The launch of Falcon Heavy launches a new precedent for manufacturing

On 6 February, the Falcon Heavy rocket was launched.

The rocket was launched by SpaceX from Florida, and stands as the largest in the world, in regards to payload.

The rocket is capable of lifting up to 63,800kg into Low Earth Orbit, having more than double the capacity of the second largest in the world – the Delta IV Heavy.

The rocket is likely to be used to travel military satellites to space, or extend further to the moon with less weight.

It is not only this world record that has set a new precedent for rocket manufacturing across the globe.

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The design features the ability to reuse all three of the rocket’s first stage cores, by finding and relaunching them.

The lack of waste can save on costs, which has been seen in the Falcon 9 rocket.

The Falcon Heavy was also considerably cheaper to launch than its competitors, costing US$90mn whilst the Delta IV Heavy is thought to have cost $400mn.

The technology was also significantly more cost-effective to develop than NSAS’s Space Launch System, for example, averaging approximately 10% of the price at $1bn to $10bn.