spacex.com falcon 9
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/
SpaceX
2022-01-01
None
<div><div>
 <div>
 <p>
 </p><h2>Falcon 9</h2>
 <h3>First Orbital Class Rocket capable of reflight</h3>
 <p></p>
 
 </div>
 
 <div>
 <p>
 </p><h4>Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the worldâs first orbital class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.</h4>
 <p></p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <div>
 <h2>Falcon 9</h2>
 <h2>Overview</h2>
 <table>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>HEIGHT</td>
 <td>70 m / 229.6 ft</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>DIAMETER</td>
 <td>3.7 m / 12 ft</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>MASS</td>
 <td>549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>PAYLOAD TO LEO</td>
 <td>22,800 kg / 50,265 lb</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>PAYLOAD TO GTO</td>
 <td>8,300 kg / 18,300 lb</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>PAYLOAD TO MARS</td>
 <td>4,020 kg / 8,860 lb</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
 </div>
 <div>
 <h3>Falcon 9</h3>
 <h2>First stage</h2>
 <p>|
 |
 
 </p>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9âs first stage incorporates nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant.</p>
 <p>Falcon 9 generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.</p>
 </div>
 
 
 </div>
 <div>
 <h3>Falcon 9</h3>
 <h2>Second stage</h2>
 <p>The second stage, powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, delivers Falcon 9âs payload to the desired orbit. The second stage engine ignites a few seconds after stage separation, and can be restarted multiple times to place multiple payloads into different orbits. </p>
 <table>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>NUMBER OF ENGINES</td>
 <td>1 vacuum</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>BURN TIME</td>
 <td>397 sec</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>THRUST</td>
 <td>981 kN / 220,500 lbf</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
 </div>
 <div>
 <h3>Falcon 9</h3>
 <h2>Interstage</h2>
 <p>The interstage is a composite structure that connects the first and second stages, and houses the pneumatic pushers that allow the first and second stage to separate during flight.</p>
 <h3>Grid fins</h3>
 <p>Falcon 9 is equipped with four hypersonic grid fins positioned at the base of the interstage. They orient the rocket during reentry by moving the center of pressure.</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <h3>Falcon 9</h3>
 <h2>Payload</h2>
 <p>|
 
 </p>
 <div>
 <p>Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. The fairing is jettisoned approximately 3 minutes into flight, and SpaceX continues to recover fairings for reuse on future missions.</p>
 <table>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>HEIGHT</td>
 <td>13.1 m / 43 ft</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>DIAMETER</td>
 <td>5.2 m / 17.1 ft</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
 </div>
 
 </div>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>
 </p><h3>Video</h3>
 <h2>Falcon 9 In Flight</h2>
 <p></p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <h3>Engines</h3>
 <h2>Merlin</h2>
 <p>|
 
 </p>
 <div>
 <p>Merlin is a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX for use on its Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. Merlin engines use a rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. The Merlin engine was originally designed for recovery and reuse.</p>
 <table>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>PROPELLANT</td>
 <td>LOX / RP-1</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>THRUST</td>
 <td>845 kN / 190,000 lbf</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
 </div>
 
 </div>
 <div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 launches Dragon to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 first and second stages after separating in flight</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-5 payload</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 lands on the droneship Just Read the Instructions</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Close-up of Falcon 9's Merlin engines during liftoff</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 leaves a trail of light as it lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 lifts off with Dragon for an in-flight test of the Crew Dragon abort system</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-8 payload</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 with its Radarsat payload at sunset before launch</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 lands at Cape Canaveral</p>
 </div>
 <div>
 <p>Falcon 9 vertical with its Iridium payload at moonrise</p>
 </div>
 </div>
 
 
 </div>||||I|||| * Falcon 9
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 Falcon 9

 First Orbital Class Rocket capable of reflight

 Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the worldâs first orbital class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.

 Falcon 9

 Overview

 HEIGHT 70 m / 229.6 ft 
 DIAMETER 3.7 m / 12 ft 
 MASS 549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb
 PAYLOAD TO LEO 22,800 kg / 50,265 lb 
 PAYLOAD TO GTO 8,300 kg / 18,300 lb 
 PAYLOAD TO MARS 4,020 kg / 8,860 lb 
 

 Falcon 9

 First stage

 Overview| Engines| Landing legs

 Falcon 9âs first stage incorporates nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant.

 Falcon 9 generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.

 The nine Merlin engines on the first stage are gradually throttled near the end of first-stage flight to limit launch vehicle acceleration as the rocketâs mass decreases with the burning of fuel. These engines are also used to reorient the first stage prior to reentry and to decelerate the vehicle for landing.

 NUMBER OF ENGINES 9 
 THRUST AT SEA LEVEL 7,607 kN / 1,710,000 lbf
 THRUST IN VACUUM 8,227 kN / 1,849,500 lbf
 

 The Falcon 9 first stage is equipped with four landing legs made of state-of-the-art carbon fiber with aluminum honeycomb.

 Placed symmetrically around the base of the rocket, they are stowed at the base of the vehicle and deploy just prior to landing.

 Learn more about SpaceX reusability

 Falcon 9

 Second stage

 The second stage, powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, delivers Falcon 9âs payload to the desired orbit. The second stage engine ignites a few seconds after stage separation, and can be restarted multiple times to place multiple payloads into different orbits.

 NUMBER OF ENGINES 1 vacuum 
 BURN TIME 397 sec 
 THRUST 981 kN / 220,500 lbf
 

 Falcon 9

 Interstage

 The interstage is a composite structure that connects the first and second stages, and houses the pneumatic pushers that allow the first and second stage to separate during flight.

 Grid fins

 Falcon 9 is equipped with four hypersonic grid fins positioned at the base of the interstage. They orient the rocket during reentry by moving the center of pressure.

 Falcon 9

 Payload

 Fairing| Dragon

 Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. The fairing is jettisoned approximately 3 minutes into flight, and SpaceX continues to recover fairings for reuse on future missions.

 HEIGHT 13.1 m / 43 ft 
 DIAMETER 5.2 m / 17.1 ft
 

 Dragon is capable of carrying up to 7 people and/or cargo in the spacecraftâs pressurized section. In addition, Dragon can carry cargo in the spacecraftâs unpressurized trunk, which can also accommodate secondary payloads.

 Learn more about Dragon

 HEIGHT 8.1 m / 26.6 ft
 DIAMETER 3.7 m / 12 ft 
 

 Video

 Falcon 9 In Flight

 Engines

 Merlin

 SEA LEVEL| VACUUM

 Merlin is a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX for use on its Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. Merlin engines use a rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. The Merlin engine was originally designed for recovery and reuse.

 PROPELLANT LOX / RP-1 
 THRUST 845 kN / 190,000 lbf
 

 Merlin Vacuum features a larger exhaust section and a significantly larger expansion nozzle to maximize the engineâs efficiency in the vacuum of space. Its combustion chamber is regeneratively cooled, while the expansion nozzle is radiatively cooled. At full power, the Merlin Vacuum engine operates with the greatest efficiency ever for an American-made hydrocarbon rocket engine.

 PROPELLANT LOX / RP-1 
 THRUST 981 kN / 220,500 lbf
 
 Falcon 9 launches Dragon to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A
 Falcon 9 first and second stages after separating in flight
 Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-5 payload
 Falcon 9 lands on the droneship Just Read the Instructions
 Close-up of Falcon 9's Merlin engines during liftoff
 Falcon 9 leaves a trail of light as it lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base
 Falcon 9 lifts off with Dragon for an in-flight test of the Crew Dragon abort system
 Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-8 payload
 Falcon 9 with its Radarsat payload at sunset before launch
 Falcon 9 lands at Cape Canaveral
 Falcon 9 vertical with its Iridium payload at moonrise

 For information about our launch services, contact sales@spacex.com

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 Capabilities and Services

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Falcon 9
 First Orbital Class Rocket capable of reflight
  
 
 
 
 
 
  Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. Falcon 9 is the worldâs first orbital class reusable rocket. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access.
  
 
 
 
 Falcon 9
 Overview
 
 
 
 HEIGHT
 70 m / 229.6 ft
 
 
 DIAMETER
 3.7 m / 12 ft
 
 
 MASS
 549,054 kg / 1,207,920 lb
 
 
 PAYLOAD TO LEO
 22,800 kg / 50,265 lb
 
 
 PAYLOAD TO GTO
 8,300 kg / 18,300 lb
 
 
 PAYLOAD TO MARS
 4,020 kg / 8,860 lb
 
 
 
 
 
 Falcon 9
 First stage
 |
 |
 
 
 
 Falcon 9âs first stage incorporates nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant.
 Falcon 9 generates more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.
 
 
 
 
 
 Falcon 9
 Second stage
 The second stage, powered by a single Merlin Vacuum Engine, delivers Falcon 9âs payload to the desired orbit. The second stage engine ignites a few seconds after stage separation, and can be restarted multiple times to place multiple payloads into different orbits. 
 
 
 
 NUMBER OF ENGINES
 1 vacuum
 
 
 BURN TIME
 397 sec
 
 
 THRUST
 981 kN / 220,500 lbf
 
 
 
 
 
 Falcon 9
 Interstage
 The interstage is a composite structure that connects the first and second stages, and houses the pneumatic pushers that allow the first and second stage to separate during flight.
 Grid fins
 Falcon 9 is equipped with four hypersonic grid fins positioned at the base of the interstage. They orient the rocket during reentry by moving the center of pressure.
 
 
 Falcon 9
 Payload
 |
 
 
 
 Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. The fairing is jettisoned approximately 3 minutes into flight, and SpaceX continues to recover fairings for reuse on future missions.
 
 
 
 HEIGHT
 13.1 m / 43 ft
 
 
 DIAMETER
 5.2 m / 17.1 ft
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Video
 Falcon 9 In Flight
  
 
 
 Engines
 Merlin
 |
 
 
 
 Merlin is a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX for use on its Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. Merlin engines use a rocket grade kerosene (RP-1) and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. The Merlin engine was originally designed for recovery and reuse.
 
 
 
 PROPELLANT
 LOX / RP-1
 
 
 THRUST
 845 kN / 190,000 lbf
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Falcon 9 launches Dragon to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A
 
 
 Falcon 9 first and second stages after separating in flight
 
 
 Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-5 payload
 
 
 Falcon 9 lands on the droneship Just Read the Instructions
 
 
 Close-up of Falcon 9's Merlin engines during liftoff
 
 
 Falcon 9 leaves a trail of light as it lifts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base
 
 
 Falcon 9 lifts off with Dragon for an in-flight test of the Crew Dragon abort system
 
 
 Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-8 payload
 
 
 Falcon 9 with its Radarsat payload at sunset before launch
 
 
 Falcon 9 lands at Cape Canaveral
 
 
 Falcon 9 vertical with its Iridium payload at moonrise
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/
https://www.spacex.com/launches/
SpaceX
2022-11-26
None
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 </div>
 
 
 </div>||||I|||| * Falcon 9
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SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/launches/
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-heavy/
SpaceX
2023-01-01
None
<div><div>
<div>
<p>Falcon Heavy</p>
<h2>Overview</h2>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>HEIGHT</td>
<td>70 m </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WIDTH</td>
<td>12.2 m </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MASS</td>
<td>1,420,788 kg </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PAYLOAD TO LEO</td>
<td>63,800 kg </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PAYLOAD TO GTO</td>
<td>26,700 kg </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PAYLOAD TO MARS</td>
<td>16,800 kg </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div>
<p>Falcon Heavy</p>
<h2>First stage</h2>
<p>|
 |
 
 </p>
<p>
 Three cores make up the first stage of Falcon Heavy. The side cores, or boosters, are connected on
 the nosecone, the interstage, and on the octaweb. Shortly after liftoff the center core engines are
 throttled down. After the side cores separate, the center core engines throttle back up to full thrust.
 </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Falcon Heavy</p>
<h2>Interstage</h2>
<p>
 The interstage is a composite structure that connects the center core on the first stage and second stages
 and holds the release and separation system.
 </p>
<h3>Grid fins</h3>
<p>
 Falcon Heavy is equipped with 12 hypersonic grid fins, four on each booster, positioned at the base of the
 interstage or nosecone which orients by moving the center of pressure during reentry.
 </p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Falcon Heavy</p>
<h2>Second Stage</h2>
<p>
 Falcon Heavy draws upon Falcon 9’s proven design, which minimizes stage separation events and maximizes reliability.
 The second-stage Merlin Vacuum Engine delivers the rocket’s payload to orbit after the main engines cut off and the
 first-stage cores separate.
 </p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>NUMBER OF ENGINES</td>
<td>1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>BURN TIME</td>
<td>397 sec</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>THRUST</td>
<td>981 kN </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div>
<p>Falcon Heavy</p>
<h2>Payload</h2>
<p>
 Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. SpaceX is recovering
 fairings for reuse on future missions.
 </p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>HEIGHT</td>
<td>13.1 m </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>DIAMETER</td>
<td>5.2 m </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
</div></div>||||I|||| * Falcon 9
 * Falcon Heavy
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 Falcon Heavy

 Over 5 Million Lbs of Thrust

 Falcon Heavy is composed of three reusable Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. As one of the world’s most powerful operational rockets, Falcon Heavy can lift nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lbs) to orbit.

 A rendering of a fully stacked Falcon Heavy spinning around its vertical axis

 Falcon Heavy

 Overview

 HEIGHT 70 m / 229.6 ft 
 WIDTH 12.2 m / 39.9 ft 
 MASS 1,420,788 kg / 3,125,735 lb
 PAYLOAD TO LEO 63,800 kg / 140,660 lb 
 PAYLOAD TO GTO 26,700 kg / 58,860 lb 
 PAYLOAD TO MARS 16,800 kg / 37,040 lb 
 

 Falcon Heavy

 First stage

 Overview| Engines| Landing legs

 Three cores make up the first stage of Falcon Heavy. The side cores, or boosters, are connected on the nosecone, the interstage, and on the octaweb. Shortly after liftoff the center core engines are throttled down. After the side cores separate, the center core engines throttle back up to full thrust.

 Falcon Heavy’s first stage incorporates 27 Merlin engines across three aluminum-lithium alloy rocket cores containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant. Falcon Heavy generates more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff.

 NUMBER OF ENGINES 27 
 THRUST AT SEA LEVEL 22,819 kN / 5,130,000 lbf
 THRUST IN VACUUM 24,681 kN / 5,548,500 lbf
 

 The Falcon Heavy first stage is equipped with 12 landing legs (4 on each booster) made of state-of-the-art carbon fiber with aluminum honeycomb.

 All 12 landing legs are stowed along the side of each booster until just prior to landing.

 Learn more about Falcon reusability

 Falcon Heavy

 Interstage

 The interstage is a composite structure that connects the center core on the first stage and second stages and holds the release and separation system.

 Grid fins

 Falcon Heavy is equipped with 12 hypersonic grid fins, four on each booster, positioned at the base of the interstage or nosecone which orients by moving the center of pressure during reentry.

 Falcon Heavy

 Second Stage

 Falcon Heavy draws upon Falcon 9’s proven design, which minimizes stage separation events and maximizes reliability. The second-stage Merlin Vacuum Engine delivers the rocket’s payload to orbit after the main engines cut off and the first-stage cores separate.

 NUMBER OF ENGINES 1 
 BURN TIME 397 sec 
 THRUST 981 kN / 220,500 lbf
 

 Falcon Heavy

 Payload

 Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. SpaceX is recovering fairings for reuse on future missions.

 HEIGHT 13.1 m / 43 ft 
 DIAMETER 5.2 m / 17.1 ft
 

 VIDEO

 Falcon Heavy First Flight

 Unmatched Performance

 With more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, Falcon Heavy is one of the most capable rockets flying. By comparison, the liftoff thrust of the Falcon Heavy equals approximately eighteen 747 aircraft at full power. Falcon Heavy can lift the equivalent of a fully loaded 737 jetliner—complete with passengers, luggage and fuel—to orbit.

 ENGINES

 Merlin

 SEA LEVEL| VACUUM

 Merlin is a family of rocket engines developed by SpaceX for use on its Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. Merlin engines use RP-1 and liquid oxygen as rocket propellants in a gas-generator power cycle. The Merlin engine was originally designed for recovery and reuse.

 PROPELLANT LOX / RP-1 
 THRUST 845 kN / 190,000 lbf
 

 Merlin Vacuum features a larger exhaust section and a significantly larger expansion nozzle to maximize the engine’s efficiency in the vacuum of space. Its combustion chamber is regeneratively cooled, while the expansion nozzle is radiatively cooled. At full power, the Merlin Vacuum engine operates with the greatest efficiency ever for an American-made hydrocarbon rocket engine.

 PROPELLANT LOX / RP-1 
 THRUST 981 kN / 220,500 lbf
 
 Falcon Heavy vertical at Kennedy Space Center
 Falcon Heavy takes off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
 Falcon Heavy carries Arabsat-6A to orbit
 Falcon Heavy's side boosters land at LZ-1 and LZ-2 at Cape Canaveral
 Falcon Heavy lifts off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
 Falcon Heavy lifts off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
 All 27 Merlin engines lit on Falcon Heavy
 Falcon Heavy lifts off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
 Falcon Heavy lifts off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center
 Falcon Heavy's side boosters land at LZ-1 and LZ-2 at Cape Canaveral

 For information about our launch services, contact sales@spacex.com

 Download User's Guide

 SpaceX © 2023 PRIVACY POLICY SUPPLIERS

Falcon Heavy
Overview
HEIGHT
70 m 
WIDTH
12.2 m 
MASS
1,420,788 kg 
PAYLOAD TO LEO
63,800 kg 
PAYLOAD TO GTO
26,700 kg 
PAYLOAD TO MARS
16,800 kg 
Falcon Heavy
First stage
|
 |
 
 
 Three cores make up the first stage of Falcon Heavy. The side cores, or boosters, are connected on
 the nosecone, the interstage, and on the octaweb. Shortly after liftoff the center core engines are
 throttled down. After the side cores separate, the center core engines throttle back up to full thrust.
 
Falcon Heavy
Interstage
 The interstage is a composite structure that connects the center core on the first stage and second stages
 and holds the release and separation system.
 
Grid fins
 Falcon Heavy is equipped with 12 hypersonic grid fins, four on each booster, positioned at the base of the
 interstage or nosecone which orients by moving the center of pressure during reentry.
 
Falcon Heavy
Second Stage
 Falcon Heavy draws upon Falcon 9’s proven design, which minimizes stage separation events and maximizes reliability.
 The second-stage Merlin Vacuum Engine delivers the rocket’s payload to orbit after the main engines cut off and the
 first-stage cores separate.
 
NUMBER OF ENGINES
1
BURN TIME
397 sec
THRUST
981 kN 
Falcon Heavy
Payload
 Made of a carbon composite material, the fairing protects satellites on their way to orbit. SpaceX is recovering
 fairings for reuse on future missions.
 
HEIGHT
13.1 m 
DIAMETER
5.2 m
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-heavy/
https://www.spacex.com/
SpaceX
2023-01-01
None
<div><div>
 
 
 <div>
 <ul>
 <li><a href="https://shop.spacex.com/">Shop</a></li>
 </ul>
 </div>
 
 <div>
 <ul>
 <li><a href="/vehicles/falcon-9/">Falcon 9</a></li>
 <li><a href="/vehicles/falcon-heavy/">Falcon Heavy</a></li>
 <li><a href="/vehicles/dragon/">Dragon</a></li>
 <li><a href="/vehicles/starship/">Starship</a></li>
 <li><a href="/human-spaceflight/">Human Spaceflight</a></li>
 <li><a href="/rideshare/">Rideshare</a></li>
 <li><a href="/starshield/">Starshield</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://www.starlink.com/">Starlink</a></li>
 <li><a href="/mission/">Mission</a></li>
 <li><a href="/launches/">Launches</a></li>
 <li><a href="/careers/">Careers</a></li>
 <li><a href="/updates/">Updates</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://shop.spacex.com/">Shop</a></li>
 </ul>
 </div>
 </div></div>||||I|||| * Falcon 9
 * Falcon Heavy
 * Dragon
 * Starship
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 * Shop
 * Falcon 9
 * Falcon Heavy
 * Dragon
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 * Shop

 SpaceX © 2023 TWITTER YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM FLICKR LINKEDIN PRIVACY POLICY SUPPLIERS

Shop 
 
 
 
 
 
  Falcon 9 
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  Mission 
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  Shop
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/
SpaceX
2023-01-26
None
<div><div>
 <p>
 The Raptor engine is a reusable methane-oxygen staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship
 system and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Starship will be powered by six
 engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for
 use in the vacuum of space. Super Heavy will be powered by 33 Raptor engines, with 13 in the
 center and the remaining 20 around the perimeter of the boosterâs aft end. 
 </p>
 <table>
 <tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>DIAMETER</td>
 <td>1.3 m / 4.2 ft</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>HEIGHT</td>
 <td>3.1 m / 10.2 ft</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>THRUST</td>
 <td>230 tf / 507 klbf</td>
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
 </div></div>||||I|||| * Falcon 9
 * Falcon Heavy
 * Dragon
 * Starship
 * Human Spaceflight
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 * SHOP
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 Starship

 Service to Earth Orbit, Moon, Mars and Beyond

 Starship Overview

 SpaceXâs Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket â collectively referred to as Starship â represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship will be the worldâs most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes expendable.

 HEIGHT 120 m / 394 ft 
 DIAMETER 9 m / 29.5 ft 
 PAYLOAD CAPACITY 100 â 150 t (fully reusable)
 

 STARSHIP

 Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the Starship system. The vehicle offers an integrated payload section and is capable of carrying crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is also capable of point-to-point transport on Earth, enabling travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less.

 HEIGHT 50 m / 164 ft 
 DIAMETER 9 m / 29.5 ft 
 PROPELLANT CAPACITY 1,200 t / 2.6 Mlb 
 THRUST 1,500 tf / 3.3Mlbf
 PAYLOAD CAPACITY 100 - 150 t 
 

 SUPER HEAVY

 Super Heavy is the first stage, or booster, of the Starship launch system. Powered by 33 Raptor engines using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX), Super Heavy is fully reusable and will re-enter Earthâs atmosphere to land back at the launch site.

 HEIGHT 69 m / 226 ft 
 DIAMETER 9 m / 29.5 ft 
 PROPELLANT CAPACITY 3,400 t / 7.5 Mlb 
 THRUST 7,590 tf / 16.7 Mlbf
 

 RAPTOR ENGINES

 Raptor | Raptor Vacuum (RVac)

 The Raptor engine is a reusable methane-oxygen staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship system and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Starship will be powered by six engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space. Super Heavy will be powered by 33 Raptor engines, with 13 in the center and the remaining 20 around the perimeter of the boosterâs aft end.

 DIAMETER 1.3 m / 4.2 ft 
 HEIGHT 3.1 m / 10.2 ft 
 THRUST 230 tf / 507 klbf
 

 Raptor Vacuum (RVac) is a similar design to the Raptor engine, but features a larger exhaust section and a larger expansion nozzle to maximize the engineâs efficiency in space. Three RVacs will power Starship in addition to three Raptor engines.

 DIAMETER 2.3 m / 7.5 ft 
 HEIGHT 4.6 m / 15.1 ft 
 THRUST 258 tf / 568 klbf
 

 Starship Capabilities

 As the most powerful launch system ever developed, Starship will be able to carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights. Starship will also help enable satellite delivery, the development of a Moon base, and point-to-point transport here on Earth.

 Payload Delivery

 Starship is designed to deliver payloads farther and at a lower marginal cost per launch than our current Falcon vehicles. With a payload compartment larger than any fairing currently in operation or development, Starship will enable transport of many satellites, large space telescopes, and significant amounts of cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

 Moon Missions

 Developing a Moon base to support future space exploration requires the transport of large amounts of cargo to the surface of the Moon. Starship is designed to carry these building blocks, further enabling research and human spaceflight development.

