ULA has the Delta Heavy. SpaceX will have the Falcon Heavy- essentially 3 Falcon 9’s strapped together.
The demo launch is supposedly sometime this year. I had heard it may be pushed back, but I don’t know.
I can’t wait for the Falcon X launcher to fly that’ll use the Raptor engines they are developing at the moment. I think it is supposed to be classified as a super-heavy class launch vehicle. Falcon XX is supposed to be ultra-heavy lift vehicle.
I like how SpaceX works quickly but doesn’t push just to meet a schedule. They’ve been in business a ridiculously short time, and have cut cost to orbit, becoming the cheapest way up and still making money.
http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy
> With the ability to lift into orbit over 53 metric tons (117,000 lb)—a mass equivalent to a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel—Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost.
Falcon Heavy rocket hangar rises at launch pad 39A
http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/25/falcon-heavy-rocket-hangar-rises-at-pad-39a/
> the hangar sits on the gravel crawlerway used to transport Saturn 5 moon rockets and space shuttles from the nearby Vehicle Assembly building
Falcon Heavy into production as Pad 39A HIF rises out of the ground [former Shuttle pad]
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/02/falcon-heavy-production-39a-hif-rises/
SpaceX Begins Falcon Heavy Certification
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/space/2015/04/15/spacex-air-force-falcon-9-certification-ula-delta-heavy/25825053/
> The certification process for SpaceX has been a difficult one, particularly after accusations from SpaceX founder Elon Musk that the Air Force was purposefully slow-rolling the process in order to protect legacy provider ULA.