ITS booster

ITS launch vehicle

Rendering of ITS launch vehicle landing on the launch pad
Function	Mars colonization
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Project cost	US$10 billion (before generation of positive cash flow, 2016 estimate)
Cost per launch	US$62 million (2016 estimate)
Size
Height	122 m (400 ft)
Diameter	9 m (30 ft) booster rocket
Width	17 m (56 ft) spaceship or tanker
Mass	10,500 t (23,100,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO	300 t (660,000 lb) reusable 550 t (1,210,000 lb) expendable
Payload to Mars	450 t (990,000 lb)with propellant refill in Earth orbit
Launch history
Status	In development
Launch sites	Launch pad 39A, Florida SpaceX South Texas Launch Site (proposed)
First stage – ITS Booster
Length	77.5 m (254 ft)
Diameter	9 m (30 ft)
Empty mass	275 t (606,000 lb)
Gross mass	6,975 t (15,377,000 lb)
Engines	42 Raptor (sea level)
Thrust	128 MN (29×10^6 lbf) sea level 138 MN (31×10^6 lbf) vacuum
Specific impulse	334 s (3.28 km/s) sea level
Fuel	Subcooled CH4 / LOX
Second stage – Interplanetary Spaceship
Length	49.5 m (162 ft)
Width	17 m (56 ft)
Empty mass	150 t (330,000 lb)
Gross mass	2,100 t (4,600,000 lb)
Engines	9 Raptor (6 vacuum, 3 sea level)
Thrust	31 MN (7.0×10^6 lbf) vacuum
Specific impulse	382 s (3.75 km/s) vacuum, for 6 engines 361 s (3.54 km/s) vacuum, for 3 engines
Fuel	Subcooled CH4 / LOX
Second stage – ITS Tanker
Length	49.5 m (162 ft)
Width	17 m (56 ft)
Empty mass	90 t (200,000 lb)
Gross mass	2,590 t (5,710,000 lb)
Engines	9 Raptor (6 vacuum, 3 sea level)
Thrust	31 MN (7.0×10^6 lbf) vacuum
Specific impulse	382 s (3.75 km/s) vacuum, for 6 engines 361 s (3.54 km/s) vacuum, for 3 engines
Fuel	Subcooled CH4 / LOX

The ITS launch vehicle is a privately funded orbital launch vehicle being developed by SpaceX. The initial design objective of the vehicle is to launch a variety of SpaceX Interplanetary Transport System missions to Mars and other destinations in the beyond-Earth-orbit portion of the Solar System. Design work on the vehicle began in 2012 and first launch is not expected before the 2020s.

The ITS launch vehicle is described as a two-stage rocket. Its first stage will be powered by 42 Raptor rocket engines—also designed and manufactured by SpaceX—operating on densified methane/oxygen propellants that have not been widely used as rocket propellants in the past. Like the Falcon 9 orbital launch vehicle that preceded it, the ITS launch vehicle's first stage is designed to be reusable, following a return to the launch site and vertical landing following each launch. New on this vehicle will be full reusability of even the second-stage and spacecraft as well. The large payload capacity of the launch vehicle places it into the super-heavy lift class, with the ability to place 300 tonnes (660,000 lb) into low Earth orbit in reusable configuration and 550 tonnes (1,210,000 lb) in expendable mode.