section_path: Versions/V1.0
section_name: V1.0
paragraph_text: V1.0
  
  F9 v1.0 was an expendable launch vehicle developed from 2005 to 2010. It flew for the first time in 2010. V1.0 made five flights, after which it was retired. The first stage was powered by nine Merlin 1C engines arranged in a 3 × 3 grid. Each had a sea-level thrust of 556 kN (125,000 lb) for a total liftoff thrust of about 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lb). The second stage was powered by a single Merlin 1C engine modified for vacuum operation, with an expansion ratio of 117:1 and a nominal burn time of 345 seconds. Gaseous N thrusters were used on the second-stage as a reaction control system (RCS).
  
  Early attempts to add a lightweight thermal protection system to the booster stage and parachute recovery were not successful.
  
  In 2011, SpaceX began a formal development program for a reusable Falcon 9, initially focusing on the first stage.