 Learn More

 Interplanetary Transportation

 Building cities on Mars will require affordable delivery of significant quantities of cargo and crew. The fully reusable Starship system uses on-orbit propellent transfer to enable the transport of up to 100 people to Mars or other distant destinations.

 Earth-to-Earth Transportation

 Imagine traveling to anywhere in the world in an hour or less. With Starship and Super Heavy, most international trips could be completed in under 30 minutes. In addition to vastly increased speed, one great benefit to traveling outside of Earthâs atmosphere is the lack of friction as well as turbulence and weather.

 ON-ORBIT REFILLING

 Starship leverages tanker vehicles (essentially the Starship spacecraft minus the windows) to refill the Starship spacecraft in low-Earth orbit prior to departing for Mars. Refilling on-orbit enables the transport of up to 100 tons all the way to Mars. And if the tanker ship has high reuse capability, the primary cost is just that of the oxygen and methane, which is extremely low.

 Starbase

 Development and manufacturing of Starship takes place at Starbase, one of the worldâs first commercial spaceports designed for orbital missions.

 Watch Video
 Learn More About Starbase

 For inquiries about Starship and our human spaceflight program, contact sales@spacex.com

 SpaceX © 2022 TWITTER YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM FLICKR LINKEDIN PRIVACY POLICY SUPPLIERS

The Raptor engine is a reusable methane-oxygen staged-combustion engine that powers the Starship
 system and has twice the thrust of the Falcon 9 Merlin engine. Starship will be powered by six
 engines, three Raptor engines, and three Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for
 use in the vacuum of space. Super Heavy will be powered by 33 Raptor engines, with 13 in the
 center and the remaining 20 around the perimeter of the boosterâs aft end. 
 
 
 
