAVa = Vandenberg AFB, California, USA
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