Falcon Heavy
Rockets
Heavy-lift launch vehicle · SpaceX

Falcon Heavy

A heavy-lift rocket formed from three Falcon 9 first stages and 27 Merlin engines.

OperationalSpaceX

Flight record

12
Total launches
100%
Success rate
12
Successful
12
Consecutive successes
Overview

About Falcon Heavy

Falcon Heavy is SpaceX's heavy-lift rocket, built by joining a strengthened Falcon 9 centre core to two Falcon 9 first stages acting as side boosters — 27 Merlin engines firing together at liftoff. The two side boosters routinely return for synchronised landings, while the centre core is recovered when the mission's energy budget allows.

It is used for the heaviest commercial and US government payloads, including large geostationary communications satellites, NASA science missions, and US Space Force national-security launches that exceed Falcon 9's reach.

Cadence

Flight history

Busiest year
2023 · 5
Last 12 months
1
Total flown
12
Most recent
Apr 29, 2026
1
2
1
5
2
1
'18
'19
'20
'21
'22
'23
'24
'25
'26
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Specifications

Specifications

Height
70 m
Diameter
12.2 m
Launch mass
1,400 kg
Payload to
63,800 kg
Payload to
26,700 kg
Thrust at liftoff
22,819 kN
Cost per launch
$90M
Reusable
Yes
To scale

Vehicle profile

Falcon Heavy diagram
Milestones

Key dates

First flight
Feb 6, 2018

Falcon Heavy launches

Every upcoming and past Falcon Heavy launch — live countdowns, mission details and launch history.