 
 DIAMETER
 1.3 m / 4.2 ft
 
 
 HEIGHT
 3.1 m / 10.2 ft
 
 
 THRUST
 230 tf / 507 klbf
SpaceX
https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9#Reusability
Falcon 9 - Wikipedia
2005-09-09
None
<div><div>
<table><caption>Falcon 9</caption><tbody><tr><td><a href="/wiki/File:Falcon_9_logo.svg"></a></td></tr><tr><td><a href="/wiki/File:SpaceX_Demo-2_Launch_(NHQ202005300044)_(cropped).jpg"></a><p>A Falcon 9 lifting off from <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39A">LC-39A</a>, carrying <a href="/wiki/Demo-2">Demo-2</a></p></td></tr><tr><th>Function</th><td><a href="/wiki/Orbital_spaceflight">Orbital</a> <a href="/wiki/Launch_vehicle">launch vehicle</a></td></tr><tr><th>Manufacturer</th><td><a href="/wiki/SpaceX">SpaceX</a></td></tr><tr><th>Country of origin</th><td><a href="/wiki/United_States">United States</a></td></tr><tr><th>Cost per launch</th><td><div>
<ul><li>New: US$67 million (2022)<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup></li>
<li>Reused: US$50 million? (2019)<sup><a href="#cite_note-Starship2021-2">[2]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Size</th></tr><tr><th>Height</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust">FT</a></b>: 70 m (230 ft)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 68.4 m (224 ft)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 54.9 m (180 ft)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Diameter</th><td>3.7 m (12 ft)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></td></tr><tr><th>Mass</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 549 t (1,210,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 506 t (1,116,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 333 t (734,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Stages</th><td>2</td></tr><tr><th>Capacity
</th></tr><tr><th>Payload to <a href="/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit">Low Earth orbit</a> (LEO)</th></tr><tr><th>Orbital inclination</th><td>28.5°</td></tr><tr><th>Mass</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 22.8 t (50,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup> Expended <br />17.4 t (38,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup> when landing on <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">ASDS</a></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 13.1 t (29,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 10.4 t (23,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Payload to <a href="/wiki/Geosynchronous_transfer_orbit">Geosynchronous transfer orbit</a> (GTO)</th></tr><tr><th>Orbital inclination</th><td>27.0°</td></tr><tr><th>Mass</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 8.3 t (18,000 lb) Expended <br />5.5 t (12,000 lb) when landing on <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">ASDS</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup><br />3.5 t (7,700 lb) when RTLS<sup><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 4.8 t (11,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 4.5 t (9,900 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Payload to <a href="/wiki/Heliocentric_orbit">Mars transfer orbit</a></th></tr><tr><th>Mass</th><td><b>FT</b>: 4 t (8,800 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup></td></tr><tr><th>Associated rockets</th></tr><tr><th>Derivative work</th><td><a href="/wiki/Falcon_Heavy">Falcon Heavy</a></td></tr><tr><th>Launch history</th></tr><tr><th>Status</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust_Block_5">FT Block 5</a></b>: Active<sup><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>FT Block 4</b>: Retired</li>
<li><b>FT Block 3</b>: Retired</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: Retired</li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: Retired</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Launch sites</th><td><div>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station">Cape Canaveral</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_40">SLC-40</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center">Kennedy Space Center</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39A">LC-39A</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base">Vandenberg</a>, <a href="/wiki/Vandenberg_Space_Launch_Complex_4">SLC-4E</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Total launches</th><td><div>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches">201</a>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 181</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 15</li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 5</li></ul></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Success(es)</th><td><div>
<ul><li>199
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 181</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 14</li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 4</li></ul></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Failure(s)</th><td>1 <br />(<b>v1.1</b>: <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-7">CRS-7</a> in-flight)</td></tr><tr><th>Partial failure(s)</th><td>1 (<b>v1.0</b>: <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">CRS-1</a>)<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20121011-9">[9]</a></sup></td></tr><tr><th>Notable outcome(s)</th><td>1 (<b>FT</b>: <a href="/wiki/AMOS-6">AMOS-6</a> pre-flight destruction)</td></tr><tr><th>Landings</th><td>158 / 167 attempts</td></tr><tr><th>First flight</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT Block 5</b>: 11 May 2018 <br />(<a href="/wiki/Bangabandhu_Satellite-1">Bangabandhu Satellite-1</a>)</li>
<li><b>FT</b>: 22 December 2015 <br />(<a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_flight_20">OG2 Flight 2</a>)<sup><a href="#cite_note-nasaspaceflight.com-10">[10]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 29 September 2013<br /><a href="/wiki/CASSIOPE">CASSIOPE</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-nsfdc20130929-11">[11]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 4 June 2010<br /><a href="/wiki/Dragon_Spacecraft_Qualification_Unit">(Dragon COTS Demo 1)</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-MSDB-12">[12]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Last flight</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT Block 4</b>: 29 June 2018 (<a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-15">SpaceX CRS-15</a>)</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 17 January 2016<br />(<a href="/wiki/Jason-3">Jason-3</a>)</li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 1 March 2013<br />(<a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-2">SpaceX CRS-2</a>)</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><td></td></tr><tr><th>First stage</th></tr><tr><th>Powered by</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT Block 5</b>: 9 <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1D</a>+ (maximum thrust)</li>
<li><b>FT</b>: 9 <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1D</a>+</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 9 <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1D</a></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 9 <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1C</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Maximum thrust</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT <small>(late 2016)</small></b>: 7.6 MN (770 t<sub>f</sub>; 1,700,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2016-13">[13]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>FT</b>: 6.8 MN (690 t<sub>f</sub>; 1,500,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 5.9 MN (600 t<sub>f</sub>; 1,300,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 4.9 MN (500 t<sub>f</sub>; 1,100,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/wiki/Specific_impulse">Specific impulse</a></th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>v1.1</b>
<ul><li><b>Sea level</b>: 282 s (2.77 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-v1.1-si-14">[14]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>Vacuum</b>: 311 s (3.05 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-v1.1-si-14">[14]</a></sup></li></ul></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>
<ul><li><b>Sea level</b>: 275 s (2.70 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>Vacuum</b>: 304 s (2.98 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Burn time</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 162 seconds<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 180 seconds<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 170 seconds</li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Propellant</th><td><a href="/wiki/LOX">LOX</a> / <a href="/wiki/RP-1">RP-1</a></td></tr><tr><th>Second stage</th></tr><tr><th>Powered by</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 1 <a href="/wiki/Merlin_1D_Vacuum">Merlin 1D Vacuum</a>+</li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum</li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 1 <a href="/wiki/Merlin_1C_Vacuum">Merlin 1C Vacuum</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Maximum thrust</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 934 kN (95.2 t<sub>f</sub>; 210,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 801 kN (81.7 t<sub>f</sub>; 180,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 617 kN (62.9 t<sub>f</sub>; 139,000 lbf)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/wiki/Specific_impulse">Specific impulse</a></th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 348 s (3.41 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 340 s (3.3 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 342 s (3.35 km/s)<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_March_10,_2009-15">[15]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Burn time</th><td><div>
<ul><li><b>FT</b>: 397 seconds<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.1</b>: 375 seconds<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup></li>
<li><b>v1.0</b>: 345 seconds<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup></li></ul>
</div></td></tr><tr><th>Propellant</th><td>LOX / RP-1</td></tr><tr><td><div><p>[<a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q249091">edit on Wikidata</a>]</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p><b>Falcon 9</b> is a partially <a href="/wiki/Reusable_launch_vehicle">reusable</a> <a href="/wiki/Medium_lift_launch_vehicle">medium lift launch vehicle</a> that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, produced by American <a href="/wiki/Aerospace_manufacturer">aerospace</a> company <a href="/wiki/SpaceX">SpaceX</a>.
</p><p>The rocket has <a href="/wiki/Two-stage-to-orbit">two stages</a>. The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and payload to a certain altitude, after which the second stage lifts the payload to its ultimate destination. The rocket evolved through several versions. <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.0">V1.0</a> flew from 2010–2013, <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.1">V1.1</a> flew from 2013–2016, while <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust">V1.2 Full Thrust</a> first launched in 2015, encompassing the <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust_Block_5">Block 5</a> variant, flying since May 2018.
</p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Booster_(rocketry)">booster</a> is capable of <a href="/wiki/Vertical_takeoff,_vertical_landing">landing vertically</a> to facilitate reuse. This feat was first achieved on <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_flight_20">flight 20</a> in December 2015. Since then, SpaceX has successfully landed boosters over 100 times.<sup><a href="#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup> Individual boosters have flown as many as 15 flights.<sup><a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a></sup> Both stages are powered by <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">SpaceX Merlin</a> engines, using cryogenic <a href="/wiki/Liquid_oxygen">liquid oxygen</a> and rocket-grade kerosene (<a href="/wiki/RP-1">RP-1</a>) as propellants.<sup><a href="#cite_note-18">[18]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup>
</p><p>The heaviest payloads flown to <a href="/wiki/Geostationary_transfer_orbit">geostationary transfer orbit</a> (GTO) were <a href="/wiki/Intelsat_35e">Intelsat 35e</a> carrying 6,761 kg (14,905 lb), and <a href="/wiki/Telstar_19V">Telstar 19V</a> with 7,075 kg (15,598 lb). The former was launched into an advantageous <a href="/wiki/Geostationary_transfer_orbit">super-synchronous transfer orbit</a>,<sup><a href="#cite_note-20">[20]</a></sup> while the latter went into a lower-energy GTO, with an apogee well below the geostationary altitude.<sup><a href="#cite_note-slr2018-21">[21]</a></sup>
</p><p>Falcon 9 is <a href="/wiki/Human-rating_certification">human-rated</a> for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS. Falcon 9 is certified for the <a href="/wiki/National_Security_Space_Launch">National Security Space Launch</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-22">[22]</a></sup> program and NASA <a href="/wiki/Launch_Services_Program">Launch Services Program</a> as "Category 3", which can launch the most expensive, important, and complex NASA missions.<sup><a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup>
</p><p>The first mission launched on 8 October 2012.<sup><a href="#cite_note-24">[24]</a></sup>
</p><p>As of January 2021, Falcon 9 had the most launches among U.S. rockets. It is the only U.S. rocket certified for transporting humans to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">International Space Station</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-25">[25]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-26">[26]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-27">[27]</a></sup> It is the only commercial rocket to ever launch humans to orbit.<sup><a href="#cite_note-28">[28]</a></sup> On 24 January 2021, Falcon 9 <a href="/wiki/Transporter-1_(spaceflight)">set a record</a> for the most satellites launched by a single rocket, carrying <a href="/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_launches_in_January%E2%80%93June_2021">143</a> into orbit.<sup><a href="#cite_note-29">[29]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Development history[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=1">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Falcon9_rocket_family.svg"></a></p></div>
<h3>Conception and funding[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=2">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>In October 2005, SpaceX announced plans to launch Falcon 9 in the first half of 2007.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20051010-30">[30]</a></sup> The initial launch would not occur until 2010.<sup><a href="#cite_note-31">[31]</a></sup>
</p><p>While SpaceX spent its own capital to develop its previous launcher, the <a href="/wiki/Falcon_1">Falcon 1</a>, development of the Falcon 9 was accelerated by partial <a href="/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> funding and commitments to purchase flights once specific capabilities were demonstrated. Funding started with seed money from the <a href="/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services">Commercial Orbital Transportation Services</a> (COTS) program in 2006.<sup><a href="#cite_note-Lindenmoyer_quoted-32">[32]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-NASA_COTS-2006-33">[33]</a></sup> The contract was structured as a <a href="/wiki/Space_Act_Agreement">Space Act Agreement</a> (SAA) "to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation service",<sup><a href="#cite_note-NASA_COTS-2006-33">[33]</a></sup> including the purchase of three demonstration flights.<sup><a href="#cite_note-NASA-SAA2006-34">[34]</a></sup> The overall contract award was US$278 million to provide three demonstration launches of Falcon 9 with the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon">SpaceX Dragon</a> cargo spacecraft. Additional milestones were added later, raising the total contract value to US$396 million.<sup><a href="#cite_note-gerstenmaier2011-35">[35]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-anchor-36">[36]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2008, SpaceX won a <a href="/wiki/Commercial_Resupply_Services">Commercial Resupply Services</a> (CRS) contract in <a href="/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>'s <a href="/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services">Commercial Orbital Transportation Services</a> (COTS) program to deliver cargo to ISS using Falcon 9/Dragon.<sup><a href="#cite_note-anchor-36">[36]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-37">[37]</a></sup> Funds would be disbursed only after the demonstration missions were successfully and thoroughly completed. The contract totaled US$1.6 billion for a minimum of 12 missions to ferry supplies to and <a href="/wiki/Space_logistics">from</a> ISS.<sup><a href="#cite_note-COTSwon-38">[38]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2011, SpaceX estimated that Falcon 9 v1.0 development costs were on the order of US$300 million.<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_May_4,_2011-39">[39]</a></sup> NASA estimated development costs of US$3.6 billion had a traditional <a href="/wiki/Cost-plus_contract">cost-plus contract</a> approach been used.<sup><a href="#cite_note-NAFCOM.pdf-40">[40]</a></sup> A 2011 NASA report "estimated that it would have cost the agency about US$4 billion to develop a rocket like the Falcon 9 booster based upon NASA's traditional contracting processes" while "a more commercial development" approach might have allowed the agency to pay only US$1.7 billion".<sup><a href="#cite_note-Ars_Tech_seeks_gov_funding-41">[41]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2014, SpaceX released combined development costs for Falcon 9 and Dragon. NASA provided US$396 million, while SpaceX provided over US$450 million.<sup><a href="#cite_note-AtlanticCouncil20140604-42">[42]</a></sup>
</p><p>Congressional testimony by SpaceX in 2017 suggested that the unusual NASA process of "setting only a <a href="/wiki/Requirement#Types_of_requirements">high-level requirement</a> for cargo transport to the space station [while] leaving the details to industry" had allowed SpaceX to complete the task at a substantially lower cost. "According to NASA's own independently verified numbers, SpaceX's development costs of both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets were estimated at approximately $390 million in total."<sup><a href="#cite_note-Ars_Tech_seeks_gov_funding-41">[41]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Development[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=3">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>SpaceX originally intended to follow its <a href="/wiki/Falcon_1">Falcon 1</a> launch vehicle with an intermediate capacity vehicle, Falcon 5.<sup><a href="#cite_note-msnbc2005-43">[43]</a></sup> In 2005, SpaceX announced that it was instead proceeding with Falcon 9, a "fully reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle", and had already secured a government customer. Falcon 9 was described as capable of launching approximately 9,500 kilograms (20,900 lb) to low Earth orbit and was projected to be priced at $27,000,000 USD per flight with a 3.7 m (12 ft) <a href="/wiki/Payload_fairing">payload fairing</a> and US$35 million with a 5.2 m (17 ft) fairing. SpaceX also announced a heavy version of Falcon 9 with a payload capacity of approximately 25,000 kilograms (55,000 lb).<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_2005-09-08-44">[44]</a></sup> Falcon 9 was intended to support LEO and GTO missions, as well as crew and cargo missions to ISS.<sup><a href="#cite_note-msnbc2005-43">[43]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Testing[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=4">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>The original NASA COTS contract called for the first demonstration flight in September 2008, and the completion of all three demonstration missions by September 2009.<sup><a href="#cite_note-Space_Act-45">[45]</a></sup> In February 2008, the date slipped into the first quarter of 2009. According to Musk, complexity and <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral">Cape Canaveral</a> regulatory requirements contributed to the delay.<sup><a href="#cite_note-flightglobal_2008-02-27-46">[46]</a></sup>
</p><p>The first multi-engine test (two engines firing simultaneously, connected to the first stage) was completed in January 2008.<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_18_January_2008-47">[47]</a></sup> Successive tests led to a 178 second (mission length), nine engine test-fire in November 2008.<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_November_23,_2008-48">[48]</a></sup> In October 2009, the first flight-ready all-engine test fire was at its <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Rocket_Development_and_Test_Facility">test facility in McGregor, Texas</a>. In November, SpaceX conducted the initial second stage test firing, lasting forty seconds. In January 2010, a 329 second (mission length) orbit-insertion firing of the second stage was conducted at McGregor.<sup><a href="#cite_note-49">[49]</a></sup>
</p><p>The elements of the stack arrived at the launch site for integration at the beginning of February, 2010.<sup><a href="#cite_note-March8-50">[50]</a></sup> The flight stack went vertical at <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_40">Space Launch Complex 40</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station">Cape Canaveral</a>,<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_February_25,_2010-51">[51]</a></sup> and in March, SpaceX performed a static fire test, where the first stage was fired without launch. The test was aborted at T−2 due to a failure in the high-pressure helium pump. All systems up to the abort performed as expected, and no additional issues needed addressing. A subsequent test on 13 March fired the first-stage engines for 3.5 seconds.<sup><a href="#cite_note-universetoday_March_13,_2010-52">[52]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Production[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=5">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>In December 2010, the SpaceX production line manufactured a Falcon 9 (and Dragon spacecraft) every three months.<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacedotcom20101209-53">[53]</a></sup> By September 2013, SpaceX's total manufacturing space had increased to nearly 93,000 m<sup>2</sup> (1,000,000 sq ft), in order to achieve a production rate of 40 rocket cores annually.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxProd20130924-54">[54]</a></sup> The factory was producing one Falcon 9 per month as of November 2013.<sup><a href="#cite_note-aw20140310-55">[55]</a></sup>
</p><p>By February 2016 the production rate for Falcon 9 cores had increased to 18 per year, and the number of first stage cores that could be assembled at one time reached six.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20160204-56">[56]</a></sup>
</p><p>Since 2018, SpaceX has routinely reused first stages, reducing the demand for new cores. In 2021, SpaceX performed 31 F9 launches, using only two new boosters. It successfully recovered the booster on all but one flight. The Hawthorne factory produces one (expendable) second stage for each launch.
</p>
<h2>Launch history[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=6">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched 206 times over 13 years, resulting in 204 full mission successes (99%), one partial success (<a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">SpaceX CRS-1</a> delivered its cargo to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">International Space Station</a> (ISS), but a <a href="/wiki/Secondary_payload">secondary payload</a> was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit), and one full failure (the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-7">SpaceX CRS-7</a> spacecraft was lost in flight in an explosion). Additionally, one rocket and its payload <a href="/wiki/AMOS-6">AMOS-6</a> were destroyed before launch in preparation for an on-pad <a href="/wiki/Static_fire">static fire</a> test. The currently active version, <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Block_5">Falcon 9 Block 5</a>, has flown 145 missions, all full successes.
</p><p>On 20 October 2022, Falcon 9 set a new record of 48 launches (all successful) by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. The previous record was held by <a href="/wiki/Soyuz-U">Soyuz-U</a>, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979.<sup><a href="#cite_note-EM201022-57">[57]</a></sup>
</p><p>The first rocket version <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.0">Falcon 9 v1.0</a> was launched five times from June 2010 to March 2013, its successor <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.1">Falcon 9 v1.1</a> 15 times from September 2013 to January 2016, and the <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust">Falcon 9 Full Thrust</a> 181 times from December 2015 to present. The latest Full Thrust variant, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018.<sup><a href="#cite_note-58">[58]</a></sup> While the Block 4 boosters were only flown twice and required several months of refurbishment, Block 5 versions are designed to sustain 10 flights with just some inspections.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20180517-59">[59]</a></sup>
</p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Falcon_Heavy">Falcon Heavy</a> derivative consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 first stage as its center core, with two additional Falcon 9 first stages attached and used as boosters, both of which are fitted with an aerodynamic nosecone instead of a usual Falcon 9 interstage.<sup><a href="#cite_note-60">[60]</a></sup>
</p><p>Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully in 169 of 180 attempts (93.9%), with 141 out of 146 (96.6%) for the Falcon 9 Block 5 version. A total of 145 <a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">re-flights of first stage boosters</a> have all successfully launched their payloads.
</p>
<div>
<table>
<tbody><tr>
<td>
<h3> Launch outcomes[<a href="/w/index.php?title=List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches&amp;action=edit&amp;section=T-3">edit</a>]</h3>
<div>
<div>
<p>'10</p>
<p>'11</p>
<p>'12</p>
<p>'13</p>
<p>'14</p>
<p>'15</p>
<p>'16</p>
<p>'17</p>
<p>'18</p>
<p>'19</p>
<p>'20</p>
<p>'21</p>
<p>'22</p>
<p>'23</p>
</div>
<div>
<ul><li>  Loss before launch</li>
<li>  Loss during flight</li>
<li>  Partial failure</li>
<li>  Success (commercial and government)</li>
<li>  Success (<a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a>)</li>
<li>  Planned (commercial and government)</li>
<li>  Planned (<a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a>)</li></ul>
</div>
</div>
</td>
<td>
<h3> Booster landings[<a href="/w/index.php?title=List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches&amp;action=edit&amp;section=T-4">edit</a>]</h3>
<div>
<div>
<p>'10</p>
<p>'11</p>
<p>'12</p>
<p>'13</p>
<p>'14</p>
<p>'15</p>
<p>'16</p>
<p>'17</p>
<p>'18</p>
<p>'19</p>
<p>'20</p>
<p>'21</p>
<p>'22</p>
<p>'23</p>
</div>
<div>
<ul><li>  Ground-pad failure</li>
<li>  Drone-ship failure</li>
<li>  Ocean test failure<sup><a href="#cite_note-61">[i]</a></sup></li>
<li>  Parachute test failure<sup><a href="#cite_note-62">[ii]</a></sup></li>
<li>  Ground-pad success</li>
<li>  Drone-ship success</li>
<li>  Ocean test success<sup><a href="#cite_note-63">[iii]</a></sup></li>
<li>  No attempt</li></ul>
</div>
</div><div><ol>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-61">^</a></b> Controlled descent; ocean touchdown control failed; no recovery
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-62">^</a></b> Passive reentry failed before parachute deployment
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-63">^</a></b> Controlled descent; soft vertical ocean touchdown; no recovery
</li>
</ol></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<h3>Notable flights[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=7">edit</a>]</h3>
<div> <div><p>SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with COTS Demo Flight 1</p></div></div>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:ORBCOMM-2_First-Stage_Landing_(23271687254).jpg"></a></p></div>
<ul><li>Flight 1, June 2010 <a href="/wiki/Dragon_Spacecraft_Qualification_Unit">Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit</a>, first flight of Falcon 9 and first test of <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon">Dragon</a></li>
<li>Flight 3, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_COTS_Demo_Flight_2">Dragon C2+</a>, first cargo delivery to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">International Space Station</a></li>
<li>Flight 4, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">SpaceX CRS-1</a>, first operational cargo mission to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">ISS</a>, and the first demonstration of the rocket's engine-out capability due to the failure of a first-stage <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin</a> engine</li>
<li>Flight 6, <a href="/wiki/CASSIOPE">CASSIOPE</a>, first <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.1">v1.1 rocket</a>, first launch from <a href="/wiki/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base">Vandenberg AFB</a>, first attempt at <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_first-stage_landing_tests">propulsive return of the first stage</a></li>
<li>Flight 7, <a href="/wiki/SES-8">SES-8</a>, first launch to <a href="/wiki/Geosynchronous_transfer_orbit">Geosynchronous transfer orbit</a> (GTO), first commercial payload (<a href="/wiki/Communications_satellite">communications satellite</a>)</li>
<li>Flight 9, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-3">SpaceX CRS-3</a>, added landing legs, first <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_first-stage_landing_tests#Ocean_touchdown_attempts">fully controlled descent and vertical ocean touchdown</a></li>
<li>Flight 15, <a href="/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory">Deep Space Climate Observatory</a> (DSCOVR), first mission passing <a href="/wiki/Escape_velocity">escape velocity</a> to the <a href="/wiki/Lagrange_point">L1</a> point</li>
<li>Flight 19, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-7">SpaceX CRS-7</a>, total loss of mission due to structural failure and helium overpressure in the second stage</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_flight_20">Flight 20</a>, <a href="/wiki/Orbcomm_(satellite)">Orbcomm OG-2</a>, first vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket</li>
<li>Flight 23, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-8">SpaceX CRS-8</a>, first <a href="/wiki/Vertical_takeoff,_vertical_landing">landing vertically</a> achieved on an <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">autonomous spaceport drone ship</a> at sea</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/AMOS-6">AMOS-6</a>, total vehicle and payload loss prior to <a href="/wiki/Static_fire">static fire</a> test (would have been Flight 29)</li>
<li>Flight 30, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-10">CRS-10</a>, first launch from <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39A">LC-39A</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center">Kennedy Space Center</a></li>
<li>Flight 32, <a href="/wiki/SES-10">SES-10</a>, first reflight of a previously flown orbital class booster (<a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">B1021</a>, previously used for <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-8">SpaceX CRS-8</a>), first recovery of a fairing.<sup><a href="#cite_note-64">[61]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-fairing-recovery-65">[62]</a></sup></li>
<li>Flight 41, <a href="/wiki/Boeing_X-37">Boeing X-37B</a> <a href="/wiki/USA-277">OTV-5</a>, first launch of a <a href="/wiki/Spaceplane">spaceplane</a></li>
<li>Flight 54, <a href="/wiki/Bangabandhu_Satellite-1">Bangabandhu Satellite-1</a>, the first flight of the <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust_Block_5">Block 5</a> version</li>
<li>Flight 58, <a href="/wiki/Telstar_19V">Telstar 19V</a>, heaviest communications satellite ever delivered to GEO<sup><a href="#cite_note-66">[63]</a></sup></li>
<li>Flight 69, <a href="/wiki/Crew_Dragon_Demo-1">Crew Dragon Demo-1</a>, first launch of the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon_2">Crew Dragon</a></li>
<li>Flight 72, <a href="/wiki/RADARSAT_Constellation">RADARSAT Constellation</a>, the most valuable commercial payload put into orbit<sup><a href="#cite_note-67">[64]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-68">[65]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-69">[66]</a></sup></li>
<li>Flight 81, a <a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a> launch, was a successful flight, but had the first recovery failure of a previously flown and recovered booster</li>
<li>Flight 83, a successful <a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a> launch, saw the first failure of a Merlin 1D first-stage engine during ascent, and the second ascent engine failure on the rocket following <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">CRS-1</a> on flight 4</li>
<li>Flight 85, <a href="/wiki/Crew_Dragon_Demo-2">Crew Dragon Demo-2</a>, the first crewed launch of the Crew Dragon</li>
<li>Flight 98, <a href="/wiki/Crew-1">Crew-1</a>, the first crewed operational launch of the Crew Dragon, holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crew vehicle</li>
<li>Flight 101, <a href="/wiki/CRS-21">CRS-21</a>, the first launch of the Cargo Dragon 2, an uncrewed variation of the Crew Dragon</li>
<li>Flight 106, Transporter-1, the first dedicated smallsat rideshare launch, set the record of the most satellites launched on a single launch with 143 satellites, surpassing the previous record of 108 satellites held by the November 17, 2018 launch of an <a href="/wiki/Antares_(rocket)">Antares</a></li>
<li>Flight 108, a <a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a> launch, experienced early shut-down of a first-stage Merlin 1D engine during ascent due to damage, but still delivered the payload to the target orbit</li>
<li>Flight 126, <a href="/wiki/Inspiration4">Inspiration4</a>, the first orbital spaceflight of an all-private crew.</li>
<li>Flight 129, <a href="/wiki/Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test">DART</a>, first planetary defenses mission against <a href="/wiki/Near-Earth_objects">near-Earth objects</a>.</li>
<li>Flight 134, <a href="/wiki/CRS-24">CRS-24</a>, the 100th successful vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket, on the sixth anniversary of the first landing in 2015.</li>
<li>Flight 199, heaviest confirmed Block 5 payload of 17,400 kg, 56 <a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a> satellites.<sup><a href="#cite_note-twitter20230127-70">[67]</a></sup></li></ul>
<h2>Design[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=8">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Falcon_9.stl"></a></p><div><p>Interactive 3D model of the Falcon 9, fully integrated on the left and in exploded view on the right</p></div></div>
<p>F9 is a <a href="/wiki/Two-stage-to-orbit">two-stage</a>, <a href="/wiki/Liquid_oxygen">LOX</a>/<a href="/wiki/RP-1">RP-1</a>-powered launch vehicle.
</p>
<h3>Engine[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=9">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Both stages are equipped with <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1D</a> rocket engines. Each Merlin engine produces 854 kN (192,000 lb<sub>f</sub>) of thrust.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falconguide202004-71">[68]</a></sup> Every engine uses a <a href="/wiki/Pyrophoricity">pyrophoric</a> mixture of <a href="/wiki/Triethylaluminum">triethylaluminum</a>-<a href="/wiki/Triethylborane">triethylborane</a> (TEA-TEB) as an engine igniter.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sfn20100602-72">[69]</a></sup>
</p><p>The booster stage has 9 engines, while the 2nd stage has 1 vacuum-adapted version. The booster engines are arranged in what SpaceX calls <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.1">Octaweb</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxn20130802octaweb-73">[70]</a></sup>
</p><p>Falcon 9 is capable of losing 2 engines and still complete the mission. The Merlin 1D engines can vector thrust to adjust trajectory.
</p><p>Each <a href="/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine_family)">Merlin rocket engine</a> is controlled by three <a href="/wiki/Voting_logic">voting</a> computers, each having 2 CPUs which constantly check the other 2 in the trio.
</p>
<h3>Tanks[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=10">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>The propellant tank walls and domes are made from <a href="/wiki/Aluminium%E2%80%93lithium_alloy">aluminium–lithium alloy</a>. SpaceX uses an all <a href="/wiki/Friction_stir_welding">friction-stir welded</a> tank, for its strength and reliability.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup> The second stage tank is a shorter version of the first stage tank. It uses most of the same tooling, material, and manufacturing techniques.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup>
</p><p>The F9 interstage, which connects the upper and lower stages, is a carbon-fibre aluminium-core composite structure that holds reusable separation <a href="/wiki/Collet">collets</a> and a pneumatic pusher system. The original stage separation system had twelve attachment points, reduced to three for v1.1.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Fairing[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=11">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>F9 uses a <a href="/wiki/Payload_fairing">payload fairing</a> (nose cone) to protect (non-Dragon) satellites during launch. The fairing is 13 m (43 ft) long, 5.2 m (17 ft) in diameter, weighs approximately 1900 kg, and is constructed of carbon fiber skin overlaid on an aluminum honeycomb core.<sup><a href="#cite_note-75">[72]</a></sup> SpaceX designed and fabricates fairings in Hawthorne. Testing was completed at NASA's <a href="/wiki/Plum_Brook_Station">Plum Brook Station</a> facility in spring 2013 where the acoustic shock and mechanical vibration of launch, plus <a href="/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation">electromagnetic</a> <a href="/wiki/Static_discharge">static discharge</a> conditions, were simulated on a full-size test article in a <a href="/wiki/Vacuum_chamber">vacuum chamber</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-cpd20130525-76">[73]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Control systems[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=12">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>SpaceX uses multiple redundant <a href="/wiki/Category:Avionics_computers">flight computers</a> in a <a href="/wiki/Fault-tolerant_design">fault-tolerant design</a>. The software runs on <a href="/wiki/Linux">Linux</a> and is written in <a href="/wiki/C%2B%2B">C++</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-aw20121118-77">[74]</a></sup> For flexibility, <a href="/wiki/Commercial_off-the-shelf">commercial off-the-shelf</a> parts and system-wide <i>radiation-tolerant</i> design are used instead of <a href="/wiki/Radiation_hardening">rad-hardened</a> parts.<sup><a href="#cite_note-aw20121118-77">[74]</a></sup> Each stage has stage-level flight computers, in addition to the Merlin-specific engine controllers, of the same fault-tolerant triad design to handle stage control functions. Each engine microcontroller CPU runs on a <a href="/wiki/PowerPC">PowerPC</a> architecture.<sup><a href="#cite_note-78">[75]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Legs/fins[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=13">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Boosters that will be deliberately expended do not have legs or fins. Recoverable boosters include four extensible landing legs attached around the base.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxn20130802fh_legs-79">[76]</a></sup> To control the core's descent through the atmosphere, SpaceX uses <a href="/wiki/Grid_fins">grid fins</a> that deploy from the vehicle<sup><a href="#cite_note-80">[77]</a></sup> moments after stage separation.<sup><a href="#cite_note-pm20120207-81">[78]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Versions[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=14">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>V1.0 flew five successful orbital launches from 2010–2013. The much larger V1.1 made its first flight in September 2013. The demonstration mission carried a small 500 kg (1,100 lb) primary payload, the <a href="/wiki/CASSIOPE">CASSIOPE</a> satellite.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup> Larger payloads followed, starting with the launch of the <a href="/wiki/SES-8">SES-8</a> <a href="/wiki/Geostationary_orbit">GEO</a> <a href="/wiki/Communications_satellite">communications satellite</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-82">[79]</a></sup> Both v1.0 and v1.1 used <a href="/wiki/Expendable_launch_vehicle">expendable launch vehicles</a> (ELVs). The <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust">Falcon 9 Full Thrust</a> made its first flight in December 2015. The first stage of the Full Thrust version was <a href="/wiki/Reusable_launch_vehicle">reusable</a>. The current version, known as <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Block_5">Falcon 9 Block 5</a>, made its first flight in May 2018.
</p>
<h3>V1.0[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=15">edit</a>]</h3>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:SpX_CRS-2_launch_-_further_-_cropped.jpg"></a></p></div>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Falcon_9_v1.0_and_v1.1_engine.svg"></a></p><div><p>Falcon 9 v1.0 (left) and v1.1 (right) engine configurations</p></div></div>
<p>F9 v1.0 was an expendable launch vehicle developed from 2005–2010. 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 <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1C</a> engines arranged in a 3 × 3 grid. Each had a sea-level thrust of 556 kN (125,000 lb<sub>f</sub>) for a total liftoff thrust of about 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lb<sub>f</sub>).<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup> The second stage was powered by a single <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin">Merlin 1C engine modified for vacuum operation</a>, with an <a href="/wiki/Expansion_ratio">expansion ratio</a> of 117:1 and a nominal burn time of 345 seconds. Gaseous N<sub>2</sub> thrusters were used on the second-stage as a <a href="/wiki/Reaction_control_system">reaction control system</a> (RCS).<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxF9LVPUG2009-83">[80]</a></sup>
</p><p>Early attempts to add a lightweight <a href="/wiki/Thermal_protection_system">thermal protection system</a> to the booster stage and parachute recovery were not successful.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20090112-84">[81]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2011, SpaceX began a formal <a href="/wiki/New_product_development">development program</a> for a <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_reusable_launch_system_development_program">reusable Falcon 9</a>, initially focusing on the first stage.<sup><a href="#cite_note-pm20120207-81">[78]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>V1.1[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=16">edit</a>]</h3>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Launch_of_Falcon_9_carrying_CASSIOPE_(130929-F-ET475-012).jpg"></a></p></div>
<p>V1.1 is 60% heavier with 60% more thrust than v1.0.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup> Its nine (more powerful) Merlin 1D engines were rearranged into an "octagonal" pattern<sup><a href="#cite_note-85">[82]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sfn20120518-86">[83]</a></sup> that SpaceX called <i>Octaweb</i>. This is designed to simplify and streamline manufacturing.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxn20130729octaweb-87">[84]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-121117SFNfalcon9commercial-88">[85]</a></sup> The fuel tanks were 60% longer, making the rocket more susceptible to <a href="/wiki/Bending_moment">bending</a> during flight.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup>
</p><p>The v1.1 first stage offered a total sea-level thrust at liftoff of 5,885 kilonewtons (1,323,000 lb<sub>f</sub>), with the engines burning for a nominal 180 seconds, while stage thrust rises to 6,672 kN (1,500,000 lb<sub>f</sub>) as the booster climbs out of the atmosphere.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</p><p>The stage separation system was redesigned to reduce the number of attachment points from twelve to three,<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup> and the vehicle had upgraded avionics and software.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20130906-74">[71]</a></sup>
</p><p>These improvements increased the payload capability from 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) to 13,150 kg (28,990 lb).<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup> SpaceX president <a href="/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell">Gwynne Shotwell</a> stated the v1.1 had about 30% more payload capacity than published on its price list, with the extra margin reserved for <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_returnable_rocket">returning stages via powered re-entry</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20140327-89">[86]</a></sup>
</p><p>Development testing of the first stage was completed in July 2013.<sup><a href="#cite_note-snews16Jul-90">[87]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20130620-91">[88]</a></sup> First launch came in September 2013.
</p><p>The second stage igniter propellant lines were later insulated to better support in-space restart following long coast phases for orbital trajectory maneuvers.<sup><a href="#cite_note-aw20131124-92">[89]</a></sup> Four extensible carbon fiber/aluminum <a href="/wiki/Honeycomb_structure">honeycomb</a> landing legs were included on later flights where landings were attempted.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxn20130729legs-93">[90]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-nsw20130328-94">[91]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-pa20120328-95">[92]</a></sup>
</p><p>SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for v1.1 as of March 2014 included about 30% more performance than the published price list indicated; SpaceX reserved the additional performance to perform <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_first-stage_landing_tests">reusability testing</a>. Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage were made for v1.1<sup>.</sup>
</p>
<h3>V1.2/Full thrust[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=17">edit</a>]</h3>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Second-generation_titanium_grid_fins,_Iridium-2_Mission_(35533873795).jpg"></a></p></div>
<p>The v1.2 upgrade, also known as Full Thrust (FT),<sup><a href="#cite_note-shotwell20160203-96">[93]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sxf9pug20151021-97">[94]</a></sup> made major changes. It added cryogenic propellant cooling to increase density allowing 17% higher thrust, improved the stage separation system, stretched the second stage to hold additional propellant, and strengthened struts for holding helium bottles believed to have been involved with the failure of flight 19.<sup><a href="#cite_note-98">[95]</a></sup> It offered a <a href="/wiki/Reusable_launch_vehicle">reusable first stage</a>. Plans to reuse the second-stage were abandoned as the weight of a heat shield and other equipment would reduce payload too much.<sup><a href="#cite_note-ElonMuskMITInteview-99">[96]</a></sup> The reusable booster was developed using systems and software tested on the Falcon 9 prototypes.
</p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_Flight_Safety_System">Autonomous Flight Safety System</a> (AFSS) replaced the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment. AFSS offered on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS included increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility".<sup><a href="#cite_note-100">[97]</a></sup>
</p><p>FT's capacity allowed SpaceX to choose between increasing payload, decreasing launch price, or both.<sup><a href="#cite_note-tss20140321-101">[98]</a></sup>
</p><p>Its <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_flight_20">first successful landing</a> came in December 2015<sup><a href="#cite_note-102">[99]</a></sup> and the <a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">first reflight</a> in March 2017.<sup><a href="#cite_note-USAT-2017-03-31-103">[100]</a></sup> In February 2017, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-10">CRS-10</a> launch was the first operational launch utilizing AFSS. All SpaceX launches after 16 March used AFSS. A 25 June mission carried the second batch of ten <a href="/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation">Iridium NEXT</a> satellites, for which the aluminium <a href="/wiki/Grid_fin">grid fins</a> were replaced by larger <a href="/wiki/Titanium">titanium</a> versions, to improve control authority, and heat tolerance during <a href="/wiki/Atmospheric_entry">re-entry</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-musk-20170625-104">[101]</a></sup>
</p>
<h4>Block 4[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=18">edit</a>]</h4>
<p>In 2017, SpaceX started including incremental changes, internally dubbed Block 4.<sup><a href="#cite_note-105">[102]</a></sup> Initially, only the second stage was modified to Block 4 standards, flying on top of a Block 3 first stage for three missions: <a href="/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches">NROL-76</a> and <a href="/wiki/Inmarsat">Inmarsat-5 F5</a> in May 2017, and <a href="/wiki/Intelsat_35e">Intelsat 35e</a> in July 2017.<sup><a href="#cite_note-slr-datasheet-106">[103]</a></sup> Block 4 was described as a transition between the Full Thrust v1.2 Block 3 and <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Block_5">Block 5</a>. It includes incremental engine thrust upgrades leading to Block 5.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20170816-107">[104]</a></sup> The maiden flight of the full Block 4 design (first and second stages) was the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-12">SpaceX CRS-12</a> mission on 14 August.<sup><a href="#cite_note-108">[105]</a></sup>
</p>
<h4>Block 5[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=19">edit</a>]</h4>
<p>In October 2016, Musk described Block 5 as coming with "a lot of minor refinements that collectively are important, but uprated thrust and improved legs are the most significant".<sup><a href="#cite_note-gw20161023-109">[106]</a></sup> In January 2017, Musk added that Block 5 "significantly improves performance and ease of reusability".<sup><a href="#cite_note-110">[107]</a></sup> The maiden flight took place on 11 May 2018,<sup><a href="#cite_note-cooper-111">[108]</a></sup> with the <a href="/wiki/Bangabandhu_Satellite-1">Bangabandhu Satellite-1</a> satellite.<sup><a href="#cite_note-teslarati-20180411-112">[109]</a></sup> The Block 5 second stage included upgrades to enable it to linger in orbit and reignite its engine three or more times.<sup><a href="#cite_note-113">[110]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Capabilities[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=20">edit</a>]</h2>
<h3>Performance[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=21">edit</a>]</h3>
<table>
<tbody><tr>
<th>Version
</th>
<th><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.0">v1.0</a> (retired)
</th>
<th><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_v1.1">v1.1</a> (retired)
</th>
<th><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Full_Thrust">v1.2 or Full Thrust</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-nasaspaceflight.com-10">[10]</a></sup>
</th></tr>
<tr>
<th>Block 3 and Block 4 (retired)
</th>
<th><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_Block_5">Block 5</a> (active)<sup><a href="#cite_note-114">[111]</a></sup>
<p><sup><a href="#cite_note-EspaceEtExplorationNo39-115">[112]</a></sup>
</p>
</th></tr>
<tr>
<th>Stage 1 engines
</th>
<td>9 × <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin#Merlin_1C">Merlin 1C</a>
</td>
<td>9 × <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin#Merlin_1D">Merlin 1D</a>
</td>
<td>9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded)<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20150831-116">[113]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded)
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Stage 1 mass
</th>
<td>
</td>
<td>
</td>
<td>Dry mass 22.2 t (49,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-EspaceEtExplorationNo39-115">[112]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Stage 2 engines
</th>
<td>1 × <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin#Merlin_Vacuum_(1C)">Merlin 1C Vacuum</a>
</td>
<td>1 × <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Merlin#Merlin_1D_Vacuum">Merlin 1D Vacuum</a>
</td>
<td>1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded)<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxf9pug20151021-97">[94]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20150831-116">[113]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded)
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Stage 2 mass
</th>
<td>
</td>
<td>
</td>
<td>Dry mass 4 t (8,800 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-EspaceEtExplorationNo39-115">[112]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Max. height (m)
</th>
<td>53<sup><a href="#cite_note-slreport20110729-117">[114]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>68.4<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>70<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sxf9pug20151021-97">[94]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>70
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Diameter (m)
</th>
<td>3.66<sup><a href="#cite_note-sf101F910-118">[115]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>3.66<sup><a href="#cite_note-sf101F911-119">[116]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>3.66<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxf9pug20151021-97">[94]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>3.66
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Initial thrust
</th>
<td>3.807 MN (388.2 t<sub>f</sub>)
</td>
<td>5.9 MN (600 t<sub>f</sub>)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>6.804 MN (693.8 t<sub>f</sub>)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sxf9pug20151021-97">[94]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>7.6 MN (770 t<sub>f</sub>)<sup><a href="#cite_note-120">[117]</a></sup>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Takeoff mass
</th>
<td>318 t (701,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-slreport20110729-117">[114]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>506 t (1,116,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>549 t (1,210,000 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2015-3">[3]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>549 t (1,210,000 lb)
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Fairing diameter (m)
</th>
<td>—<sup><a href="#cite_note-121">[a]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>5.2
</td>
<td>5.2
</td>
<td>5.2
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Fairing mass
</th>
<td>
</td>
<td>
</td>
<td>3.7 t (8,200 lb)<sup><a href="#cite_note-EspaceEtExplorationNo39-115">[112]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Payload to <a href="/wiki/Low_Earth_orbit">LEO</a> (kg)<br />(from <a href="/wiki/CCAFS">Cape Canaveral</a>)
</th>
<td>8,500–9,000<sup><a href="#cite_note-slreport20110729-117">[114]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>13,150<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>22,800 (expendable)<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-PAF_limit-123">[b]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>≥ 22,800 (expendable)<br />≥ 17,400 (reusable)<sup><a href="#cite_note-124">[c]</a></sup>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Payload to <a href="/wiki/Geostationary_transfer_orbit">GTO</a> (kg)
</th>
<td>3,400<sup><a href="#cite_note-slreport20110729-117">[114]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>4,850<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2013-4">[4]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>8,300<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup> (expendable)<br />About 5,300<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20160208-125">[119]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-defensenews20151012-126">[120]</a></sup> (reusable)
</td>
<td>≥ 8,300 (expendable)<br />≥ 5,800 (reusable)<sup><a href="#cite_note-127">[121]</a></sup>
</td></tr>
<tr>
<th>Success ratio
</th>
<td>5 / 5<sup><a href="#cite_note-129">[d]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>14 / 15<sup><a href="#cite_note-130">[e]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>36 / 36 (1 precluded)<sup><a href="#cite_note-AMOS-6-131">[f]</a></sup>
</td>
<td>145 / 145
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<div><ol>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-121">^</a></b> The Falcon 9 v1.0 only launched the Dragon spacecraft; it was never launched with the clam-shell payload fairing.
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-PAF_limit_123-0">^</a></b> Payload was restricted to 10,886 kg (24,000 lb) due to structural limit of the payload adapter fitting (PAF).<sup><a href="#cite_note-spx-user-guide-122">[118]</a></sup>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-124">^</a></b> Heaviest explicitly confirmed payload has been 17,400 kg<sup><a href="#cite_note-twitter20230127-70">[67]</a></sup>.
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-129">^</a></b> On <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">SpaceX CRS-1</a>, the primary payload, Dragon, was successful. A secondary payload was placed in an incorrect orbit because of a changed flight profile due to the malfunction and shut-down of a single first-stage engine. Likely enough fuel and oxidizer remained on the second stage for orbital insertion, but not enough to be within NASA safety margins for the protection of the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">International Space Station</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-128">[122]</a></sup>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-130">^</a></b> The only failed mission of the Falcon 9 v1.1 was <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-7">SpaceX CRS-7</a>, which was lost during its first stage operation due to an overpressure event in the second stage oxygen tank.
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-AMOS-6_131-0">^</a></b> One rocket and payload were destroyed before launch, during preparation for a routine static fire test.
</li>
</ol></div>
<h3>Reliability[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=22">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>As of 2 February 2023, Falcon 9 had achieved 199 out of 201 full mission successes (99%). <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">SpaceX CRS-1</a> succeeded in its primary mission, but left a secondary payload in a wrong orbit, while <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-7">SpaceX CRS-7</a> was destroyed in flight. In addition, <a href="/wiki/AMOS-6">AMOS-6</a> disintegrated on the launch pad during fueling for an engine test. Based on the <a href="/wiki/Lewis_Point">Lewis point</a> estimate<sup>[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Accuracy_dispute#Disputed_statement">dubious</a> – <a href="/wiki/Talk:Falcon_9#Dubious">discuss</a></i>]</sup> of reliability, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust had become the most reliable orbital launch vehicle then in operation.<sup><a href="#cite_note-132">[123]</a></sup> Block 5 has a success rate of 100% (145/145). For comparison, the industry benchmark <a href="/wiki/Soyuz_(rocket_family)">Soyuz series</a> has performed 1880 launches<sup><a href="#cite_note-133">[124]</a></sup> with a success rate of 95.1% (the latest <a href="/wiki/Soyuz-2">Soyuz-2</a>'s success rate is 94%),<sup><a href="#cite_note-soyFailureRate-134">[125]</a></sup> the Russian <a href="/wiki/Proton_(rocket_family)">Proton series</a> has performed 425 launches with <a href="/wiki/List_of_Proton_launches">a success rate of 88.7%</a> (the latest <a href="/wiki/Proton-M">Proton-M</a>'s success rate is 90.1%), the European <a href="/wiki/Ariane_5">Ariane 5</a> has performed 110 launches with a success rate of 95.5%, and Chinese <a href="/wiki/Long_March_3B">Long March 3B</a> has performed 85 launches with a <a href="/wiki/Long_March_3B">success rate of 95.3%</a>.
</p><p>F9's launch sequence includes a hold-down feature that allows full engine ignition and systems check before liftoff. After the first-stage engine starts, the launcher is held down and not released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems are confirmed to be operating normally. Similar hold-down systems have been used on launch vehicles such as <a href="/wiki/Saturn_V">Saturn V</a><sup><a href="#cite_note-NASA_Hold-Down_Arms-135">[126]</a></sup> and <a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle">Space Shuttle</a>. An automatic safe shut-down and unloading of propellant occur if any abnormal conditions are detected.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup> Prior to the launch date, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX">SpaceX</a> typically completes a test cycle, culminating in a three-and-a-half second first stage engine static firing.<sup><a href="#cite_note-136">[127]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-137">[128]</a></sup>
</p><p>F9 has <a href="/wiki/Triple_modular_redundancy">triple-redundant</a> flight computers and <a href="/wiki/Inertial_navigation_system">inertial navigation</a>, with a <a href="/wiki/Global_Positioning_System">GPS</a> overlay for additional accuracy.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Engine-out capability[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=23">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>Like the <a href="/wiki/Saturn_(rocket_family)">Saturn</a>, multiple engines allow for mission completion even if one fails.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-pm20090901-138">[129]</a></sup> Detailed descriptions of destructive engine failure modes and designed-in engine-out capabilities were made public.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sxua200712-139">[130]</a></sup>
</p><p>SpaceX emphasized that the first stage is designed for "engine-out" capability.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-1">CRS-1</a> in October 2012 was a partial success after engine no. 1 lost pressure at 79 seconds, and then shut down. To compensate for the resulting loss of acceleration, the first stage had to burn 28 seconds longer than planned, and the second stage had to burn an extra 15 seconds. That extra burn time reduced fuel reserves so that the likelihood that there was sufficient fuel to execute the mission dropped from 99% to 95%. Because NASA had purchased the launch and therefore contractually controlled several mission decision points, NASA declined SpaceX's request to restart the second stage and attempt to deliver the secondary payload into the correct orbit. As a result, the secondary payload reentered the atmosphere.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn20121011-9">[9]</a></sup>
</p><p>Merlin 1D engines have suffered two premature shutdowns on ascent. Neither has affected the primary mission, but both landing attempts failed. On an 18 March 2020 Starlink mission, one of the first stage engines failed 3 seconds before cut-off due to the ignition of some <a href="/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol">isopropyl alcohol</a> that was not properly purged after cleaning.<sup><a href="#cite_note-140">[131]</a></sup> On another Starlink mission on 15 February 2021, hot exhaust gasses entered an engine due to a fatigue-related hole in its cover.<sup><a href="#cite_note-141">[132]</a></sup> SpaceX stated the failed cover had the "highest... number of flights that this particular boot [cover] design had seen."<sup><a href="#cite_note-142">[133]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Reusability[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=24">edit</a>]</h3>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:SpaceX_Falcon_9_Booster_Firing_Cold_Nitrogen_Thrusters.jpg"></a></p><div><p>SpaceX Falcon 9 Second Stage on its way to orbit</p></div></div>
<p>SpaceX planned from the beginning to make both stages reusable.<sup><a href="#cite_note-IwEM-143">[134]</a></sup> The first stages of early Falcon flights were equipped with parachutes and were covered with a layer of <a href="/wiki/Ablation">ablative</a> cork to allow them to survive <a href="/wiki/Atmospheric_re-entry">atmospheric re-entry</a>. These were defeated by the accompanying aerodynamic stress and heating.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf20090112-84">[81]</a></sup> The stages were salt-water corrosion-resistant.<sup><a href="#cite_note-IwEM-143">[134]</a></sup>
</p><p>In late 2011, SpaceX eliminated parachutes in favor of <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_reusable_launch_system_development_program">powered descent</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-wp20110929-144">[135]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-sdc20110930-145">[136]</a></sup> The design was complete by February 2012.<sup><a href="#cite_note-pm20120207-81">[78]</a></sup>
</p><p>Powered landings were first flight-tested with the suborbital <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_prototypes">Grasshopper rocket</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-cl20121224-146">[137]</a></sup> Between 2012 and 2013, this low-altitude, low-speed demonstration test vehicle made eight <a href="/wiki/Vertical_takeoff,_vertical_landing">vertical landings</a>, including a 79-second round-trip flight to an altitude of 744 m (2,441 ft). In March 2013, SpaceX announced that as of the first v1.1 flight, every booster would be equipped for powered descent.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsw20130328-94">[91]</a></sup>
</p>
<h4>Post-mission flight tests and landing attempts[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=25">edit</a>]</h4>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:CRS-8_first_stage_landing_(26366878046).jpg"></a></p><div><p>Falcon 9's first stage successfully landing on an <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">ASDS</a> for the first time, following the launch of <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-8">SpaceX CRS-8</a> to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">ISS</a></p></div></div>
<p>For <a href="/wiki/CASSIOPE">Flight 6</a> in September 2013, after stage separation, the <a href="/wiki/Flight_test">flight</a> plan called for the first stage to conduct a burn to reduce its reentry velocity, and then a second burn just before reaching the water. Although not a complete success, the stage was able to change direction and make a controlled entry into the atmosphere.<sup><a href="#cite_note-Falcon_9_v1.1_debut_success-147">[138]</a></sup> During the final landing burn, the RCS thrusters could not overcome an aerodynamically induced spin. The centrifugal force deprived the engine of fuel, leading to early engine shutdown and a hard splashdown.<sup><a href="#cite_note-Falcon_9_v1.1_debut_success-147">[138]</a></sup>
</p><p>After four more ocean landing tests, the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-5">CRS-5</a> booster attempted a landing on the <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">ASDS</a> floating platform in January 2015. The rocket incorporated (for the first time in an orbital mission) <a href="/wiki/Grid_fin">grid fin</a> aerodynamic control surfaces, and successfully guided itself to the ship, before running out of hydraulic fluid and crashing into the platform.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sn011015-148">[139]</a></sup> A second attempt occurred in April 2015, on <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-6">CRS-6</a>. After the launch, the <a href="/wiki/Liquid_rocket_propellant">bipropellant</a> valve became stuck, preventing the control system from reacting rapidly enough for a successful landing.<sup><a href="#cite_note-aw20150416-149">[140]</a></sup>
</p><p>The first attempt to land a booster on a ground pad near the launch site occurred on flight 20, in December 2015. The landing was successful and the booster was recovered.<sup><a href="#cite_note-flight20-space.com-150">[141]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-flight20-tweet-151">[142]</a></sup> This was <a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_rocket_and_missile_technology#21st_century">the first time in history</a> that after launching an orbital mission, a first stage achieved a controlled <a href="/wiki/Vertical_takeoff,_vertical_landing">vertical landing</a>. The first successful booster landing on an <a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">ASDS</a> occurred in April 2016 on the drone ship <i><a href="/wiki/Autonomous_spaceport_drone_ship">Of Course I Still Love You</a></i> during <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-8">CRS-8</a>.
</p><p>Sixteen test flights were conducted from 2013 to 2016, six of which achieved a soft landing and booster recovery. Since January 2017, with the exceptions of the centre core from the <a href="/wiki/Falcon_Heavy_test_flight">Falcon Heavy test flight</a>, <a href="/wiki/Falcon_Heavy">Falcon Heavy</a> <a href="/wiki/United_States_Air_Force">USAF</a> <a href="/wiki/Space_Test_Program">STP-2</a> mission, the <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-16">Falcon 9 CRS-16</a> resupply mission and the <a href="/wiki/Starlink">Starlink</a>-4 and 5 missions, every landing attempt has been successful. The only post-landing loss of a first stage occurred on Falcon Heavy <a href="/wiki/Arabsat-6A">Arabsat-6A</a> after the centre core fell overboard during rough seas on the voyage to land.
</p>
<h4>Relaunch[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=26">edit</a>]</h4>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:SES-10_Launch_-_world%27s_first_reflight_of_an_orbital_class_rocket_(32915200224).jpg"></a></p><div><p>The first reflight of a Falcon 9, in March 2017</p></div></div>
<p>The first operational relaunch of a previously flown booster was accomplished in March 2017<sup><a href="#cite_note-sfn_ls-152">[143]</a></sup> with <a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">B1021</a> on the <a href="/wiki/SES-10">SES-10</a> mission after <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_CRS-8">CRS-8</a> in April 2016.<sup><a href="#cite_note-153">[144]</a></sup> After landing a second time it was retired.<sup><a href="#cite_note-154">[145]</a></sup> In June 2017, booster <a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">B1029</a> helped carry <a href="/wiki/BulgariaSat-1">BulgariaSat-1</a> towards GTO after an <a href="/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation">Iridium NEXT</a> LEO mission in January 2017, again achieving reuse and landing of a recovered booster.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sfn-20170505-155">[146]</a></sup> The third reuse flight came in November 2018 on the <a href="/wiki/SHERPA_(space_tug)">SSO-A</a> mission. The core for the mission, <a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_B1046">Falcon 9 B1046</a>, was the first Block 5 booster produced, and had flown initially on the <a href="/wiki/Bangabandhu_Satellite-1">Bangabandhu Satellite-1</a> mission.<sup><a href="#cite_note-156">[147]</a></sup>
</p><p>In May 2021 the first booster reached 10 missions. Musk indicated that SpaceX intends to fly boosters until they see a failure in Starlink missions.<sup><a href="#cite_note-157">[148]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-158">[149]</a></sup> As of December 2022, the record is 15 flights by the same booster.
</p>
<h4>Recovery of second stages and fairings[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=27">edit</a>]</h4>
<p>Despite public statements that they would endeavor to make the second-stage reusable as well, by late 2014, SpaceX determined that the mass needed for a heat shield, landing engines, and other equipment to support recovery of the second stage was prohibitive, and abandoned second-stage reusability efforts.<sup><a href="#cite_note-ElonMuskMITInteview-99">[96]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-159">[150]</a></sup>
</p><p>SpaceX developed <a href="/wiki/Payload_fairing">payload fairings</a> equipped with a steerable parachute as well as RCS thrusters that can be recovered and reused. A payload fairing half was recovered following a soft-landing in the ocean for the first time in March 2017, following <a href="/wiki/SES-10">SES-10</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-fairing-recovery-65">[62]</a></sup> Subsequently, <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_fairing_recovery_program">development began on a ship-based system</a> involving a massive net, in order to catch returning fairings. Two dedicated ships were outfitted for this role, making their first catches in 2019.<sup><a href="#cite_note-160">[151]</a></sup> However, following mixed success, SpaceX returned to water landings and wet recovery.<sup><a href="#cite_note-161">[152]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Launch sites[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=28">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><p><a href="/wiki/File:Launch_of_Falcon_9_carrying_ABS-EUTELSAT_(16510241270).jpg"></a></p></div>
<p>By early 2018, F9 was regularly launching from three <a href="/wiki/Spaceport">orbital launch sites</a>: <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39A">Launch Complex 39A</a> of the <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center">Kennedy Space Center</a>,<sup><a href="#cite_note-162">[153]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Space_Launch_Complex_4E">Space Launch Complex 4E</a> of <a href="/wiki/Vandenberg_Air_Force_Base">Vandenberg Air Force Base</a>,<sup><a href="#cite_note-SpaceX_P_C-163">[154]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-Falcon_9_v1.1_debut_success-147">[138]</a></sup> and <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Space_Launch_Complex_40">Space Launch Complex 40</a> at <a href="/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station">Cape Canaveral Air Force Station</a>. The latter was damaged in the <a href="/wiki/AMOS-6">AMOS-6</a> accident in September 2016, but was operational again by December 2017.<sup><a href="#cite_note-nsf-20170307-164">[155]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-165">[156]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Pricing[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=29">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>At the time of F9's 2010 maiden flight, the price of a v1.0 launch was listed from US$49.9–56 million.<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2010-5">[5]</a></sup> The list price increased thereafter, to 54–59.5 million (2012).<sup><a href="#cite_note-falcon9-2012-166">[157]</a></sup> 56.5 million (v1.1, August 2013),<sup><a href="#cite_note-capabilities-2013-167">[158]</a></sup> 61.2 million (June 2014),<sup><a href="#cite_note-capabilities-2014-168">[159]</a></sup> 62 million (Full Thrust, May 2016),<sup><a href="#cite_note-capabilities-2016-169">[160]</a></sup> to 67 million (2022).<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon">Dragon</a> cargo missions to the ISS have an average cost of 133 million under a fixed-price contract with <a href="/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>, including the cost of the spacecraft.<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacexcostsusa-170">[161]</a></sup> The 2013 <a href="/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory">DSCOVR</a> mission, launched with Falcon 9 for <a href="/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA), cost 97 million.<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacexcostsdscovr-171">[162]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2004, <a href="/wiki/Elon_Musk">Elon Musk</a> stated, "Ultimately, I believe 500 per pound (1100/kg) [of payload delivered to orbit] or less is very achievable".<sup><a href="#cite_note-spaceref_May_5,_2004-172">[163]</a></sup> At its 2016 launch price with a full LEO payload, Full Thrust launch costs reached $1,200/lb ($2,600/kg).
</p><p>In 2011, Musk estimated that fuel and oxidizer for v1.0 cost about 200,000.<sup><a href="#cite_note-c-span_2012-01-14-173">[164]</a></sup> The first stage uses 245,620 L (54,030 imp gal; 64,890 US gal) of <a href="/wiki/Liquid_oxygen">liquid oxygen</a> and 146,020 L (32,120 imp gal; 38,570 US gal) of <a href="/wiki/RP-1">RP-1</a> fuel,<sup><a href="#cite_note-vafb-environmental-174">[165]</a></sup> while the second stage uses 28,000 L (6,200 imp gal; 7,400 US gal) of liquid oxygen and 17,000 L (3,700 imp gal; 4,500 US gal) of RP-1.<sup><a href="#cite_note-spacex-capabilities-1">[1]</a></sup>
</p><p>By 2018, F9's decreased launch costs drew competitors. <a href="/wiki/Arianespace">Arianespace</a> began working on <a href="/wiki/Ariane_6">Ariane 6</a>, <a href="/wiki/United_Launch_Alliance">United Launch Alliance</a> (ULA) on <a href="/wiki/Vulcan_Centaur">Vulcan Centaur</a>, and <a href="/wiki/International_Launch_Services">International Launch Services</a> (ILS) on <a href="/wiki/Proton_Medium">Proton Medium</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-175">[166]</a></sup>
</p><p>On 26 June 2019, Jonathan Hofeller (SpaceX vice president of commercial sales) said that price discounts given to early customers on mission with reused boosters had become the standard price.<sup><a href="#cite_note-Starship2021-2">[2]</a></sup> In October 2019, Falcon 9's "base price" of 62 million per launch was lowered to 52 million for flights scheduled in 2021 and beyond.<sup><a href="#cite_note-176">[167]</a></sup>
</p><p>On 10 April 2020, <a href="/wiki/Roscosmos">Roscosmos</a> administrator <a href="/wiki/Dmitry_Rogozin">Dmitry Rogozin</a>, said that his outfit was cutting prices by 30%, alleging that SpaceX was price dumping by charging commercial customers 60 million per flight while charging NASA between 1.5 and 4x as much for the same flight.<sup><a href="#cite_note-177">[168]</a></sup> Musk denied the claim and replied that the price difference reflected that the F9s were 80% reusable, while Russian rockets were single use.<sup><a href="#cite_note-178">[169]</a></sup> ULA CEO <a href="/wiki/Tory_Bruno">Tory Bruno</a> stated "Our estimate remains around 10 flights as a fleet average to achieve a consistent breakeven point ... and that no one has come anywhere close".<sup><a href="#cite_note-179">[170]</a></sup> However, Elon Musk responded "Payload reduction due to reusability of booster and fairing is &lt;40% for Falcon 9 and recovery and refurb is &lt;10%, so you're roughly even with 2 flights, definitely ahead with 3".<sup><a href="#cite_note-inverse.com-180">[171]</a></sup> <a href="/wiki/CNBC">CNBC</a> reported in April 2020 that the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Air_Force">United States Air Force</a>'s launches were costing 95 million due to needed extra security. SpaceX executive Christopher Couluris stated that reusing rockets could bring prices even lower, that it "costs 28 million to launch it, that's with everything".<sup><a href="#cite_note-inverse.com-180">[171]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Secondary payloads[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=30">edit</a>]</h3>
<p>F9 payload services include secondary and tertiary payloads mounted via an <a href="/wiki/EELV_Secondary_Payload_Adapter">EELV Secondary Payload Adapter</a> (ESPA) ring, the same <a href="/wiki/Multistage_rocket">interstage adapter</a> first used for launching secondary payloads on <a href="/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Defense">US DoD</a> missions that use the <a href="/wiki/Evolved_Expendable_Launch_Vehicle">Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles</a> (EELV) <a href="/wiki/Atlas_V">Atlas V</a> and <a href="/wiki/Delta_IV">Delta IV</a>. This enables secondary and even tertiary missions with minimal impact to the original mission. In 2011, SpaceX announced pricing for ESPA-compatible payloads.<sup><a href="#cite_note-tsr20110822-181">[172]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2>Historical artifacts and museum Falcon 9s[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=31">edit</a>]</h2>
<p>SpaceX first put a Falcon 9 (B1019) on public display at their headquarters in <a href="/wiki/Hawthorne,_California">Hawthorne, California</a>, in 2016.<sup><a href="#cite_note-sfn20160820-182">[173]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2019, SpaceX donated a Falcon 9 (B1035) to <a href="/wiki/Space_Center_Houston">Space Center Houston</a>, in <a href="/wiki/Houston,_Texas">Houston, Texas</a>. It was a booster that flew two missions, "the 11th and 13th <a href="/wiki/Commercial_Resupply_Services">supply missions</a> to the <a href="/wiki/International_Space_Station">International Space Station</a> [and was] the first Falcon 9 rocket NASA agreed to fly a second time".<sup><a href="#cite_note-ars20190509-183">[174]</a></sup><sup><a href="#cite_note-184">[175]</a></sup>
</p><p>In 2021, SpaceX donated a Falcon Heavy side booster (B1023) to the <a href="/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Visitor_Complex">Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex</a>.<sup><a href="#cite_note-185">[176]</a></sup>
</p>
<h3>Notable payloads[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=32">edit</a>]</h3>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/AMOS-17">AMOS-17</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Bangabandhu_Satellite-1">Bangabandhu Satellite-1</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Beresheet">Beresheet</a> lunar lander</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Boeing_X-37">Boeing X-37</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon">Crew and Cargo Dragon</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/CRS-7">CRS-7</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Double_Asteroid_Redirection_Test">Double Asteroid Redirection Test</a> (DART)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/EchoStar_23">EchoStar 23</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Global_Positioning_System">GPS IIIA</a> launches</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Iridium_satellite_constellation">Iridium NEXT constellation</a></li>
<li>Launches for the <a href="/wiki/National_Reconnaissance_Office">US National Reconnaissance Office</a>, <a href="/wiki/List_of_NRO_launches">NROL</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Falcon_9_flight_20">Orbcomm OG2</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/RADARSAT_Constellation">RADARSAT Constellation</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/SES-10">SES-10</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Sirius_XM">Sirius XM</a> launches</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/SpaceX_Starlink">SpaceX Starlink</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/Transiting_Exoplanet_Survey_Satellite">Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite</a> (TESS)</li>
<li><a href="/wiki/USA-280">Zuma</a></li></ul>
<h2>See also[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=33">edit</a>]</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems">Comparison of orbital launch systems</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters">List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters</a></li>
<li><a href="/wiki/SpaceX_launch_vehicles">SpaceX launch vehicles</a></li></ul>
<h2>References[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=34">edit</a>]</h2>
<div><ol>
<li>^ <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-spacex-capabilities_1-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <cite><a href="https://www.spacex.com/media/Capabilities&amp;Services.pdf">"Capabilities &amp; Services"</a> (PDF). SpaceX. 2022. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220322170331/https://www.spacex.com/media/Capabilities&amp;Services.pdf">Archived</a> (PDF) from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.</cite>
</li>
<li>^ <a href="#cite_ref-Starship2021_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Starship2021_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <cite><a href="https://spacenews.com/spacex-targets-2021-commercial-starship-launch/">"SpaceX targets 2021 commercial Starship launch"</a>. 28 June 2019. <a href="http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20190828053242/https://spacenews.com/spacex%2Dtargets%2D2021%2Dcommercial%2Dstarship%2Dlaunch/">Archived</a> from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.</cite>
</li>
<li>^ <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2015_3-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a> <cite><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151209044716/http://www.spacex.com/falcon9">"Falcon 9 (2015)"</a>. SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Archived from <a href="http://www.spacex.com/falcon9">the original</a> on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.</cite>
</li>
<li>^ <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-11"><sup><i><b>l</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-12"><sup><i><b>m</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-13"><sup><i><b>n</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-14"><sup><i><b>o</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2013_4-15"><sup><i><b>p</b></i></sup></a> <cite><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131129020000/http://www.spacex.com/falcon9">"Falcon 9 (2013)"</a>. SpaceX. 16 November 2012. Archived from <a href="http://www.spacex.com/falcon9">the original</a> on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.</cite>
</li>
<li>^ <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-11"><sup><i><b>l</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-12"><sup><i><b>m</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-13"><sup><i><b>n</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-14"><sup><i><b>o</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-15"><sup><i><b>p</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-falcon9-2010_5-16"><sup><i><b>q</b></i></sup></a> <cite><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20101222155322/http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php">"Falcon 9 Overview (2010)"</a>. SpaceX. Archived from <a href="http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php">the original</a> on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010.</cite>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b> <cite>Davenport, Justin. <a href="https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/01/starlink-5-2-launch/">"SpaceX launches Starlink Group 5-2 mission from Florida"</a>. NASASpaceflight.com. Retrieved 27 January 2023.</cite>
</li>
<li><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b> <cite><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/17/air-force-requirements-will-keep-spacex-from-recovering-falcon-9-booster-after-gps-launch/">"Air Force requirements will keep SpaceX from landing Falcon 9 booster after GPS launch"</a>. Spaceflight Now. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190520110216/https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/12/17/air-force-requirements-will-keep-spacex-from-recovering-falcon-9-booster-after-gps-launch/">Archived</a> from the original on 20 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.</cite>
</li>
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<h2>External links[<a href="/w/index.php?title=Falcon_9&amp;action=edit&amp;section=35">edit</a>]</h2>
<div>
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<p>Wikimedia Commons has media related to <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Falcon_9">Falcon 9</a>.</p></div>
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<ul><li><a href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">Falcon 9 official page</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXgLyCYuYA4">SAOCOM 1B | Launch and Landing</a></li>
<li>Test firing of two Merlin 1C engines connected to Falcon 9 first stage, <a href="http://mfile.akamai.com/22165/wmv/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/PR35-1.asx">Movie 1</a>, <a href="http://mfile.akamai.com/22165/wmv/spacex.download.akamai.com/22165/PR35-2.asx">Movie 2</a> (18 January 2008)</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130326183411/http://www.spacex.com/press.php?page=18">Press release announcing design</a> (9 September 2005)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2005/09/13/201518/spacex-hopes-to-supply-iss-with-new-falcon-9-heavy-launcher.html">SpaceX hopes to supply ISS with new Falcon 9 heavy launcher</a> (Flight International, 13 September 2005)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/09/spacex-launches-falcon-9-with-a-customer/index.php">SpaceX launches Falcon 9, With A Customer</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070611193512/http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/09/spacex-launches-falcon-9-with-a-customer/index.php">Archived</a> 11 June 2007 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine">Wayback Machine</a> (Defense Industry Daily, 15 September 2005)</li></ul>
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 Contents

