Someone mocked up this image to show various rockets in comparison; existing and future rockets. Found the image here No Labels - Create, Discover and Share GIFs on Gfycat . Pretty cool looking.
Left to right: Saturn V (Apollo), SLS (being built by ULA for NASA, in development, won’t fly until 2019 at the earliest), Falcon Heavy in the center, BFR (first flight 2022 if we are lucky), and Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon capsule on far right.
The SLS is huge but likely will not be able to send as large a payload to Mars (I searched but can’t find a specific figure for SLS payload to the surface of Mars) as the BFR which Elon stated will be 100 metric tons. And the SLS will cost about $1 billion dollars per launch and is not reusable. The BFR cost per launch will be a small fraction of that price and it will be fully reusable. The SLS is nuts and US taxpayers are paying for it. SLS first planned flight to Mars is 2033. BFR first planned flight to Mars is 2022. Both will likely slip, but no question in my mind that SpaceX will be first to Mars by about a decade.
Left to right: Saturn V (Apollo), SLS (being built by ULA for NASA, in development, won’t fly until 2019 at the earliest), Falcon Heavy in the center, BFR (first flight 2022 if we are lucky), and Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon capsule on far right.
The SLS is huge but likely will not be able to send as large a payload to Mars (I searched but can’t find a specific figure for SLS payload to the surface of Mars) as the BFR which Elon stated will be 100 metric tons. And the SLS will cost about $1 billion dollars per launch and is not reusable. The BFR cost per launch will be a small fraction of that price and it will be fully reusable. The SLS is nuts and US taxpayers are paying for it. SLS first planned flight to Mars is 2033. BFR first planned flight to Mars is 2022. Both will likely slip, but no question in my mind that SpaceX will be first to Mars by about a decade.