Falcon 9 Heavy Could Launch an Apollo

[JohnHunt]

Let me share with you my first attempt to see just how much hardware one could get into a Falcon 9 Heavy. In pulling together the data, I was surprised to find that a single Falcon 9 Heavy could lift all of the upper stage equipment plus the Earth Departure portion of the Apollo Stage III PROVIDED that the fuel was already in LEO. This would only make sense in a setting where water was being extracted from the Moon and brought to LEO where it was converted into rocket fuel.

A Saturn V could lift 118,000 kg to LEO. This includes:
- 5,800 kg command module (0 kg fuel; 5,800 kg dry)
- 24,500 kg service module (18,400 kg fuel; 6,100 kg dry)
- 10,150 kg descent module (8,200 kg fuel; 1,950 kg dry)
- 4,550 kg ascent module (2,350 kg fuel; 2,200 kg dry)
- 73,000 kg? TLI portion of Stage III (66,250 kg fuel; 6,750 kg dry)

Total dry weight = 22,800 kg. A single Falcon 9 Heavy can deliver 28,000 kg to LEO. Therefore, if lunar water fuel can be delivered to LEO a single Falcon 9 Heavy can deliver the same equipment of a Saturn V at about 7% of the cost.

(F9H = Approx. $63 million); Saturn V = (0.5 x $2.69 billion / 13) = about 7% of the cost of a Saturn V (not counting lunar fuel)

[Rhyshaelkan]

SpaceX designed a good first stage with their Merlin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_%28rocket_engine%29) engines.

"At full power, the Merlin Vacuum engine generated 411,000 N (92,500 lbs force) of thrust, and operated with the greatest efficiency ever for an American-made hydrocarbon rocket engine."

This successful first launch will continue to refine the performance predictions of the F9H. Currently predicted to lift 29 metric tons to LEO.

I cheer SpaceX on with every breath. As it will probably be the vehicle we use to accomplish our goals.

Edit: And sure enough. They updated their page. Possibly after good data from the F9 launch, they upped the projected performance specs of the F9H to 32000 kg to LEO.