 move to sidebar hide
 * (Top)
 * 1 Development history
 + 1.1 Conception and funding
 + 1.2 Development
 + 1.3 Testing
 + 1.4 Production
 * 2 Launch history
 + 2.1 Rocket configurations
 + 2.2 Launch sites
 + 2.3 Launch outcomes
 + 2.4 Booster landings
 + 2.5 Notable flights
 * 3 Design
 + 3.1 Engine
 + 3.2 Tanks
 + 3.3 Fairing
 + 3.4 Control systems
 + 3.5 Legs/fins
 * 4 Versions
 + 4.1 V1.0
 + 4.2 V1.1
 + 4.3 V1.2/Full thrust
 o 4.3.1 Block 4
 o 4.3.2 Block 5
 * 5 Capabilities
 + 5.1 Performance
 + 5.2 Reliability
 + 5.3 Engine-out capability
 + 5.4 Reusability
 o 5.4.1 Post-mission flight tests and landing attempts
 o 5.4.2 Relaunch
 o 5.4.3 Recovery of second stages and fairings
 * 6 Launch sites
 * 7 Pricing
 + 7.1 Secondary payloads
 * 8 Historical artifacts and museum Falcon 9s
 + 8.1 Notable payloads
 * 9 See also
 * 10 References
 * 11 External links
 Toggle the table of contents

