SpaceX Rocket Showdown: Falcon 9 vs Falcon Heavy vs Starship – Which Rocket Rules 2025?
Falcon 9’s first flight occurred in June 2010; the two‑stage rocket is 70 m tall, 3.7 m in diameter, uses nine Merlin 1D engines on the first stage and one Merlin Vacuum on the second, delivers about 7,600 kN of thrust at liftoff, carries ~22.8 t to LEO, and its first stage (Block 5) is reusable. Falcon Heavy’s maiden flight took place in February 2018; at 70 m tall with a total span of 12.2 m, it uses three Falcon 9 cores, produces about 22,819 kN of thrust, can deliver ~63.8 t to LEO (expendable), and its side boosters are