According to Wikipedia, a Falcon 9 first stage uses 9 Merlin engines, the
second stage uses 1 engine. Falcon 9 Heavy would add 2 Falcon 9 1st stages
as strap-ons. And also according to Wikipedia, Saturn V first stage used 5
Rocketdyne F-1 engines, second stage used 5 J-2 engines, third stage used 1
J-2 engine.
So Falcon 9 Heavy first stages combined would be using 27 engines, if I'm
reading this right.
27 big rocket engines firing at once would be a sight to see.
-----Original Message-----
From: Chuck McCown
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2015 3:44 PM
To: af@afmug.com
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT - Falcon Heavy
Doesn't it have a main engine thrust greater than Saturn V? (Saturn V used
5 of them didn't it)?
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Hohhof
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2015 1:47 PM
To: af@afmug.com
Subject: [AFMUG] OT - Falcon Heavy
I keep seeing articles about the proposed new "mega rocket" from SpaceX, how
it would have a higher payload capacity than any current launch vehicle and
could be used for manned missions to Mars.
I thought wow, let me look up how much bigger it will be than the Saturn V.
Turns out, it will have less than half the payload capacity of a Saturn V.
Granted it will be far more economical and may be reusable, so it's not
really a fair comparison.
But still, some of that Cold War era technology was pretty impressive. We
can't afford it anymore though.