 Falcon 9

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 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Falcon 9
  
 A Falcon 9 lifting off from LC-39A, carrying Demo-2
 Function Orbital launch vehicle 
 Manufacturer SpaceX 
 Country of origin United States 
 Cost per launch * New: US$67 million (2022)[1] 
  * Reused: US$50 million? (2019)[2] 
 Size 
  * FT: 70 m (230 ft)[3] 
 Height * v1.1: 68.4 m (224 ft)[4] 
  * v1.0: 54.9 m (180 ft)[5] 
 Diameter 3.7 m (12 ft)[3] 
  * FT: 549 t (1,210,000 lb)[3] 
 Mass * v1.1: 506 t (1,116,000 lb)[4] 
  * v1.0: 333 t (734,000 lb)[5] 
 Stages 2 
 Capacity 
 Payload to Low Earth orbit (LEO) 
 Orbital inclination 28.5° 
  * FT: 22.8 t (50,000 lb)[1] Expended 
 Mass 17.4 t (38,000 lb)[6] when landing on ASDS 
  * v1.1: 13.1 t (29,000 lb)[4] 
  * v1.0: 10.4 t (23,000 lb)[5] 
 Payload to Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) 
 Orbital inclination 27.0° 
  * FT: 8.3 t (18,000 lb) Expended 
  5.5 t (12,000 lb) when landing on ASDS[1] 
 Mass 3.5 t (7,700 lb) when RTLS[7] 
  * v1.1: 4.8 t (11,000 lb)[4] 
  * v1.0: 4.5 t (9,900 lb)[5] 
 Payload to Mars transfer orbit 
 Mass FT: 4 t (8,800 lb)[1] 
  
 Associated rockets 
 Derivative work Falcon Heavy 
 Launch history 
  * FT Block 5: Active[8] 
  * FT Block 4: Retired 
 Status * FT Block 3: Retired 
  * v1.1: Retired 
  * v1.0: Retired 
  * Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 
 Launch sites * Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A 
  * Vandenberg, SLC-4E 
  * 201 
 Total launches + FT: 181 
  + v1.1: 15 
  + v1.0: 5 
  * 199 
 Success(es) + FT: 181 
  + v1.1: 14 
  + v1.0: 4 
 Failure(s) 1 
  (v1.1: CRS-7 in-flight) 
 Partial failure(s) 1 (v1.0: CRS-1)[9] 
 Notable outcome(s) 1 (FT: AMOS-6 pre-flight destruction) 
 Landings 158 / 167 attempts 
  * FT Block 5: 11 May 2018 
  (Bangabandhu Satellite-1) 
  * FT: 22 December 2015 
 First flight (OG2 Flight 2)[10] 
  * v1.1: 29 September 2013 
  CASSIOPE[11] 
  * v1.0: 4 June 2010 
  (Dragon COTS Demo 1)[12] 
  * FT Block 4: 29 June 2018 (SpaceX CRS-15) 
  * v1.1: 17 January 2016 
 Last flight (Jason-3) 
  * v1.0: 1 March 2013 
  (SpaceX CRS-2) 
  
 First stage 
  * FT Block 5: 9 Merlin 1D+ (maximum thrust) 
 Powered by * FT: 9 Merlin 1D+ 
  * v1.1: 9 Merlin 1D 
  * v1.0: 9 Merlin 1C 
  * FT (late 2016): 7.6 MN (770 tf; 1,700,000 lbf)[13]
 Maximum thrust * FT: 6.8 MN (690 tf; 1,500,000 lbf)[3] 
  * v1.1: 5.9 MN (600 tf; 1,300,000 lbf)[4] 
  * v1.0: 4.9 MN (500 tf; 1,100,000 lbf)[5] 
  * v1.1 
  + Sea level: 282 s (2.77 km/s)[14] 
 Specific impulse + Vacuum: 311 s (3.05 km/s)[14] 
  * v1.0 
  + Sea level: 275 s (2.70 km/s)[5] 
  + Vacuum: 304 s (2.98 km/s)[5] 
  * FT: 162 seconds[3] 
 Burn time * v1.1: 180 seconds[4] 
  * v1.0: 170 seconds 
 Propellant LOX / RP-1 
 Second stage 
  * FT: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum+ 
 Powered by * v1.1: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum 
  * v1.0: 1 Merlin 1C Vacuum 
  * FT: 934 kN (95.2 tf; 210,000 lbf)[3] 
 Maximum thrust * v1.1: 801 kN (81.7 tf; 180,000 lbf)[4] 
  * v1.0: 617 kN (62.9 tf; 139,000 lbf)[5] 
  * FT: 348 s (3.41 km/s)[3] 
 Specific impulse * v1.1: 340 s (3.3 km/s)[4] 
  * v1.0: 342 s (3.35 km/s)[15] 
  * FT: 397 seconds[3] 
 Burn time * v1.1: 375 seconds[4] 
  * v1.0: 345 seconds[5] 
 Propellant LOX / RP-1 
  
 [edit on Wikidata] 
 

 Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, produced by American aerospace company SpaceX.

 The rocket has two stages. The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and payload to a certain altitude, after which the second stage lifts the payload to its ultimate destination. The rocket evolved through several versions. V1.0 flew from 2010–2013, V1.1 flew from 2013–2016, while V1.2 Full Thrust first launched in 2015, encompassing the Block 5 variant, flying since May 2018.

 The booster is capable of landing vertically to facilitate reuse. This feat was first achieved on flight 20 in December 2015. Since then, SpaceX has successfully landed boosters over 100 times.[16] Individual boosters have flown as many as 15 flights.[17] Both stages are powered by SpaceX Merlin engines, using cryogenic liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) as propellants.[18][19]

 The heaviest payloads flown to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) were Intelsat 35e carrying 6,761 kg (14,905 lb), and Telstar 19V with 7,075 kg (15,598 lb). The former was launched into an advantageous super-synchronous transfer orbit,[20] while the latter went into a lower-energy GTO, with an apogee well below the geostationary altitude.[21]

 Falcon 9 is human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS. Falcon 9 is certified for the National Security Space Launch[22] program and NASA Launch Services Program as "Category 3", which can launch the most expensive, important, and complex NASA missions.[23]

 The first mission launched on 8 October 2012.[24]

 As of January 2021, Falcon 9 had the most launches among U.S. rockets. It is the only U.S. rocket certified for transporting humans to the International Space Station.[25][26][27] It is the only commercial rocket to ever launch humans to orbit.[28] On 24 January 2021, Falcon 9 set a record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket, carrying 143 into orbit.[29]

 Development history [ edit ]

 Falcon 9 rocket family; from left to right: Falcon 9 v1.0, v1.1, Full Thrust, Block 5, and Falcon Heavy.

 Conception and funding [ edit ]

 In October 2005, SpaceX announced plans to launch Falcon 9 in the first half of 2007.[30] The initial launch would not occur until 2010.[31]

 While SpaceX spent its own capital to develop its previous launcher, the Falcon 1, development of the Falcon 9 was accelerated by partial NASA funding and commitments to purchase flights once specific capabilities were demonstrated. Funding started with seed money from the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program in 2006.[32][33] The contract was structured as a Space Act Agreement (SAA) "to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation service",[33] including the purchase of three demonstration flights.[34] The overall contract award was US$278 million to provide three demonstration launches of Falcon 9 with the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. Additional milestones were added later, raising the total contract value to US$396 million.[35][36]

 In 2008, SpaceX won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to deliver cargo to ISS using Falcon 9/Dragon.[36][37] Funds would be disbursed only after the demonstration missions were successfully and thoroughly completed. The contract totaled US$1.6 billion for a minimum of 12 missions to ferry supplies to and from ISS.[38]

 In 2011, SpaceX estimated that Falcon 9 v1.0 development costs were on the order of US$300 million.[39] NASA estimated development costs of US$3.6 billion had a traditional cost-plus contract approach been used.[40] A 2011 NASA report "estimated that it would have cost the agency about US$4 billion to develop a rocket like the Falcon 9 booster based upon NASA's traditional contracting processes" while "a more commercial development" approach might have allowed the agency to pay only US$1.7 billion".[41]

 In 2014, SpaceX released combined development costs for Falcon 9 and Dragon. NASA provided US$396 million, while SpaceX provided over US$450 million.[42]

 Congressional testimony by SpaceX in 2017 suggested that the unusual NASA process of "setting only a high-level requirement for cargo transport to the space station [while] leaving the details to industry" had allowed SpaceX to complete the task at a substantially lower cost. "According to NASA's own independently verified numbers, SpaceX's development costs of both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets were estimated at approximately $390 million in total."[41]

 Development [ edit ]

 SpaceX originally intended to follow its Falcon 1 launch vehicle with an intermediate capacity vehicle, Falcon 5.[43] In 2005, SpaceX announced that it was instead proceeding with Falcon 9, a "fully reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle", and had already secured a government customer. Falcon 9 was described as capable of launching approximately 9,500 kilograms (20,900 lb) to low Earth orbit and was projected to be priced at $27,000,000 USD per flight with a 3.7 m (12 ft) payload fairing and US$35 million with a 5.2 m (17 ft) fairing. SpaceX also announced a heavy version of Falcon 9 with a payload capacity of approximately 25,000 kilograms (55,000 lb).[44] Falcon 9 was intended to support LEO and GTO missions, as well as crew and cargo missions to ISS.[43]

 Testing [ edit ]

 The original NASA COTS contract called for the first demonstration flight in September 2008, and the completion of all three demonstration missions by September 2009.[45] In February 2008, the date slipped into the first quarter of 2009. According to Musk, complexity and Cape Canaveral regulatory requirements contributed to the delay.[46]

 The first multi-engine test (two engines firing simultaneously, connected to the first stage) was completed in January 2008.[47] Successive tests led to a 178 second (mission length), nine engine test-fire in November 2008.[48] In October 2009, the first flight-ready all-engine test fire was at its test facility in McGregor, Texas. In November, SpaceX conducted the initial second stage test firing, lasting forty seconds. In January 2010, a 329 second (mission length) orbit-insertion firing of the second stage was conducted at McGregor.[49]

 The elements of the stack arrived at the launch site for integration at the beginning of February, 2010.[50] The flight stack went vertical at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral,[51] and in March, SpaceX performed a static fire test, where the first stage was fired without launch. The test was aborted at T−2 due to a failure in the high-pressure helium pump. All systems up to the abort performed as expected, and no additional issues needed addressing. A subsequent test on 13 March fired the first-stage engines for 3.5 seconds.[52]

 Production [ edit ]

 See also: List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters

 In December 2010, the SpaceX production line manufactured a Falcon 9 (and Dragon spacecraft) every three months.[53] By September 2013, SpaceX's total manufacturing space had increased to nearly 93,000 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft), in order to achieve a production rate of 40 rocket cores annually.[54] The factory was producing one Falcon 9 per month as of November 2013.[55]

 By February 2016 the production rate for Falcon 9 cores had increased to 18 per year, and the number of first stage cores that could be assembled at one time reached six.[56]

 Since 2018, SpaceX has routinely reused first stages, reducing the demand for new cores. In 2021, SpaceX performed 31 F9 launches, using only two new boosters. It successfully recovered the booster on all but one flight. The Hawthorne factory produces one (expendable) second stage for each launch.

 Launch history [ edit ]

 See also: List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches

 This section is transcluded from List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. ( edit | history )

 Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched 206 times over 13 years, resulting in 204 full mission successes (99%), one partial success (SpaceX CRS-1 delivered its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), but a secondary payload was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit), and one full failure (the SpaceX CRS-7 spacecraft was lost in flight in an explosion). Additionally, one rocket and its payload AMOS-6 were destroyed before launch in preparation for an on-pad static fire test. The currently active version, Falcon 9 Block 5, has flown 145 missions, all full successes.

 On 20 October 2022, Falcon 9 set a new record of 48 launches (all successful) by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. The previous record was held by Soyuz-U, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979.[57]

 The first rocket version Falcon 9 v1.0 was launched five times from June 2010 to March 2013, its successor Falcon 9 v1.1 15 times from September 2013 to January 2016, and the Falcon 9 Full Thrust 181 times from December 2015 to present. The latest Full Thrust variant, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018.[58] While the Block 4 boosters were only flown twice and required several months of refurbishment, Block 5 versions are designed to sustain 10 flights with just some inspections.[59]

 The Falcon Heavy derivative consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 first stage as its center core, with two additional Falcon 9 first stages attached and used as boosters, both of which are fitted with an aerodynamic nosecone instead of a usual Falcon 9 interstage.[60]

 Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully in 169 of 180 attempts (93.9%), with 141 out of 146 (96.6%) for the Falcon 9 Block 5 version. A total of 145 re-flights of first stage boosters have all successfully launched their payloads.

 Rocket configurations [ edit ] Launch sites [ edit ]
  
 10 10 
 20 20 
 30 30 
 40 40 
 50 50 
 60 60 
 70 70 
 '10 '10 
 '11 '11 
 '12 '12 
 '13 '13 
 '14 '14 
 '15 '15 
 '16 '16 
 '17 '17 
 '18 '18 
 '19 '19 
 '20 '20 
 '21 '21 
 '22 '22 
 '23 '23 
 * Falcon 9 v1.0 * CCSFS, SLC-40
 * Falcon 9 v1.1 * KSC, LC-39A 
 * Falcon 9 Full Thrust * VSFB, SLC-4E 
 * Falcon 9 FT (reused) 
 * Falcon 9 Block 5 (new) 
 * Falcon 9 B5 (reused) 
 * Falcon Heavy 
  
  
 
 Launch outcomes [ edit ] Booster landings [ edit ] 
   
 10 10 
 20 20 
 30 30 
 40 40 
 50 50 
 60 60 
 70 70 
 '10 '10 
 '11 '11 
 '12 '12 
 '13 '13 
 '14 '14 
 '15 '15 
 '16 '16 
 '17 '17 
 '18 '18 
 '19 '19 
 '20 '20 
 '21 '21 
 '22 '22 
 '23 '23 
 * Loss before launch * Ground-pad failure 
 * Loss during flight * Drone-ship failure 
 * Partial failure * Ocean test failure[i] 
 * Success (commercial and government) * Parachute test failure[ii] 
 * Success (Starlink) * Ground-pad success 
 * Planned (commercial and government) * Drone-ship success 
 * Planned (Starlink) * Ocean test success[iii] 
  * No attempt 
  1. ^ Controlled descent; ocean touchdown control failed; no recovery
  2. ^ Passive reentry failed before parachute deployment 
  3. ^ Controlled descent; soft vertical ocean touchdown; no recovery 
   
   
 


 Notable flights [ edit ]

 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with COTS Demo Flight 1
 Falcon 9 flight 20 historic first-stage landing at CCAFS, Landing Zone 1, on 21 December 2015
 * Flight 1, June 2010 Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit, first flight of Falcon 9 and first test of Dragon
 * Flight 3, Dragon C2+, first cargo delivery to the International Space Station
 * Flight 4, SpaceX CRS-1, first operational cargo mission to the ISS, and the first demonstration of the rocket's engine-out capability due to the failure of a first-stage Merlin engine
 * Flight 6, CASSIOPE, first v1.1 rocket, first launch from Vandenberg AFB, first attempt at propulsive return of the first stage
 * Flight 7, SES-8, first launch to Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), first commercial payload (communications satellite)
 * Flight 9, SpaceX CRS-3, added landing legs, first fully controlled descent and vertical ocean touchdown
 * Flight 15, Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), first mission passing escape velocity to the L1 point
 * Flight 19, SpaceX CRS-7, total loss of mission due to structural failure and helium overpressure in the second stage
 * Flight 20, Orbcomm OG-2, first vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket
 * Flight 23, SpaceX CRS-8, first landing vertically achieved on an autonomous spaceport drone ship at sea
 * AMOS-6, total vehicle and payload loss prior to static fire test (would have been Flight 29)
 * Flight 30, CRS-10, first launch from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center
 * Flight 32, SES-10, first reflight of a previously flown orbital class booster (B1021, previously used for SpaceX CRS-8), first recovery of a fairing.[61][62]
 * Flight 41, Boeing X-37B OTV-5, first launch of a spaceplane
 * Flight 54, Bangabandhu Satellite-1, the first flight of the Block 5 version
 * Flight 58, Telstar 19V, heaviest communications satellite ever delivered to GEO[63]
 * Flight 69, Crew Dragon Demo-1, first launch of the Crew Dragon
 * Flight 72, RADARSAT Constellation, the most valuable commercial payload put into orbit[64][65][66]
 * Flight 81, a Starlink launch, was a successful flight, but had the first recovery failure of a previously flown and recovered booster
 * Flight 83, a successful Starlink launch, saw the first failure of a Merlin 1D first-stage engine during ascent, and the second ascent engine failure on the rocket following CRS-1 on flight 4
 * Flight 85, Crew Dragon Demo-2, the first crewed launch of the Crew Dragon
 * Flight 98, Crew-1, the first crewed operational launch of the Crew Dragon, holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crew vehicle
 * Flight 101, CRS-21, the first launch of the Cargo Dragon 2, an uncrewed variation of the Crew Dragon
 * Flight 106, Transporter-1, the first dedicated smallsat rideshare launch, set the record of the most satellites launched on a single launch with 143 satellites, surpassing the previous record of 108 satellites held by the November 17, 2018 launch of an Antares
 * Flight 108, a Starlink launch, experienced early shut-down of a first-stage Merlin 1D engine during ascent due to damage, but still delivered the payload to the target orbit
 * Flight 126, Inspiration4, the first orbital spaceflight of an all-private crew.
 * Flight 129, DART, first planetary defenses mission against near-Earth objects.
 * Flight 134, CRS-24, the 100th successful vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket, on the sixth anniversary of the first landing in 2015.
 * Flight 199, heaviest confirmed Block 5 payload of 17,400 kg , 56 Starlink satellites.[67]

 Design [ edit ]

 Interactive 3D model of the Falcon 9, fully integrated on the left and in exploded view on the right

 F9 is a two-stage, LOX/RP-1-powered launch vehicle.

 Engine [ edit ]

 Both stages are equipped with Merlin 1D rocket engines. Each Merlin engine produces 854 kN (192,000 lbf) of thrust.[68] Every engine uses a pyrophoric mixture of triethylaluminum-triethylborane (TEA-TEB) as an engine igniter.[69]

 The booster stage has 9 engines, while the 2nd stage has 1 vacuum-adapted version. The booster engines are arranged in what SpaceX calls Octaweb.[70]

 Falcon 9 is capable of losing 2 engines and still complete the mission. The Merlin 1D engines can vector thrust to adjust trajectory.

 Each Merlin rocket engine is controlled by three voting computers, each having 2 CPUs which constantly check the other 2 in the trio.

