How much fuel does a Falcon use?
Roughly 500 metric tons of propellant are carried on a typical Falcon 9 mission, with Falcon Heavy requiring about 1,300–1,500 metric tons. The propellant is a combination of RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen (LOX). Exact amounts vary by mission and configuration.
To understand the question in depth, it helps to look at the fuel types, how the Falcon family is structured (single-core vs multi-core configurations), and how mission requirements—such as payload, target orbit, and weather—drive the total propellant load. Public data on exact propellant masses are limited, so estimates are used in context with official mass figures and engine specs.
Fuel types and configuration
The following items summarize the core fuel components and their role in Falcon rockets.
- RP-1 kerosene serves as the primary rocket fuel for the Merlin engines.
- Liquid oxygen (LOX) acts as the oxidizer in the propulsion system.
- The typical propellant mixture ratio by mass is around 2.3–2.6 parts LOX to 1 part RP-1, depending on engine version and throttle state.
- Falcon 9 uses nine Merlin engines on the first stage (for thrust and propellant flow) and a single Merlin Vacuum on the second stage, all burning RP-1/LOX.
Fuel selection and mixture ratios are tuned to balance thrust, efficiency, and burn duration for each stage and mission profile.
Propellant load by Falcon variant
Below is a rough, mission-typical view of propellant loads by rocket variant to illustrate scale.
- Falcon 9 (typical single-core configuration): ~490–500 metric tons of propellant per flight, split between LOX and RP-1 according to the engine demands and mission profile.
- Falcon Heavy (three-core configuration): ~1,300–1,500 metric tons of propellant per flight, reflecting the larger thrust and extended burn times across three cores.
- Variation by payload and target orbit: heftier payloads to higher-energy orbits generally require more propellant, while lighter missions use less, within the overall vehicle limits.
In practice, the propellant load is tailored to the specific mission, and numbers can shift with each flight plan, recent vehicle upgrades, and weather-related considerations.
How the propellant is estimated and reported
SpaceX publicly reports liftoff mass and payload, but does not routinely publish a detailed, mission-by-mission propellant tally. Analysts infer propellant mass from known masses, stage designs, and engine specifications. The Merlin engines burn RP-1 with LOX, and the overall propellant mass scales with mission energy, stage count, and the number of engines in use during the burn.
Propellant usage is also influenced by throttle settings, burn durations, and the need to place payloads into specific orbits. As a result, while generic ranges are widely cited, exact per-flight numbers are not fixed and can vary considerably from mission to mission.
Factors that affect fuel consumption
A number of variables shape how much fuel a Falcon uses on a given flight.
- Payload mass and target orbit determine the energy required to reach that orbit.
- Vehicle configuration (Falcon 9 vs. Falcon Heavy) directly impacts total propellant needs.
- Engine throttle profiles and burn durations influence how much propellant is expended during ascent and coast phases.
- External conditions such as wind, ambient temperature, and air density can alter propulsion requirements and trajectory shaping.
Understanding these factors helps explain why there isn’t a single universal figure for “how much fuel” a Falcon uses; the numbers are mission-specific and vary with every launch.
Summary
In broad terms, Falcon rockets carry hundreds of tons of propellant, with Falcon 9 typically around 490–500 metric tons and Falcon Heavy in the 1,300–1,500 metric ton range. The propellant is RP-1 kerosene paired with liquid oxygen, and the exact load varies by mission requirements, vehicle variant, and environmental conditions. Public figures emphasize liftoff mass and payload, while precise propellant mass is inferred from technical specifications and mission profiles rather than published as a fixed per-flight value.
What fuel does Falcon use?
The Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets use a combination of RP-1, a highly refined kerosene, and liquid oxygen as their fuel and oxidizer respectively. This fuel combination is used by the Merlin engines that power both the first and second stages of these rockets.
- Fuel: RP-1 (rocket-grade kerosene)
- Oxidizer: Subcooled liquid oxygen (LOX)
- Engines: Both stages of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy use SpaceX's Merlin engines, which are powered by this propellant combination.
Is the Falcon 50 fuel efficient?
Each engine has a separate fuel system of about 5,000 pounds for a total fuel capacity of 15,520 pounds – enough to fly seven hours nonstop with fuel reserves. Three hydraulic pumps keep the fuel consumption equal between the three fuel tanks. On average, fuel consumption per hour is between 2,100 and 2,200 pounds.
How much fuel does a Ford Falcon use?
Our published fuel consumption guide of 12-14 litres per 100km is there to allow people to budget and plan for their trip. As stated it is guide only and is the average for an entire trip that includes both city and highway fuel consumption.
How much fuel does a Falcon 9 use?
A Falcon 9 rocket uses about 902,793 lbs (approx. 409,500 kg) of propellant per launch, which consists of liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1). The amount used can vary depending on the mission, as a significant portion is reserved for the second stage and any required booster landings.
- Total Propellant: The total propellant at liftoff is approximately 902,793 pounds (or 409.5 metric tons).
- Fuel Mixture: The Falcon 9 uses a combination of liquid oxygen (LOX) and RP-1 rocket-grade kerosene.
- Landing: A substantial portion of the propellant is reserved for the first stage to return to Earth. Some simulations show that a Falcon 9 rocket uses about 56 tons (51,000 kg) of propellant just for landing on a drone ship, while the amount needed to return to the launch pad is even higher.
- Payload Impact: The amount of fuel remaining at the end of a mission impacts the rocket's performance and how much payload it can deliver to orbit.
