SpaceX · Operational · us · Launch Vehicle
Falcon Heavy
Three-core heavy-lift variant of Falcon 9; 13 flights, all successful, most recently NASA's Roman Space Telescope in August 2026.
Verified 2026-09-24 · First flight 2018-02-06
Systems cutaway
27× Merlin 1D+ sea-level engines across 3 cores (9 per core); RP-1/LOX; 22,819 kN liftoff thrust; center core 1× Merlin 1D Vacuum on S2.
Three Falcon 9 Block 5 first stages strapped together; 3.7 m diameter; 5.2 m fairing.
Side cores land propulsively on ASDS or landing zones; center core landing varies by mission.
Specs & Metrics
- Payload to LEO ↑ better
- 63,800 kg
- Maximum payload mass deliverable to low Earth orbit (~200–400 km circular), in the vehicle's stated reference configuration.
- Payload to GTO ↑ better
- 26,700 kg
- Maximum payload mass deliverable to geostationary transfer orbit (~185 × 35,786 km), in the stated reference config.
- Liftoff Thrust ↑ better
- 22819 kN
- Total first-stage thrust at liftoff (sea-level), in kilonewtons, summing all active engines and solid strap-ons.
- Liftoff Mass ↓ better
- 1420.8 t
- Total vehicle mass at liftoff including propellant, payload, and all stages, in metric tonnes.
- Vehicle Height ↓ better
- 70 m
- Full stack height at liftoff, in metres, including fairing or spacecraft.
- Mission Success Rate ↑ better
- 100%
- 13 of 13 flights successful as of 2026-09-24
- Percentage of launch attempts rated as full mission successes over the vehicle's complete flight history.
- Launches in 2025 ↑ better
- 0
- Total number of launch attempts conducted in calendar year 2025 (Jan 1 – Dec 31 UTC).
Subsystems
27× Merlin 1D+ sea-level engines across 3 cores (9 per core); RP-1/LOX; 22,819 kN liftoff thrust; center core 1× Merlin 1D Vacuum on S2.
Three Falcon 9 Block 5 first stages strapped together; 3.7 m diameter; 5.2 m fairing.
Side cores land propulsively on ASDS or landing zones; center core landing varies by mission.
Program roadmap
- achieved
Launched NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from LC-39A; side boosters returned to the launch site
2026-08-30↗