 Tanks [ edit ]

 The propellant tank walls and domes are made from aluminium–lithium alloy. SpaceX uses an all friction-stir welded tank, for its strength and reliability.[5] The second stage tank is a shorter version of the first stage tank. It uses most of the same tooling, material, and manufacturing techniques.[5]

 The F9 interstage, which connects the upper and lower stages, is a carbon-fibre aluminium-core composite structure that holds reusable separation collets and a pneumatic pusher system. The original stage separation system had twelve attachment points, reduced to three for v1.1.[71]

 Fairing [ edit ]

 F9 uses a payload fairing (nose cone) to protect (non-Dragon) satellites during launch. The fairing is 13 m (43 ft) long, 5.2 m (17 ft) in diameter, weighs approximately 1900 kg, and is constructed of carbon fiber skin overlaid on an aluminum honeycomb core.[72] SpaceX designed and fabricates fairings in Hawthorne. Testing was completed at NASA's Plum Brook Station facility in spring 2013 where the acoustic shock and mechanical vibration of launch, plus electromagnetic static discharge conditions, were simulated on a full-size test article in a vacuum chamber.[73]

 Control systems [ edit ]

 SpaceX uses multiple redundant flight computers in a fault-tolerant design. The software runs on Linux and is written in C++.[74] For flexibility, commercial off-the-shelf parts and system-wide radiation-tolerant design are used instead of rad-hardened parts.[74] Each stage has stage-level flight computers, in addition to the Merlin-specific engine controllers, of the same fault-tolerant triad design to handle stage control functions. Each engine microcontroller CPU runs on a PowerPC architecture.[75]

 Legs/fins [ edit ]

 Boosters that will be deliberately expended do not have legs or fins. Recoverable boosters include four extensible landing legs attached around the base.[76] To control the core's descent through the atmosphere, SpaceX uses grid fins that deploy from the vehicle[77] moments after stage separation.[78]

 Versions [ edit ]

 V1.0 flew five successful orbital launches from 2010–2013. The much larger V1.1 made its first flight in September 2013. The demonstration mission carried a small 500 kg (1,100 lb) primary payload, the CASSIOPE satellite.[71] Larger payloads followed, starting with the launch of the SES-8 GEO communications satellite.[79] Both v1.0 and v1.1 used expendable launch vehicles (ELVs). The Falcon 9 Full Thrust made its first flight in December 2015. The first stage of the Full Thrust version was reusable. The current version, known as Falcon 9 Block 5, made its first flight in May 2018.

 V1.0 [ edit ]

 Main article: Falcon 9 v1.0
 A Falcon 9 v1.0 being launched with a Dragon spacecraft to deliver cargo to the ISS in 2012
 Falcon 9 v1.0 (left) and v1.1 (right) engine configurations

 F9 v1.0 was an expendable launch vehicle developed from 2005–2010. 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 lbf) for a total liftoff thrust of about 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lbf).[5] 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 N2 thrusters were used on the second-stage as a reaction control system (RCS).[80]

 Early attempts to add a lightweight thermal protection system to the booster stage and parachute recovery were not successful.[81]

 In 2011, SpaceX began a formal development program for a reusable Falcon 9, initially focusing on the first stage.[78]

 V1.1 [ edit ]

 Main article: Falcon 9 v1.1
 The launch of the first Falcon 9 v1.1 from SLC-4, Vandenberg AFB (Falcon 9 Flight 6) in September 2013

 V1.1 is 60% heavier with 60% more thrust than v1.0.[71] Its nine (more powerful) Merlin 1D engines were rearranged into an "octagonal" pattern[82][83] that SpaceX called Octaweb. This is designed to simplify and streamline manufacturing.[84][85] The fuel tanks were 60% longer, making the rocket more susceptible to bending during flight.[71]

 The v1.1 first stage offered a total sea-level thrust at liftoff of 5,885 kilonewtons (1,323,000 lbf), with the engines burning for a nominal 180 seconds, while stage thrust rises to 6,672 kN (1,500,000 lbf) as the booster climbs out of the atmosphere.[4]

 The stage separation system was redesigned to reduce the number of attachment points from twelve to three,[71] and the vehicle had upgraded avionics and software.[71]

 These improvements increased the payload capability from 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) to 13,150 kg (28,990 lb).[4] SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell stated the v1.1 had about 30% more payload capacity than published on its price list, with the extra margin reserved for returning stages via powered re-entry.[86]

 Development testing of the first stage was completed in July 2013.[87][88] First launch came in September 2013.

 The second stage igniter propellant lines were later insulated to better support in-space restart following long coast phases for orbital trajectory maneuvers.[89] Four extensible carbon fiber/aluminum honeycomb landing legs were included on later flights where landings were attempted.[90][91][92]

 SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for v1.1 as of March 2014 included about 30% more performance than the published price list indicated; SpaceX reserved the additional performance to perform reusability testing. Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage were made for v1.1.

 V1.2/Full thrust [ edit ]

 Main article: Falcon 9 Full Thrust
 A close-up of the newer titanium grid fins first flown for the second Iridium NEXT mission in June 2017

 The v1.2 upgrade, also known as Full Thrust (FT),[93][94] made major changes. It added cryogenic propellant cooling to increase density allowing 17% higher thrust, improved the stage separation system, stretched the second stage to hold additional propellant, and strengthened struts for holding helium bottles believed to have been involved with the failure of flight 19.[95] It offered a reusable first stage. Plans to reuse the second-stage were abandoned as the weight of a heat shield and other equipment would reduce payload too much.[96] The reusable booster was developed using systems and software tested on the Falcon 9 prototypes.

 The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) replaced the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment. AFSS offered on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS included increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility".[97]

 FT's capacity allowed SpaceX to choose between increasing payload, decreasing launch price, or both.[98]

 Its first successful landing came in December 2015[99] and the first reflight in March 2017.[100] In February 2017, CRS-10 launch was the first operational launch utilizing AFSS. All SpaceX launches after 16 March used AFSS. A 25 June mission carried the second batch of ten Iridium NEXT satellites, for which the aluminium grid fins were replaced by larger titanium versions, to improve control authority, and heat tolerance during re-entry.[101]

 Block 4 [ edit ]

 In 2017, SpaceX started including incremental changes, internally dubbed Block 4.[102] Initially, only the second stage was modified to Block 4 standards, flying on top of a Block 3 first stage for three missions: NROL-76 and Inmarsat-5 F5 in May 2017, and Intelsat 35e in July 2017.[103] Block 4 was described as a transition between the Full Thrust v1.2 Block 3 and Block 5. It includes incremental engine thrust upgrades leading to Block 5.[104] The maiden flight of the full Block 4 design (first and second stages) was the SpaceX CRS-12 mission on 14 August.[105]

 Block 5 [ edit ]

 Main article: Falcon 9 Block 5

 In October 2016, Musk described Block 5 as coming with "a lot of minor refinements that collectively are important, but uprated thrust and improved legs are the most significant".[106] In January 2017, Musk added that Block 5 "significantly improves performance and ease of reusability".[107] The maiden flight took place on 11 May 2018,[108] with the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 satellite.[109] The Block 5 second stage included upgrades to enable it to linger in orbit and reignite its engine three or more times.[110]

 Capabilities [ edit ]

 Performance [ edit ]

 Version v1.0 (retired) v1.1 (retired) v1.2 or Full Thrust[10] 
 Block 5 (active)[111] 
 Block 3 and Block 4 (retired) 
 [112] 
  
 Stage 1 engines 9 × Merlin 1C 9 × Merlin 1D 9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded)[113] 9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded) 
 Stage 1 mass  Dry mass 22.2 t (49,000 lb)[112] 
 Stage 2 engines 1 × Merlin 1C Vacuum 1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum 1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded)[94][113] 1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded)
 Stage 2 mass  Dry mass 4 t (8,800 lb)[112] 
 Max. height (m) 53[114] 68.4[4] 70[3][94] 70 
 Diameter (m) 3.66[115] 3.66[116] 3.66[94] 3.66 
 Initial thrust 3.807 MN (388.2 tf) 5.9 MN (600 tf)[4] 6.804 MN (693.8 tf)[3][94] 7.6 MN (770 tf)[117] 
 Takeoff mass 318 t (701,000 lb)[114] 506 t (1,116,000 lb)[4] 549 t (1,210,000 lb)[3] 549 t (1,210,000 lb) 
 Fairing diameter (m) —[a] 5.2 5.2 5.2 
 Fairing mass  3.7 t (8,200 lb)[112] 
 Payload to LEO (kg) 8,500–9,000[114] 13,150[4] 22,800 (expendable)[1][b] ≥ 22,800 (expendable) 
 (from Cape Canaveral)  ≥ 17,400 (reusable)[c] 
 Payload to GTO (kg) 3,400[114] 4,850[4] 8,300[1] (expendable) ≥ 8,300 (expendable) 
  About 5,300[119][120] (reusable) ≥ 5,800 (reusable)[121] 
 Success ratio 5 / 5[d] 14 / 15[e] 36 / 36 (1 precluded)[f] 145 / 145 
 
 1. ^ The Falcon 9 v1.0 only launched the Dragon spacecraft; it was never launched with the clam-shell payload fairing.
 2. ^ Payload was restricted to 10,886 kg (24,000 lb) due to structural limit of the payload adapter fitting (PAF). [118]
 3. ^ Heaviest explicitly confirmed payload has been 17,400 kg [67] .
 4. ^ On SpaceX CRS-1 , the primary payload, Dragon, was successful. A secondary payload was placed in an incorrect orbit because of a changed flight profile due to the malfunction and shut-down of a single first-stage engine. Likely enough fuel and oxidizer remained on the second stage for orbital insertion, but not enough to be within NASA safety margins for the protection of the International Space Station . [122]
 5. ^ The only failed mission of the Falcon 9 v1.1 was SpaceX CRS-7 , which was lost during its first stage operation due to an overpressure event in the second stage oxygen tank.
 6. ^ One rocket and payload were destroyed before launch, during preparation for a routine static fire test.

 Reliability [ edit ]

 As of 2 February 2023, Falcon 9 had achieved 199 out of 201 full mission successes (99%). SpaceX CRS-1 succeeded in its primary mission, but left a secondary payload in a wrong orbit, while SpaceX CRS-7 was destroyed in flight. In addition, AMOS-6 disintegrated on the launch pad during fueling for an engine test. Based on the Lewis point estimate[ dubious – discuss] of reliability, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust had become the most reliable orbital launch vehicle then in operation.[123] Block 5 has a success rate of 100% (145/145). For comparison, the industry benchmark Soyuz series has performed 1880 launches[124] with a success rate of 95.1% (the latest Soyuz-2's success rate is 94%),[125] the Russian Proton series has performed 425 launches with a success rate of 88.7% (the latest Proton-M's success rate is 90.1%), the European Ariane 5 has performed 110 launches with a success rate of 95.5%, and Chinese Long March 3B has performed 85 launches with a success rate of 95.3%.

 F9's launch sequence includes a hold-down feature that allows full engine ignition and systems check before liftoff. After the first-stage engine starts, the launcher is held down and not released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems are confirmed to be operating normally. Similar hold-down systems have been used on launch vehicles such as Saturn V[126] and Space Shuttle. An automatic safe shut-down and unloading of propellant occur if any abnormal conditions are detected.[5] Prior to the launch date, SpaceX typically completes a test cycle, culminating in a three-and-a-half second first stage engine static firing.[127][128]

 F9 has triple-redundant flight computers and inertial navigation, with a GPS overlay for additional accuracy.[5]

 Engine-out capability [ edit ]

 Like the Saturn, multiple engines allow for mission completion even if one fails.[5][129] Detailed descriptions of destructive engine failure modes and designed-in engine-out capabilities were made public.[130]

 SpaceX emphasized that the first stage is designed for "engine-out" capability.[5] CRS-1 in October 2012 was a partial success after engine no. 1 lost pressure at 79 seconds, and then shut down. To compensate for the resulting loss of acceleration, the first stage had to burn 28 seconds longer than planned, and the second stage had to burn an extra 15 seconds. That extra burn time reduced fuel reserves so that the likelihood that there was sufficient fuel to execute the mission dropped from 99% to 95%. Because NASA had purchased the launch and therefore contractually controlled several mission decision points, NASA declined SpaceX's request to restart the second stage and attempt to deliver the secondary payload into the correct orbit. As a result, the secondary payload reentered the atmosphere.[9]

 Merlin 1D engines have suffered two premature shutdowns on ascent. Neither has affected the primary mission, but both landing attempts failed. On an 18 March 2020 Starlink mission, one of the first stage engines failed 3 seconds before cut-off due to the ignition of some isopropyl alcohol that was not properly purged after cleaning.[131] On another Starlink mission on 15 February 2021, hot exhaust gasses entered an engine due to a fatigue-related hole in its cover.[132] SpaceX stated the failed cover had the "highest... number of flights that this particular boot [cover] design had seen."[133]

 Reusability [ edit ]

 Main article: SpaceX reusable launch system development program
 SpaceX Falcon 9 Second Stage on its way to orbit

 SpaceX planned from the beginning to make both stages reusable.[134] The first stages of early Falcon flights were equipped with parachutes and were covered with a layer of ablative cork to allow them to survive atmospheric re-entry. These were defeated by the accompanying aerodynamic stress and heating.[81] The stages were salt-water corrosion-resistant.[134]

 In late 2011, SpaceX eliminated parachutes in favor of powered descent.[135][136] The design was complete by February 2012.[78]

 Powered landings were first flight-tested with the suborbital Grasshopper rocket.[137] Between 2012 and 2013, this low-altitude, low-speed demonstration test vehicle made eight vertical landings, including a 79-second round-trip flight to an altitude of 744 m (2,441 ft). In March 2013, SpaceX announced that as of the first v1.1 flight, every booster would be equipped for powered descent.[91]

 Post-mission flight tests and landing attempts [ edit ]

 Main article: Falcon 9 first-stage landing tests
 Falcon 9's first stage successfully landing on an ASDS for the first time, following the launch of SpaceX CRS-8 to the ISS

 For Flight 6 in September 2013, after stage separation, the flight plan called for the first stage to conduct a burn to reduce its reentry velocity, and then a second burn just before reaching the water. Although not a complete success, the stage was able to change direction and make a controlled entry into the atmosphere.[138] During the final landing burn, the RCS thrusters could not overcome an aerodynamically induced spin. The centrifugal force deprived the engine of fuel, leading to early engine shutdown and a hard splashdown.[138]

 After four more ocean landing tests, the CRS-5 booster attempted a landing on the ASDS floating platform in January 2015. The rocket incorporated (for the first time in an orbital mission) grid fin aerodynamic control surfaces, and successfully guided itself to the ship, before running out of hydraulic fluid and crashing into the platform.[139] A second attempt occurred in April 2015, on CRS-6. After the launch, the bipropellant valve became stuck, preventing the control system from reacting rapidly enough for a successful landing.[140]

 The first attempt to land a booster on a ground pad near the launch site occurred on flight 20, in December 2015. The landing was successful and the booster was recovered.[141][142] This was the first time in history that after launching an orbital mission, a first stage achieved a controlled vertical landing. The first successful booster landing on an ASDS occurred in April 2016 on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You during CRS-8.

 Sixteen test flights were conducted from 2013 to 2016, six of which achieved a soft landing and booster recovery. Since January 2017, with the exceptions of the centre core from the Falcon Heavy test flight, Falcon Heavy USAF STP-2 mission, the Falcon 9 CRS-16 resupply mission and the Starlink-4 and 5 missions, every landing attempt has been successful. The only post-landing loss of a first stage occurred on Falcon Heavy Arabsat-6A after the centre core fell overboard during rough seas on the voyage to land.

 Relaunch [ edit ]

 The first reflight of a Falcon 9, in March 2017

 The first operational relaunch of a previously flown booster was accomplished in March 2017[143] with B1021 on the SES-10 mission after CRS-8 in April 2016.[144] After landing a second time it was retired.[145] In June 2017, booster B1029 helped carry BulgariaSat-1 towards GTO after an Iridium NEXT LEO mission in January 2017, again achieving reuse and landing of a recovered booster.[146] The third reuse flight came in November 2018 on the SSO-A mission. The core for the mission, Falcon 9 B1046, was the first Block 5 booster produced, and had flown initially on the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 mission.[147]

 In May 2021 the first booster reached 10 missions. Musk indicated that SpaceX intends to fly boosters until they see a failure in Starlink missions.[148][149] As of December 2022, the record is 15 flights by the same booster.

 Recovery of second stages and fairings [ edit ]

 Despite public statements that they would endeavor to make the second-stage reusable as well, by late 2014, SpaceX determined that the mass needed for a heat shield, landing engines, and other equipment to support recovery of the second stage was prohibitive, and abandoned second-stage reusability efforts.[96][150]

 SpaceX developed payload fairings equipped with a steerable parachute as well as RCS thrusters that can be recovered and reused. A payload fairing half was recovered following a soft-landing in the ocean for the first time in March 2017, following SES-10.[62] Subsequently, development began on a ship-based system involving a massive net, in order to catch returning fairings. Two dedicated ships were outfitted for this role, making their first catches in 2019.[151] However, following mixed success, SpaceX returned to water landings and wet recovery.[152]

 Launch sites [ edit ]

 Main article: SpaceX launch facilities
 SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket delivered the ABS-3A and Eutelsat 115 West B satellites to a supersynchronous transfer orbit, launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida in March 2015.

 By early 2018, F9 was regularly launching from three orbital launch sites: Launch Complex 39A of the Kennedy Space Center,[153] Space Launch Complex 4E of Vandenberg Air Force Base,[154][138] and Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The latter was damaged in the AMOS-6 accident in September 2016, but was operational again by December 2017.[155][156]

 Pricing [ edit ]

 At the time of F9's 2010 maiden flight, the price of a v1.0 launch was listed from US$49.9–56 million.[5] The list price increased thereafter, to 54–59.5 million (2012).[157] 56.5 million (v1.1, August 2013),[158] 61.2 million (June 2014),[159] 62 million (Full Thrust, May 2016),[160] to 67 million (2022).[1] Dragon cargo missions to the ISS have an average cost of 133 million under a fixed-price contract with NASA, including the cost of the spacecraft.[161] The 2013 DSCOVR mission, launched with Falcon 9 for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), cost 97 million.[162]

 In 2004, Elon Musk stated, "Ultimately, I believe 500 per pound (1100/kg) [of payload delivered to orbit] or less is very achievable".[163] At its 2016 launch price with a full LEO payload, Full Thrust launch costs reached $1,200/lb ($2,600/kg).

 In 2011, Musk estimated that fuel and oxidizer for v1.0 cost about 200,000.[164] The first stage uses 245,620 L (54,030 imp gal; 64,890 US gal) of liquid oxygen and 146,020 L (32,120 imp gal; 38,570 US gal) of RP-1 fuel,[165] while the second stage uses 28,000 L (6,200 imp gal; 7,400 US gal) of liquid oxygen and 17,000 L (3,700 imp gal; 4,500 US gal) of RP-1.[1]

 By 2018, F9's decreased launch costs drew competitors. Arianespace began working on Ariane 6, United Launch Alliance (ULA) on Vulcan Centaur, and International Launch Services (ILS) on Proton Medium.[166]

 On 26 June 2019, Jonathan Hofeller (SpaceX vice president of commercial sales) said that price discounts given to early customers on mission with reused boosters had become the standard price.[2] In October 2019, Falcon 9's "base price" of 62 million per launch was lowered to 52 million for flights scheduled in 2021 and beyond.[167]

 On 10 April 2020, Roscosmos administrator Dmitry Rogozin, said that his outfit was cutting prices by 30%, alleging that SpaceX was price dumping by charging commercial customers 60 million per flight while charging NASA between 1.5 and 4x as much for the same flight.[168] Musk denied the claim and replied that the price difference reflected that the F9s were 80% reusable, while Russian rockets were single use.[169] ULA CEO Tory Bruno stated "Our estimate remains around 10 flights as a fleet average to achieve a consistent breakeven point ... and that no one has come anywhere close".[170] However, Elon Musk responded "Payload reduction due to reusability of booster and fairing is <40% for Falcon 9 and recovery and refurb is <10%, so you're roughly even with 2 flights, definitely ahead with 3".[171] CNBC reported in April 2020 that the United States Air Force's launches were costing 95 million due to needed extra security. SpaceX executive Christopher Couluris stated that reusing rockets could bring prices even lower, that it "costs 28 million to launch it, that's with everything".[171]

 Secondary payloads [ edit ]

 F9 payload services include secondary and tertiary payloads mounted via an EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) ring, the same interstage adapter first used for launching secondary payloads on US DoD missions that use the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV) Atlas V and Delta IV. This enables secondary and even tertiary missions with minimal impact to the original mission. In 2011, SpaceX announced pricing for ESPA-compatible payloads.[172]

 Historical artifacts and museum Falcon 9s [ edit ]

 SpaceX first put a Falcon 9 (B1019) on public display at their headquarters in Hawthorne, California, in 2016.[173]

 In 2019, SpaceX donated a Falcon 9 (B1035) to Space Center Houston, in Houston, Texas. It was a booster that flew two missions, "the 11th and 13th supply missions to the International Space Station [and was] the first Falcon 9 rocket NASA agreed to fly a second time".[174][175]

 In 2021, SpaceX donated a Falcon Heavy side booster (B1023) to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.[176]

 Notable payloads [ edit ]

 * AMOS-17
 * Bangabandhu Satellite-1
 * Beresheet lunar lander
 * Boeing X-37
 * Crew and Cargo Dragon
 * CRS-7
 * Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)
 * EchoStar 23
 * GPS IIIA launches
 * Iridium NEXT constellation
 * Launches for the US National Reconnaissance Office, NROL
 * Orbcomm OG2
 * RADARSAT Constellation
 * SES-10
 * Sirius XM launches
 * SpaceX Starlink
 * Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
 * Zuma

 See also [ edit ]

 * Spaceflight portal
 * Comparison of orbital launch systems
 * List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters
 * SpaceX launch vehicles

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 * SpaceX successfully test fires Falcon 9 rocket in Texas
 * Falcon 9 official page
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 * Test firing of two Merlin 1C engines connected to Falcon 9 first stage, Movie 1, Movie 2 (18 January 2008)
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 * SpaceX hopes to supply ISS with new Falcon 9 heavy launcher (Flight International, 13 September 2005)
 * SpaceX launches Falcon 9, With A Customer Archived 11 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine (Defense Industry Daily, 15 September 2005)
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 Orbital launch systems   
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 * v 
 * t 
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 Reusable launch systems and spacecraft 
 Launch systems 
 * Falcon 9 (first stage) 
 Active * Falcon Heavy (core stages) 
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 * * indicates suborbital vehicles 
 
