Falcon Heavy is currently one of the world’s most powerful operational rockets, composed of three Falcon 9 first stages working together as a heavy-lift launch vehicle. With 27 Merlin engines generating more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, Falcon Heavy can deliver large payloads to Earth orbit and beyond, including direct insertion into geosynchronous orbit and interplanetary trajectories. Falcon Heavy did not launch in 2025 but returned to flight in April 2026 with a commercial mission. It is scheduled for several more launches in 2026, but SpaceX is increasingly focused on developing Starship, a new rocket capable of delivering 150 percent of Falcon Heavy’s payload to LEO.
Falcon Heavy Technical Data
First Launch: Feb. 6, 2018.
Total Launches (through CY 2025): 11.
Launches in CY 25: 0.
Class: Heavy-lift partially reusable launch vehicle.
Company: SpaceX.
Payload to LEO: Up to 63,800 kg (140,660 lb).
Payload to GEO: Up to 26,700 kg (58,860 lb) to GTO.
Engine Type: 27 Merlin engines (three Falcon 9 cores), one Merlin Vacuum engine (second stage).
NSSL Lane 2 Certified: Yes.
