Falcon V heavy?

Hello,
Does anyone who knows have any idea if the following is possible (or desireable)? I first posted it in the Bigelow forum, but this place is more relevant.

Could it be possible to hook together multiple Falcon V first stages, like with the Delta IV heavy? If this were possible and the Falcon V upper stage were stretched, what would the orbital capacity be?

Going by astronautix.com, Delta IV medium can orbit 8500 KG and Delta IV heavy 25800 KG, both to a 185 KM orbit. In their latest update, SpaceX said they're building Falcon V to put 6000 KG in a 200 KM orbit.

Now assuming a fairly large fudge factor it doesn't seem totally impossible for a Falcon V cluster, let's call it Falcon V heavy, to orbit 12500 KG. With less of a fudge factor, 15000 KG might not be out of the question.

The problem with such a creation is that the first stage has 15 (!) engines. N-1style control troubles anyone?

Now, assuming it can be built, what to put into orbit with this rocket? A bigger Gemini? A Soyuz? A minishuttle? A minibus?

Alternately, would it be possible or desireable to cluster a number of (stretched?) Falcon I first stages as boosters around a Falcon V core?

Something tells me the Falcon V, working well and available at the prices going round, would be really hated by LM and Boeing.

Commentary is always welcome.

Cheers,
ErikM

From SpaceX's "Updates" page:



From SpaceX founder Elon Musk's US Senate testimony:

Hello, erikm,

what NeuronExMachina quoted and the economic nature of SpaceX's vehicle is reducing barriers to new competiton - Lockheed-Martin and Boeing get a new competitor by the decrease of costs SpaceX has achieved. And both established huge enterprises have to reduce their prices.

Lockheed-Martin and Boeing have to expect decreasing profits - and decreasing power because the government, NASA and other customers now can choose between one of them and an additional interseting supplier and his carrier.

They really have a reason to "hate" the Falcon V.

SpaceX has an advantage the both established firms didn't have - SpaceX allways can have a look at an existing market that has matured during the last few decades. They can avoid all errors and mistakes the established unpreventable have made - they can learn from Boeing and Lockheed-Martin and do it better then.

This too might be a reason for being hated - but the correct answer to the established firms is: "That's the entrepreneural risk". And SpaceX too is faced to that risk.

A third reason to be hated - success of SpaceX will pull additional competitors to the market.



Dipl.-Volkswirt (bdvb) Augustin (Political Economist)