 * v 
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 Orbital launch systems developed in the United States
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 Active * Minotaur 
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 In development * SLS 
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 Retired * Falcon 1 
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 * v  
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   + 1 
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 * 
Falcon 9            A Falcon 9 lifting off from LC-39A, carrying Demo-2     Function  Orbital launch vehicle    Manufacturer  SpaceX    Country of origin  United States    Cost per launch  
 New: US$67 million (2022) [1]  
Reused: US$50 million? (2019) [2]   
    Size   Height  
   FT : 70 m (230 ft) [3]  
 v1.1: 68.4 m (224 ft) [4]  
 v1.0: 54.9 m (180 ft) [5]   
    Diameter 3.7 m (12 ft) [3]     Mass  
  FT: 549 t (1,210,000 lb) [3]  
 v1.1: 506 t (1,116,000 lb) [4]  
 v1.0: 333 t (734,000 lb) [5]   
    Stages 2   Capacity
   Payload to Low Earth orbit (LEO)   Orbital inclination 28.5°   Mass  
  FT: 22.8 t (50,000 lb) [1]  Expended 17.4 t (38,000 lb) [6]  when landing on ASDS 
 v1.1: 13.1 t (29,000 lb) [4]  
 v1.0: 10.4 t (23,000 lb) [5]   
    Payload to Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO)   Orbital inclination 27.0°   Mass  
  FT: 8.3 t (18,000 lb) Expended 5.5 t (12,000 lb) when landing on ASDS  [1]  3.5 t (7,700 lb) when RTLS [7]  
 v1.1: 4.8 t (11,000 lb) [4]  
 v1.0: 4.5 t (9,900 lb) [5]   
    Payload to Mars transfer orbit    Mass  FT: 4 t (8,800 lb) [1]     Associated rockets   Derivative work  Falcon Heavy    Launch history   Status  
   FT Block 5 : Active [8]  
 FT Block 4: Retired
 FT Block 3: Retired
 v1.1: Retired
 v1.0: Retired 
    Launch sites  
  Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 
 Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A 
 Vandenberg, SLC-4E  
    Total launches  
  201
  FT: 181
 v1.1: 15
 v1.0: 5   
    Success(es)  
 199
  FT: 181
 v1.1: 14
 v1.0: 4   
    Failure(s) 1 (v1.1: CRS-7 in-flight)   Partial failure(s) 1 (v1.0: CRS-1) [9]     Notable outcome(s) 1 (FT: AMOS-6 pre-flight destruction)   Landings 158 / 167 attempts   First flight  
  FT Block 5: 11 May 2018 (Bangabandhu Satellite-1)
 FT: 22 December 2015 (OG2 Flight 2) [10]  
 v1.1: 29 September 2013 CASSIOPE  [11]  
 v1.0: 4 June 2010 (Dragon COTS Demo 1)  [12]   
    Last flight  
  FT Block 4: 29 June 2018 (SpaceX CRS-15)
 v1.1: 17 January 2016(Jason-3)
 v1.0: 1 March 2013(SpaceX CRS-2) 
        First stage   Powered by  
  FT Block 5: 9 Merlin 1D+ (maximum thrust)
 FT: 9 Merlin 1D+
 v1.1: 9 Merlin 1D 
 v1.0: 9 Merlin 1C  
    Maximum thrust  
  FT (late 2016) : 7.6 MN (770 tf; 1,700,000 lbf) [13]  
 FT: 6.8 MN (690 tf; 1,500,000 lbf) [3]  
 v1.1: 5.9 MN (600 tf; 1,300,000 lbf) [4]  
 v1.0: 4.9 MN (500 tf; 1,100,000 lbf) [5]   
     Specific impulse   
  v1.1
  Sea level: 282 s (2.77 km/s) [14]  
 Vacuum: 311 s (3.05 km/s) [14]    
 v1.0
  Sea level: 275 s (2.70 km/s) [5]  
 Vacuum: 304 s (2.98 km/s) [5]     
    Burn time  
  FT: 162 seconds [3]  
 v1.1: 180 seconds [4]  
 v1.0: 170 seconds 
    Propellant  LOX / RP-1    Second stage   Powered by  
  FT: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum+
 v1.1: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum
 v1.0: 1 Merlin 1C Vacuum  
    Maximum thrust  
  FT: 934 kN (95.2 tf; 210,000 lbf) [3]  
 v1.1: 801 kN (81.7 tf; 180,000 lbf) [4]  
 v1.0: 617 kN (62.9 tf; 139,000 lbf) [5]   
     Specific impulse   
  FT: 348 s (3.41 km/s) [3]  
 v1.1: 340 s (3.3 km/s) [4]  
 v1.0: 342 s (3.35 km/s) [15]   
    Burn time  
  FT: 397 seconds [3]  
 v1.1: 375 seconds [4]  
 v1.0: 345 seconds [5]   
    Propellant LOX / RP-1     [edit on Wikidata]     
 Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, produced by American aerospace company SpaceX.
 The rocket has two stages. The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and payload to a certain altitude, after which the second stage lifts the payload to its ultimate destination. The rocket evolved through several versions. V1.0 flew from 2010–2013, V1.1 flew from 2013–2016, while V1.2 Full Thrust first launched in 2015, encompassing the Block 5 variant, flying since May 2018.
 The booster is capable of landing vertically to facilitate reuse. This feat was first achieved on flight 20 in December 2015. Since then, SpaceX has successfully landed boosters over 100 times. [16]  Individual boosters have flown as many as 15 flights. [17]  Both stages are powered by SpaceX Merlin engines, using cryogenic liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) as propellants. [18]   [19] 
 The heaviest payloads flown to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) were Intelsat 35e carrying 6,761 kg (14,905 lb), and Telstar 19V with 7,075 kg (15,598 lb). The former was launched into an advantageous super-synchronous transfer orbit, [20]  while the latter went into a lower-energy GTO, with an apogee well below the geostationary altitude. [21] 
 Falcon 9 is human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS. Falcon 9 is certified for the National Security Space Launch  [22]  program and NASA Launch Services Program as "Category 3", which can launch the most expensive, important, and complex NASA missions. [23] 
 The first mission launched on 8 October 2012. [24] 
 As of January 2021, Falcon 9 had the most launches among U.S. rockets. It is the only U.S. rocket certified for transporting humans to the International Space Station. [25]   [26]   [27]  It is the only commercial rocket to ever launch humans to orbit. [28]  On 24 January 2021, Falcon 9 set a record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket, carrying 143 into orbit. [29] 
Development history[edit]
     
Conception and funding[edit]
In October 2005, SpaceX announced plans to launch Falcon 9 in the first half of 2007. [30]  The initial launch would not occur until 2010. [31] 
 While SpaceX spent its own capital to develop its previous launcher, the Falcon 1, development of the Falcon 9 was accelerated by partial NASA funding and commitments to purchase flights once specific capabilities were demonstrated. Funding started with seed money from the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program in 2006. [32]   [33]  The contract was structured as a Space Act Agreement (SAA) "to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation service", [33]  including the purchase of three demonstration flights. [34]  The overall contract award was US$278 million to provide three demonstration launches of Falcon 9 with the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft. Additional milestones were added later, raising the total contract value to US$396 million. [35]   [36] 
 In 2008, SpaceX won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to deliver cargo to ISS using Falcon 9/Dragon. [36]   [37]  Funds would be disbursed only after the demonstration missions were successfully and thoroughly completed. The contract totaled US$1.6 billion for a minimum of 12 missions to ferry supplies to and from ISS. [38] 
 In 2011, SpaceX estimated that Falcon 9 v1.0 development costs were on the order of US$300 million. [39]  NASA estimated development costs of US$3.6 billion had a traditional cost-plus contract approach been used. [40]  A 2011 NASA report "estimated that it would have cost the agency about US$4 billion to develop a rocket like the Falcon 9 booster based upon NASA's traditional contracting processes" while "a more commercial development" approach might have allowed the agency to pay only US$1.7 billion". [41] 
 In 2014, SpaceX released combined development costs for Falcon 9 and Dragon. NASA provided US$396 million, while SpaceX provided over US$450 million. [42] 
 Congressional testimony by SpaceX in 2017 suggested that the unusual NASA process of "setting only a high-level requirement for cargo transport to the space station [while] leaving the details to industry" had allowed SpaceX to complete the task at a substantially lower cost. "According to NASA's own independently verified numbers, SpaceX's development costs of both the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 rockets were estimated at approximately $390 million in total." [41] 
Development[edit]
SpaceX originally intended to follow its Falcon 1 launch vehicle with an intermediate capacity vehicle, Falcon 5. [43]  In 2005, SpaceX announced that it was instead proceeding with Falcon 9, a "fully reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle", and had already secured a government customer. Falcon 9 was described as capable of launching approximately 9,500 kilograms (20,900 lb) to low Earth orbit and was projected to be priced at $27,000,000 USD per flight with a 3.7 m (12 ft) payload fairing and US$35 million with a 5.2 m (17 ft) fairing. SpaceX also announced a heavy version of Falcon 9 with a payload capacity of approximately 25,000 kilograms (55,000 lb). [44]  Falcon 9 was intended to support LEO and GTO missions, as well as crew and cargo missions to ISS. [43] 
Testing[edit]
The original NASA COTS contract called for the first demonstration flight in September 2008, and the completion of all three demonstration missions by September 2009. [45]  In February 2008, the date slipped into the first quarter of 2009. According to Musk, complexity and Cape Canaveral regulatory requirements contributed to the delay. [46] 
 The first multi-engine test (two engines firing simultaneously, connected to the first stage) was completed in January 2008. [47]  Successive tests led to a 178 second (mission length), nine engine test-fire in November 2008. [48]  In October 2009, the first flight-ready all-engine test fire was at its test facility in McGregor, Texas. In November, SpaceX conducted the initial second stage test firing, lasting forty seconds. In January 2010, a 329 second (mission length) orbit-insertion firing of the second stage was conducted at McGregor. [49] 
 The elements of the stack arrived at the launch site for integration at the beginning of February, 2010. [50]  The flight stack went vertical at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, [51]  and in March, SpaceX performed a static fire test, where the first stage was fired without launch. The test was aborted at T−2 due to a failure in the high-pressure helium pump. All systems up to the abort performed as expected, and no additional issues needed addressing. A subsequent test on 13 March fired the first-stage engines for 3.5 seconds. [52] 
Production[edit]
In December 2010, the SpaceX production line manufactured a Falcon 9 (and Dragon spacecraft) every three months. [53]  By September 2013, SpaceX's total manufacturing space had increased to nearly 93,000 m2 (1,000,000 sq ft), in order to achieve a production rate of 40 rocket cores annually. [54]  The factory was producing one Falcon 9 per month as of November 2013. [55] 
 By February 2016 the production rate for Falcon 9 cores had increased to 18 per year, and the number of first stage cores that could be assembled at one time reached six. [56] 
 Since 2018, SpaceX has routinely reused first stages, reducing the demand for new cores. In 2021, SpaceX performed 31 F9 launches, using only two new boosters. It successfully recovered the booster on all but one flight. The Hawthorne factory produces one (expendable) second stage for each launch.
Launch history[edit]
Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched 206 times over 13 years, resulting in 204 full mission successes (99%), one partial success (SpaceX CRS-1 delivered its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), but a secondary payload was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit), and one full failure (the SpaceX CRS-7 spacecraft was lost in flight in an explosion). Additionally, one rocket and its payload AMOS-6 were destroyed before launch in preparation for an on-pad static fire test. The currently active version, Falcon 9 Block 5, has flown 145 missions, all full successes.
 On 20 October 2022, Falcon 9 set a new record of 48 launches (all successful) by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. The previous record was held by Soyuz-U, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979. [57] 
 The first rocket version Falcon 9 v1.0 was launched five times from June 2010 to March 2013, its successor Falcon 9 v1.1 15 times from September 2013 to January 2016, and the Falcon 9 Full Thrust 181 times from December 2015 to present. The latest Full Thrust variant, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018. [58]  While the Block 4 boosters were only flown twice and required several months of refurbishment, Block 5 versions are designed to sustain 10 flights with just some inspections. [59] 
 The Falcon Heavy derivative consists of a strengthened Falcon 9 first stage as its center core, with two additional Falcon 9 first stages attached and used as boosters, both of which are fitted with an aerodynamic nosecone instead of a usual Falcon 9 interstage. [60] 
 Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully in 169 of 180 attempts (93.9%), with 141 out of 146 (96.6%) for the Falcon 9 Block 5 version. A total of 145 re-flights of first stage boosters have all successfully launched their payloads.
 
 Launch outcomes[edit]
'10
'11
'12
'13
'14
'15
'16
'17
'18
'19
'20
'21
'22
'23
   Loss before launch
  Loss during flight
  Partial failure
  Success (commercial and government)
  Success (Starlink)
  Planned (commercial and government)
  Planned (Starlink) 
 Booster landings[edit]
'10
'11
'12
'13
'14
'15
'16
'17
'18
'19
'20
'21
'22
'23
   Ground-pad failure
  Drone-ship failure
  Ocean test failure [i]  
  Parachute test failure [ii]  
  Ground-pad success
  Drone-ship success
  Ocean test success [iii]  
  No attempt 
  
  ^  Controlled descent; ocean touchdown control failed; no recovery
  ^  Passive reentry failed before parachute deployment
  ^  Controlled descent; soft vertical ocean touchdown; no recovery
 
    
Notable flights[edit]
  SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with COTS Demo Flight 1  
     
 Flight 1, June 2010 Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit, first flight of Falcon 9 and first test of Dragon 
Flight 3, Dragon C2+, first cargo delivery to the International Space Station 
Flight 4, SpaceX CRS-1, first operational cargo mission to the ISS, and the first demonstration of the rocket's engine-out capability due to the failure of a first-stage Merlin engine
Flight 6, CASSIOPE, first v1.1 rocket, first launch from Vandenberg AFB, first attempt at propulsive return of the first stage 
Flight 7, SES-8, first launch to Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), first commercial payload (communications satellite)
Flight 9, SpaceX CRS-3, added landing legs, first fully controlled descent and vertical ocean touchdown 
Flight 15, Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR), first mission passing escape velocity to the L1 point
Flight 19, SpaceX CRS-7, total loss of mission due to structural failure and helium overpressure in the second stage
 Flight 20, Orbcomm OG-2, first vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket
Flight 23, SpaceX CRS-8, first landing vertically achieved on an autonomous spaceport drone ship at sea
 AMOS-6, total vehicle and payload loss prior to static fire test (would have been Flight 29)
Flight 30, CRS-10, first launch from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center 
Flight 32, SES-10, first reflight of a previously flown orbital class booster (B1021, previously used for SpaceX CRS-8), first recovery of a fairing. [61]   [62]  
Flight 41, Boeing X-37B OTV-5, first launch of a spaceplane 
Flight 54, Bangabandhu Satellite-1, the first flight of the Block 5 version
Flight 58, Telstar 19V, heaviest communications satellite ever delivered to GEO [63]  
Flight 69, Crew Dragon Demo-1, first launch of the Crew Dragon 
Flight 72, RADARSAT Constellation, the most valuable commercial payload put into orbit [64]   [65]   [66]  
Flight 81, a Starlink launch, was a successful flight, but had the first recovery failure of a previously flown and recovered booster
Flight 83, a successful Starlink launch, saw the first failure of a Merlin 1D first-stage engine during ascent, and the second ascent engine failure on the rocket following CRS-1 on flight 4
Flight 85, Crew Dragon Demo-2, the first crewed launch of the Crew Dragon
Flight 98, Crew-1, the first crewed operational launch of the Crew Dragon, holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a U.S. crew vehicle
Flight 101, CRS-21, the first launch of the Cargo Dragon 2, an uncrewed variation of the Crew Dragon
Flight 106, Transporter-1, the first dedicated smallsat rideshare launch, set the record of the most satellites launched on a single launch with 143 satellites, surpassing the previous record of 108 satellites held by the November 17, 2018 launch of an Antares 
Flight 108, a Starlink launch, experienced early shut-down of a first-stage Merlin 1D engine during ascent due to damage, but still delivered the payload to the target orbit
Flight 126, Inspiration4, the first orbital spaceflight of an all-private crew.
Flight 129, DART, first planetary defenses mission against near-Earth objects.
Flight 134, CRS-24, the 100th successful vertical landing of an orbital-class rocket, on the sixth anniversary of the first landing in 2015.
Flight 199, heaviest confirmed Block 5 payload of 17,400 kg, 56 Starlink satellites. [67]   
Design[edit]
      Interactive 3D model of the Falcon 9, fully integrated on the left and in exploded view on the right  
F9 is a two-stage, LOX/RP-1-powered launch vehicle.
Engine[edit]
Both stages are equipped with Merlin 1D rocket engines. Each Merlin engine produces 854 kN (192,000 lbf) of thrust. [68]  Every engine uses a pyrophoric mixture of triethylaluminum-triethylborane (TEA-TEB) as an engine igniter. [69] 
 The booster stage has 9 engines, while the 2nd stage has 1 vacuum-adapted version. The booster engines are arranged in what SpaceX calls Octaweb. [70] 
 Falcon 9 is capable of losing 2 engines and still complete the mission. The Merlin 1D engines can vector thrust to adjust trajectory.
 Each Merlin rocket engine is controlled by three voting computers, each having 2 CPUs which constantly check the other 2 in the trio.
Tanks[edit]
The propellant tank walls and domes are made from aluminium–lithium alloy. SpaceX uses an all friction-stir welded tank, for its strength and reliability. [5]  The second stage tank is a shorter version of the first stage tank. It uses most of the same tooling, material, and manufacturing techniques. [5] 
 The F9 interstage, which connects the upper and lower stages, is a carbon-fibre aluminium-core composite structure that holds reusable separation collets and a pneumatic pusher system. The original stage separation system had twelve attachment points, reduced to three for v1.1. [71] 
Fairing[edit]
F9 uses a payload fairing (nose cone) to protect (non-Dragon) satellites during launch. The fairing is 13 m (43 ft) long, 5.2 m (17 ft) in diameter, weighs approximately 1900 kg, and is constructed of carbon fiber skin overlaid on an aluminum honeycomb core. [72]  SpaceX designed and fabricates fairings in Hawthorne. Testing was completed at NASA's Plum Brook Station facility in spring 2013 where the acoustic shock and mechanical vibration of launch, plus electromagnetic static discharge conditions, were simulated on a full-size test article in a vacuum chamber. [73] 
Control systems[edit]
SpaceX uses multiple redundant flight computers in a fault-tolerant design. The software runs on Linux and is written in C++. [74]  For flexibility, commercial off-the-shelf parts and system-wide radiation-tolerant design are used instead of rad-hardened parts. [74]  Each stage has stage-level flight computers, in addition to the Merlin-specific engine controllers, of the same fault-tolerant triad design to handle stage control functions. Each engine microcontroller CPU runs on a PowerPC architecture. [75] 
Legs/fins[edit]
Boosters that will be deliberately expended do not have legs or fins. Recoverable boosters include four extensible landing legs attached around the base. [76]  To control the core's descent through the atmosphere, SpaceX uses grid fins that deploy from the vehicle [77]  moments after stage separation. [78] 
Versions[edit]
V1.0 flew five successful orbital launches from 2010–2013. The much larger V1.1 made its first flight in September 2013. The demonstration mission carried a small 500 kg (1,100 lb) primary payload, the CASSIOPE satellite. [71]  Larger payloads followed, starting with the launch of the SES-8 GEO communications satellite. [79]  Both v1.0 and v1.1 used expendable launch vehicles (ELVs). The Falcon 9 Full Thrust made its first flight in December 2015. The first stage of the Full Thrust version was reusable. The current version, known as Falcon 9 Block 5, made its first flight in May 2018.
V1.0[edit]
     
      Falcon 9 v1.0 (left) and v1.1 (right) engine configurations  
F9 v1.0 was an expendable launch vehicle developed from 2005–2010. 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 lbf) for a total liftoff thrust of about 5,000 kN (1,100,000 lbf). [5]  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 N2 thrusters were used on the second-stage as a reaction control system (RCS). [80] 
 Early attempts to add a lightweight thermal protection system to the booster stage and parachute recovery were not successful. [81] 
 In 2011, SpaceX began a formal development program for a reusable Falcon 9, initially focusing on the first stage. [78] 
V1.1[edit]
     
V1.1 is 60% heavier with 60% more thrust than v1.0. [71]  Its nine (more powerful) Merlin 1D engines were rearranged into an "octagonal" pattern [82]   [83]  that SpaceX called Octaweb. This is designed to simplify and streamline manufacturing. [84]   [85]  The fuel tanks were 60% longer, making the rocket more susceptible to bending during flight. [71] 
 The v1.1 first stage offered a total sea-level thrust at liftoff of 5,885 kilonewtons (1,323,000 lbf), with the engines burning for a nominal 180 seconds, while stage thrust rises to 6,672 kN (1,500,000 lbf) as the booster climbs out of the atmosphere. [4] 
 The stage separation system was redesigned to reduce the number of attachment points from twelve to three, [71]  and the vehicle had upgraded avionics and software. [71] 
 These improvements increased the payload capability from 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) to 13,150 kg (28,990 lb). [4]  SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell stated the v1.1 had about 30% more payload capacity than published on its price list, with the extra margin reserved for returning stages via powered re-entry. [86] 
 Development testing of the first stage was completed in July 2013. [87]   [88]  First launch came in September 2013.
 The second stage igniter propellant lines were later insulated to better support in-space restart following long coast phases for orbital trajectory maneuvers. [89]  Four extensible carbon fiber/aluminum honeycomb landing legs were included on later flights where landings were attempted. [90]   [91]   [92] 
 SpaceX pricing and payload specifications published for v1.1 as of March 2014 included about 30% more performance than the published price list indicated; SpaceX reserved the additional performance to perform reusability testing. Many engineering changes to support reusability and recovery of the first stage were made for v1.1.
V1.2/Full thrust[edit]
     
The v1.2 upgrade, also known as Full Thrust (FT), [93]   [94]  made major changes. It added cryogenic propellant cooling to increase density allowing 17% higher thrust, improved the stage separation system, stretched the second stage to hold additional propellant, and strengthened struts for holding helium bottles believed to have been involved with the failure of flight 19. [95]  It offered a reusable first stage. Plans to reuse the second-stage were abandoned as the weight of a heat shield and other equipment would reduce payload too much. [96]  The reusable booster was developed using systems and software tested on the Falcon 9 prototypes.
 The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) replaced the ground-based mission flight control personnel and equipment. AFSS offered on-board Positioning, Navigation and Timing sources and decision logic. The benefits of AFSS included increased public safety, reduced reliance on range infrastructure, reduced range spacelift cost, increased schedule predictability and availability, operational flexibility, and launch slot flexibility". [97] 
 FT's capacity allowed SpaceX to choose between increasing payload, decreasing launch price, or both. [98] 
 Its first successful landing came in December 2015 [99]  and the first reflight in March 2017. [100]  In February 2017, CRS-10 launch was the first operational launch utilizing AFSS. All SpaceX launches after 16 March used AFSS. A 25 June mission carried the second batch of ten Iridium NEXT satellites, for which the aluminium grid fins were replaced by larger titanium versions, to improve control authority, and heat tolerance during re-entry. [101] 
Block 4[edit]
In 2017, SpaceX started including incremental changes, internally dubbed Block 4. [102]  Initially, only the second stage was modified to Block 4 standards, flying on top of a Block 3 first stage for three missions: NROL-76 and Inmarsat-5 F5 in May 2017, and Intelsat 35e in July 2017. [103]  Block 4 was described as a transition between the Full Thrust v1.2 Block 3 and Block 5. It includes incremental engine thrust upgrades leading to Block 5. [104]  The maiden flight of the full Block 4 design (first and second stages) was the SpaceX CRS-12 mission on 14 August. [105] 
Block 5[edit]
In October 2016, Musk described Block 5 as coming with "a lot of minor refinements that collectively are important, but uprated thrust and improved legs are the most significant". [106]  In January 2017, Musk added that Block 5 "significantly improves performance and ease of reusability". [107]  The maiden flight took place on 11 May 2018, [108]  with the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 satellite. [109]  The Block 5 second stage included upgrades to enable it to linger in orbit and reignite its engine three or more times. [110] 
Capabilities[edit]
Performance[edit]
 
Version
 v1.0 (retired)
 v1.1 (retired)
 v1.2 or Full Thrust  [10] 
 
Block 3 and Block 4 (retired)
 Block 5 (active) [111] 
  [112] 
 
Stage 1 engines
9 × Merlin 1C
9 × Merlin 1D
9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded) [113] 
9 × Merlin 1D (upgraded)
 
Stage 1 mass
Dry mass 22.2 t (49,000 lb) [112] 
 
Stage 2 engines
1 × Merlin 1C Vacuum
1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum
1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded) [94]   [113] 
1 × Merlin 1D Vacuum (upgraded)
 
Stage 2 mass
Dry mass 4 t (8,800 lb) [112] 
 
Max. height (m)
53 [114] 
68.4 [4] 
70 [3]   [94] 
70
 
Diameter (m)
3.66 [115] 
3.66 [116] 
3.66 [94] 
3.66
 
Initial thrust
3.807 MN (388.2 tf)
5.9 MN (600 tf) [4] 
6.804 MN (693.8 tf) [3]   [94] 
7.6 MN (770 tf) [117] 
 
Takeoff mass
318 t (701,000 lb) [114] 
506 t (1,116,000 lb) [4] 
549 t (1,210,000 lb) [3] 
549 t (1,210,000 lb)
 
Fairing diameter (m)
— [a] 
5.2
5.2
5.2
 
Fairing mass
3.7 t (8,200 lb) [112] 
 
Payload to LEO (kg)(from Cape Canaveral)
8,500–9,000 [114] 
13,150 [4] 
22,800 (expendable) [1]   [b] 
≥ 22,800 (expendable)≥ 17,400 (reusable) [c] 
 
Payload to GTO (kg)
3,400 [114] 
4,850 [4] 
8,300 [1]  (expendable)About 5,300 [119]   [120]  (reusable)
≥ 8,300 (expendable)≥ 5,800 (reusable) [121] 
 
Success ratio
5 / 5 [d] 
14 / 15 [e] 
36 / 36 (1 precluded) [f] 
145 / 145
   
 
  ^  The Falcon 9 v1.0 only launched the Dragon spacecraft; it was never launched with the clam-shell payload fairing.
  ^  Payload was restricted to 10,886 kg (24,000 lb) due to structural limit of the payload adapter fitting (PAF). [118] 
  ^  Heaviest explicitly confirmed payload has been 17,400 kg [67] .
  ^  On SpaceX CRS-1, the primary payload, Dragon, was successful. A secondary payload was placed in an incorrect orbit because of a changed flight profile due to the malfunction and shut-down of a single first-stage engine. Likely enough fuel and oxidizer remained on the second stage for orbital insertion, but not enough to be within NASA safety margins for the protection of the International Space Station. [122] 
  ^  The only failed mission of the Falcon 9 v1.1 was SpaceX CRS-7, which was lost during its first stage operation due to an overpressure event in the second stage oxygen tank.
  ^  One rocket and payload were destroyed before launch, during preparation for a routine static fire test.
 
