With launch prices becoming significantly cheaper, we're getting back to super heavy payloads.
The Falcon Heavy's payload can exceed 140,000 pounds to low earth orbit. The heaviest in history - aside from those designed by Soviets and ex-Nazis.
For comparison's sake, the Falcon 9: 50,000 pounds, and the now-retired NASA Space Shuttle: 60,000 pounds.
For comparison's sake, factoring in all expenses - the price per launch in $90,000,000 USD, less than half of the $185,000,000 launch prices of the Saturn 5s back in the 60s and early 70s ($1.23 billion dollars in 2016). The last Space shuttle launch in 2011 cost $450,000,000.
Even bigger: NASA's upcoming SLS announced in 2011 was given a price tag of about $500 million per launch (may have gone down, this was the projected price about 6 years ago), but will carry a payload of 290,000 pounds. This is NASA's rocket intended for constructing the Deep Space Gateway (lunar orbit space station) and taking humans to Mars. Its first launch is scheduled for December 2019. This will be the most powerful rocket ever launched (Saturn 5, minus fuel and third stage, was 270,000 pounds).
The Falcon Heavy's payload can exceed 140,000 pounds to low earth orbit. The heaviest in history - aside from those designed by Soviets and ex-Nazis.
For comparison's sake, the Falcon 9: 50,000 pounds, and the now-retired NASA Space Shuttle: 60,000 pounds.
For comparison's sake, factoring in all expenses - the price per launch in $90,000,000 USD, less than half of the $185,000,000 launch prices of the Saturn 5s back in the 60s and early 70s ($1.23 billion dollars in 2016). The last Space shuttle launch in 2011 cost $450,000,000.
Even bigger: NASA's upcoming SLS announced in 2011 was given a price tag of about $500 million per launch (may have gone down, this was the projected price about 6 years ago), but will carry a payload of 290,000 pounds. This is NASA's rocket intended for constructing the Deep Space Gateway (lunar orbit space station) and taking humans to Mars. Its first launch is scheduled for December 2019. This will be the most powerful rocket ever launched (Saturn 5, minus fuel and third stage, was 270,000 pounds).
