SpaceX has become a key player in the space industry, with its Falcon Heavy rocket demonstrating impressive reliability by completing nine missions. This vehicle has transported a wide range of satellites for clients, including NASA, and has notably delivered the Psyche asteroid explorer spacecraft.
The success of Falcon Heavy underscores the value of SpaceX’s investment in super-heavy lifters. Currently, the company is focused on developing its next significant project, the Starship. However, it’s worth noting that SpaceX’s journey in rocket design included some early conceptual ideas that never came to fruition, such as the Falcon XX.
This ambitious proposal envisioned a single-core heavy-lift rocket, powered by six Merlin engines with a combined thrust of 4,625 metric tons. Although the Falcon XX never advanced beyond the concept stage, it highlights the innovative spirit of SpaceX’s early forays into private space exploration.
Although the Falcon XX never materialized, a computer animation by Hazegrayart provides a look into what could have been an impressive achievement in rocket design.
While the engineers at SpaceX did not release detailed specifications for its upper stage, the rocket was likely intended to deliver payloads to low-Earth orbit that would exceed the Falcon Heavy’s 64 metric-ton capacity.