Reliability[edit]
As of 2 February 2023, Falcon 9 had achieved 199 out of 201 full mission successes (99%). SpaceX CRS-1 succeeded in its primary mission, but left a secondary payload in a wrong orbit, while SpaceX CRS-7 was destroyed in flight. In addition, AMOS-6 disintegrated on the launch pad during fueling for an engine test. Based on the Lewis point estimate[ dubious – discuss ] of reliability, the Falcon 9 Full Thrust had become the most reliable orbital launch vehicle then in operation. [123]  Block 5 has a success rate of 100% (145/145). For comparison, the industry benchmark Soyuz series has performed 1880 launches [124]  with a success rate of 95.1% (the latest Soyuz-2's success rate is 94%), [125]  the Russian Proton series has performed 425 launches with a success rate of 88.7% (the latest Proton-M's success rate is 90.1%), the European Ariane 5 has performed 110 launches with a success rate of 95.5%, and Chinese Long March 3B has performed 85 launches with a success rate of 95.3%.
 F9's launch sequence includes a hold-down feature that allows full engine ignition and systems check before liftoff. After the first-stage engine starts, the launcher is held down and not released for flight until all propulsion and vehicle systems are confirmed to be operating normally. Similar hold-down systems have been used on launch vehicles such as Saturn V  [126]  and Space Shuttle. An automatic safe shut-down and unloading of propellant occur if any abnormal conditions are detected. [5]  Prior to the launch date, SpaceX typically completes a test cycle, culminating in a three-and-a-half second first stage engine static firing. [127]   [128] 
 F9 has triple-redundant flight computers and inertial navigation, with a GPS overlay for additional accuracy. [5] 
Engine-out capability[edit]
Like the Saturn, multiple engines allow for mission completion even if one fails. [5]   [129]  Detailed descriptions of destructive engine failure modes and designed-in engine-out capabilities were made public. [130] 
 SpaceX emphasized that the first stage is designed for "engine-out" capability. [5]  CRS-1 in October 2012 was a partial success after engine no. 1 lost pressure at 79 seconds, and then shut down. To compensate for the resulting loss of acceleration, the first stage had to burn 28 seconds longer than planned, and the second stage had to burn an extra 15 seconds. That extra burn time reduced fuel reserves so that the likelihood that there was sufficient fuel to execute the mission dropped from 99% to 95%. Because NASA had purchased the launch and therefore contractually controlled several mission decision points, NASA declined SpaceX's request to restart the second stage and attempt to deliver the secondary payload into the correct orbit. As a result, the secondary payload reentered the atmosphere. [9] 
 Merlin 1D engines have suffered two premature shutdowns on ascent. Neither has affected the primary mission, but both landing attempts failed. On an 18 March 2020 Starlink mission, one of the first stage engines failed 3 seconds before cut-off due to the ignition of some isopropyl alcohol that was not properly purged after cleaning. [131]  On another Starlink mission on 15 February 2021, hot exhaust gasses entered an engine due to a fatigue-related hole in its cover. [132]  SpaceX stated the failed cover had the "highest... number of flights that this particular boot [cover] design had seen." [133] 
Reusability[edit]
      SpaceX Falcon 9 Second Stage on its way to orbit  
SpaceX planned from the beginning to make both stages reusable. [134]  The first stages of early Falcon flights were equipped with parachutes and were covered with a layer of ablative cork to allow them to survive atmospheric re-entry. These were defeated by the accompanying aerodynamic stress and heating. [81]  The stages were salt-water corrosion-resistant. [134] 
 In late 2011, SpaceX eliminated parachutes in favor of powered descent. [135]   [136]  The design was complete by February 2012. [78] 
 Powered landings were first flight-tested with the suborbital Grasshopper rocket. [137]  Between 2012 and 2013, this low-altitude, low-speed demonstration test vehicle made eight vertical landings, including a 79-second round-trip flight to an altitude of 744 m (2,441 ft). In March 2013, SpaceX announced that as of the first v1.1 flight, every booster would be equipped for powered descent. [91] 
Post-mission flight tests and landing attempts[edit]
      Falcon 9's first stage successfully landing on an ASDS for the first time, following the launch of SpaceX CRS-8 to the ISS   
For Flight 6 in September 2013, after stage separation, the flight plan called for the first stage to conduct a burn to reduce its reentry velocity, and then a second burn just before reaching the water. Although not a complete success, the stage was able to change direction and make a controlled entry into the atmosphere. [138]  During the final landing burn, the RCS thrusters could not overcome an aerodynamically induced spin. The centrifugal force deprived the engine of fuel, leading to early engine shutdown and a hard splashdown. [138] 
 After four more ocean landing tests, the CRS-5 booster attempted a landing on the ASDS floating platform in January 2015. The rocket incorporated (for the first time in an orbital mission) grid fin aerodynamic control surfaces, and successfully guided itself to the ship, before running out of hydraulic fluid and crashing into the platform. [139]  A second attempt occurred in April 2015, on CRS-6. After the launch, the bipropellant valve became stuck, preventing the control system from reacting rapidly enough for a successful landing. [140] 
 The first attempt to land a booster on a ground pad near the launch site occurred on flight 20, in December 2015. The landing was successful and the booster was recovered. [141]   [142]  This was the first time in history that after launching an orbital mission, a first stage achieved a controlled vertical landing. The first successful booster landing on an ASDS occurred in April 2016 on the drone ship  Of Course I Still Love You  during CRS-8.
 Sixteen test flights were conducted from 2013 to 2016, six of which achieved a soft landing and booster recovery. Since January 2017, with the exceptions of the centre core from the Falcon Heavy test flight, Falcon Heavy USAF STP-2 mission, the Falcon 9 CRS-16 resupply mission and the Starlink-4 and 5 missions, every landing attempt has been successful. The only post-landing loss of a first stage occurred on Falcon Heavy Arabsat-6A after the centre core fell overboard during rough seas on the voyage to land.
Relaunch[edit]
      The first reflight of a Falcon 9, in March 2017  
The first operational relaunch of a previously flown booster was accomplished in March 2017 [143]  with B1021 on the SES-10 mission after CRS-8 in April 2016. [144]  After landing a second time it was retired. [145]  In June 2017, booster B1029 helped carry BulgariaSat-1 towards GTO after an Iridium NEXT LEO mission in January 2017, again achieving reuse and landing of a recovered booster. [146]  The third reuse flight came in November 2018 on the SSO-A mission. The core for the mission, Falcon 9 B1046, was the first Block 5 booster produced, and had flown initially on the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 mission. [147] 
 In May 2021 the first booster reached 10 missions. Musk indicated that SpaceX intends to fly boosters until they see a failure in Starlink missions. [148]   [149]  As of December 2022, the record is 15 flights by the same booster.
Recovery of second stages and fairings[edit]
Despite public statements that they would endeavor to make the second-stage reusable as well, by late 2014, SpaceX determined that the mass needed for a heat shield, landing engines, and other equipment to support recovery of the second stage was prohibitive, and abandoned second-stage reusability efforts. [96]   [150] 
 SpaceX developed payload fairings equipped with a steerable parachute as well as RCS thrusters that can be recovered and reused. A payload fairing half was recovered following a soft-landing in the ocean for the first time in March 2017, following SES-10. [62]  Subsequently, development began on a ship-based system involving a massive net, in order to catch returning fairings. Two dedicated ships were outfitted for this role, making their first catches in 2019. [151]  However, following mixed success, SpaceX returned to water landings and wet recovery. [152] 
Launch sites[edit]
     
By early 2018, F9 was regularly launching from three orbital launch sites: Launch Complex 39A of the Kennedy Space Center, [153]  Space Launch Complex 4E of Vandenberg Air Force Base, [154]   [138]  and Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The latter was damaged in the AMOS-6 accident in September 2016, but was operational again by December 2017. [155]   [156] 
Pricing[edit]
At the time of F9's 2010 maiden flight, the price of a v1.0 launch was listed from US$49.9–56 million. [5]  The list price increased thereafter, to 54–59.5 million (2012). [157]  56.5 million (v1.1, August 2013), [158]  61.2 million (June 2014), [159]  62 million (Full Thrust, May 2016), [160]  to 67 million (2022). [1]  Dragon cargo missions to the ISS have an average cost of 133 million under a fixed-price contract with NASA, including the cost of the spacecraft. [161]  The 2013 DSCOVR mission, launched with Falcon 9 for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), cost 97 million. [162] 
 In 2004, Elon Musk stated, "Ultimately, I believe 500 per pound (1100/kg) [of payload delivered to orbit] or less is very achievable". [163]  At its 2016 launch price with a full LEO payload, Full Thrust launch costs reached $1,200/lb ($2,600/kg).
 In 2011, Musk estimated that fuel and oxidizer for v1.0 cost about 200,000. [164]  The first stage uses 245,620 L (54,030 imp gal; 64,890 US gal) of liquid oxygen and 146,020 L (32,120 imp gal; 38,570 US gal) of RP-1 fuel, [165]  while the second stage uses 28,000 L (6,200 imp gal; 7,400 US gal) of liquid oxygen and 17,000 L (3,700 imp gal; 4,500 US gal) of RP-1. [1] 
 By 2018, F9's decreased launch costs drew competitors. Arianespace began working on Ariane 6, United Launch Alliance (ULA) on Vulcan Centaur, and International Launch Services (ILS) on Proton Medium. [166] 
 On 26 June 2019, Jonathan Hofeller (SpaceX vice president of commercial sales) said that price discounts given to early customers on mission with reused boosters had become the standard price. [2]  In October 2019, Falcon 9's "base price" of 62 million per launch was lowered to 52 million for flights scheduled in 2021 and beyond. [167] 
 On 10 April 2020, Roscosmos administrator Dmitry Rogozin, said that his outfit was cutting prices by 30%, alleging that SpaceX was price dumping by charging commercial customers 60 million per flight while charging NASA between 1.5 and 4x as much for the same flight. [168]  Musk denied the claim and replied that the price difference reflected that the F9s were 80% reusable, while Russian rockets were single use. [169]  ULA CEO Tory Bruno stated "Our estimate remains around 10 flights as a fleet average to achieve a consistent breakeven point ... and that no one has come anywhere close". [170]  However, Elon Musk responded "Payload reduction due to reusability of booster and fairing is &lt;40% for Falcon 9 and recovery and refurb is &lt;10%, so you're roughly even with 2 flights, definitely ahead with 3". [171]  CNBC reported in April 2020 that the United States Air Force's launches were costing 95 million due to needed extra security. SpaceX executive Christopher Couluris stated that reusing rockets could bring prices even lower, that it "costs 28 million to launch it, that's with everything". [171] 
Secondary payloads[edit]
F9 payload services include secondary and tertiary payloads mounted via an EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) ring, the same interstage adapter first used for launching secondary payloads on US DoD missions that use the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV) Atlas V and Delta IV. This enables secondary and even tertiary missions with minimal impact to the original mission. In 2011, SpaceX announced pricing for ESPA-compatible payloads. [172] 
Historical artifacts and museum Falcon 9s[edit]
SpaceX first put a Falcon 9 (B1019) on public display at their headquarters in Hawthorne, California, in 2016. [173] 
 In 2019, SpaceX donated a Falcon 9 (B1035) to Space Center Houston, in Houston, Texas. It was a booster that flew two missions, "the 11th and 13th supply missions to the International Space Station [and was] the first Falcon 9 rocket NASA agreed to fly a second time". [174]   [175] 
 In 2021, SpaceX donated a Falcon Heavy side booster (B1023) to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. [176] 
Notable payloads[edit]
  AMOS-17 
 Bangabandhu Satellite-1 
 Beresheet lunar lander
 Boeing X-37 
 Crew and Cargo Dragon 
 CRS-7 
 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)
 EchoStar 23 
 GPS IIIA launches
 Iridium NEXT constellation 
Launches for the US National Reconnaissance Office, NROL 
 Orbcomm OG2 
 RADARSAT Constellation 
 SES-10 
 Sirius XM launches
 SpaceX Starlink 
 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
 Zuma  
See also[edit]
  Comparison of orbital launch systems 
 List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters 
 SpaceX launch vehicles  
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External links[edit]
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Falcon 9. 
 
  Falcon 9 official page 
 SAOCOM 1B | Launch and Landing 
Test firing of two Merlin 1C engines connected to Falcon 9 first stage, Movie 1, Movie 2 (18 January 2008)
 Press release announcing design (9 September 2005)
 SpaceX hopes to supply ISS with new Falcon 9 heavy launcher (Flight International, 13 September 2005)
 SpaceX launches Falcon 9, With A Customer Archived 11 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine (Defense Industry Daily, 15 September 2005)
Falcon 9 - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9
https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html
SpaceX's Falcon 9: Rocket for the Dragon
2022-04-27
Elizabeth Howell
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<figcaption>
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 143 small satellites into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 24, 2021 to mark the Transporter-1 rideshare mission.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
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<p>The <a href="https://www.space.com/18853-spacex.html">SpaceX</a> Falcon 9 rocket is the vehicle that brings satellites, Dragon cargo spacecraft and Crew <a href="https://www.space.com/18852-spacex-dragon.html">Dragon spacecraft</a> to orbit. </p><p>Among its many uses, SpaceX regularly launches Falcon 9 to bring its Dragon spacecraft to the <a href="https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html">International Space Station</a>. Dragon made the first private spacecraft visit ever there in October 2012 and has run more than 25 cargo missions in the years since. Since 2020, SpaceX also used Falcon 9 for crewed missions to the ISS, on behalf of NASA and other customers.</p><p>Falcon 9 is built as a reusable system, in line with SpaceX founder <a href="https://www.space.com/18849-elon-musk.html">Elon Musk</a>'s desire to drive down the cost of spaceflight. The rocket's first stage comes down on land, or on a drone ship nearby the launch pad. It is the ride of choice for SpaceX's <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html">Starlink</a> satellite system for broadband service and has been tasked for security missions on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office.</p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.space.com/ways-spacex-transformed-spaceflight">8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight</a></p><p>Its Crew Dragon spacecraft runs missions to space on behalf of <a href="https://www.space.com/17953-nasa-headquarters.html">NASA</a>, <a href="https://www.space.com/axiom-space">Axiom Space</a>, the Polaris Program and other commercial companies or entities. These missions can go to the ISS or to low-Earth orbit. Also, elements of the Falcon 9 system are adapted for the much more powerful <a href="https://www.space.com/39779-falcon-heavy-facts.html">Falcon Heavy</a> cargo rocket.</p><h3>Falcon 9 specifications</h3><div><p>Falcon 9 quick facts</p><div><p><strong>—</strong> <strong>Height:</strong> 229.6 feet (70 meters)</p><p><strong>—</strong> <strong>Diameter:</strong> 12 feet (3.7 m)</p><p><strong>— Mass:</strong> 1,194,000 lbs. (541,300 kg)</p><p><strong>— Payload</strong> <strong>to low Earth orbit </strong>(LEO): 28,991 lbs. (13,150 kg)</p><p><strong>— Payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit</strong> (GTO): 10,692 lbs. (4,850 kg)</p><p><strong>— First stage:</strong> Burn time: 162 seconds. Thrust at sea level: 1.53 million lbs. or 6,806 kilonewtons (kN) Thrust in vacuum: 1.6695 million lbs. (7,426 kN)</p><p><strong>— Second stage: </strong>Burn time: 397 seconds. Thrust: 210,000 lbs. (934 kN)</p></div></div><p>The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket. The first stage has nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant, according to SpaceX. </p><p>The second stage, using just a single Merlin engine, is a slightly shorter version of the first stage tank. It is connected to the Falcon 9 first stage via an "interstage", which is made of carbon-fiber aluminum-core composite.</p><p>Later versions of Falcon 9 include grid fins that come out of the first stage after separation, to guide the rocket to a soft landing. The legs emerge from the rocket a few moments before touchdown, either on a drone ship or a solid landing pad.</p><a href><figure><div><p></p></div><figcaption>A stunning view of the Earth at dawn from space is seen in this still image from video taken by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage during the launch of the NROL-85 spy satellite on April 17, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)</figcaption></figure></a><p> (opens in new tab)</p><h3>Funding the Falcon 9 </h3><p>SpaceX first trumpeted the Falcon 9's existence in a <a href="http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=17763">press release</a> in 2005. Then priced at up to $35 million per flight (today it's $67 million), the rocket was developed in response to customer demand, the company said.</p><p>At the time, SpaceX was developing the lighter Falcon 1 rocket and planned to gradually increase capabilities with an "intermediate class" Falcon 5 launcher. Early listed customers of the rocket included companies such as <a href="https://www.space.com/13208-private-space-station-bigelow-aerospace-layoffs.html">Bigelow Aerospace</a>, Avanti Communications and MDA.</p><p>According to SpaceX, it cost over $300 million to develop the vehicle. NASA was a huge player in providing funding during the company's early years. Notably, SpaceX received one of NASA's sought-after commercial orbital transportation services contracts (COTS), which was initially worth up to $278 million for SpaceX provided it met all its milestones. SpaceX continues to run cargo missions to the ISS under subsequent COTS contracts.</p><p>In 2014, SpaceX also was one of two funded companies (the other was <a href="https://www.space.com/the-boeing-company">Boeing</a>) allocated money in the final stage of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX received $2.6 billion under this development contract and successfully launched its first space station mission with people on board in 2020. NASA purchases more missions as required to fulfill space station staffing needs.</p><p>Another big win was receiving supplier status for the National Reconnaissance Office, which launches classified missions that require a high degree of secrecy and technical sufficiency. SpaceX also receives revenue from numerous customers who purchase payload space aboard the rocket, or who supply money to ferry crews to orbital destinations.</p><h2>Falcon 9 development</h2><a href><figure><div><p></p></div><figcaption>SpaceX conducted a static fire of its Falcon 9 rocket on April 30, 2012. During the test, the nine Merlin engines that power the rocket's first stage were ignited for two seconds. (Image credit: SpaceX)</figcaption></figure></a><p> (opens in new tab)</p><p>Falcon 9's primary structure was finished in April 2007, and the first multiple engine firings took place in January 2008. SpaceX spent the year testing the engines, culminating in a "full mission-length firing" in November of that year. In an update to its followers, the California-based company touted the rocket's ability to compensate for failed engines in flight — a selling point to customers.</p><p>On Jan. 12, 2009, the Falcon 9 rocket rose to a vertical position at Cape Canaveral. It would be several months before the rocket soared into space, but SpaceX said the configuration was necessary to test all the systems in the next year.</p><p>SpaceX hoped to send the rocket up in 2009, but the actual launch date was June 7, 2010. The rocket passed all of the expected milestones but encountered an unexpected roll during launch. Falcon 9 then sent its first Dragon aloft on Dec. 8, 2010, returning it safely to Earth.</p><p>The early days of Dragon missions had some complications. For example, an engine problem forced an abort before Dragon soared to the ISS for a test flight in May 2012. An engine problem also marred Dragon's first official cargo run to the station five months later. Dragon arrived safely at its destination, but an Obrcomm satellite onboard fell out of orbit early, only five days after launch.</p><p>Falcon 9's most catastrophic moment came in June 2015, when the rocket exploded in mid-air while carrying a Dragon spacecraft that was supposed to resupply the International Space Station. The cause was traced to a faulty strut and flights were suspended for several months. SpaceX resumed flights safely in 2016 and has continued launching with few issues in the years since. </p><p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.space.com/46-falcon-dragons-spacex.html">Gallery: The Falcon and Dragons of SpaceX</a></p><h2>Notable uses of Falcon 9</h2><p>While Falcon 9 remains important for SpaceX ventures, there are other rockets in the fleet that are also supplying essential services for spaceflight.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.space.com/39779-falcon-heavy-facts.html">Falcon Heavy</a> is a large cargo-lifting rocket based upon the Falcon 9 vehicle. It includes a stronger Falcon 9 first stage as its central core, and two Falcon 9 first stages serve as strap-on boosters. </p><figure><div><p></p></div><figcaption>SpaceX's Starship on the launch pad at Starbase on March 18, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)</figcaption></figure><p>Falcon 9 has completed many dozens of missions successfully, but we can pick out a few trends for the rocket's use that show the importance of its work to SpaceX.</p><p>The rocket is the booster of choice for SpaceX's Starlink fleet, which is a set of broadband satellites meant to deliver Internet service to remote areas. Starlink has several thousand members in orbit and SpaceX plans to grow the satellite fleet to tens of thousands of applications with the Federal Aviation Administration go to plan.</p><p>Falcon 9 also delivers both cargo and people to the International Space Station. It flies the <a href="https://www.space.com/18852-spacex-dragon.html">Dragon</a> cargo spacecraft for regular deliveries of experiments, supplies and hardware to the orbiting complex. Since 2020, it has also been sending Crew Dragon missions for NASA aloft. It began sending crewed missions on behalf of Houston-based <a href="https://www.space.com/axiom-space">Axiom Space</a> in 2022, which performs research on the ISS.</p><p>It can also send people to other destinations in low-Earth orbit. In 2021, a Falcon 9 lifted the Crew Dragon carrying four individuals for <a href="https://www.space.com/inspiration4-spacex.html">Inspiration4</a>, an all-private mission meant to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. </p><p>Inspiration4 was bankrolled by Shift4 billionaire Jared Isaacman, who commanded the mission. Isaacman plans to return to space several more times under the Polaris Program, which is a set of space missions he is paying for. Polaris Dawn, the first of the series, should launch in 2022.</p><h2>Future SpaceX rocketry</h2><p>Its first voyage on Feb. 6, 2018, flew a Tesla Roadster (Musk also founded Tesla), carrying a mannequin named "Starman," to space. Falcon Heavy has been used for a few heavy-lift cargo missions in the years since and has a perfect flight record.</p><p>Both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are expected to be superseded by <a href="https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-super-heavy.html">Starship</a>, a spacecraft system under development by SpaceX. Starship has been selected by NASA as the system that will land Artemis astronauts on the moon, and Musk also wants to use Starship for eventual human Mars missions. Starship has flown several test flights and is awaiting environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an orbital test, perhaps as soon as 2022.</p><h3>Additional resources</h3><p>Explore <a href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">SpaceX’s website</a> (opens in new tab) for more information on the Falcon 9 rocket including in-depth feature specifications. Stay up to date on SpaceX's launches on the company's<a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX"> Twitter feed</a> (opens in new tab). Watch SpaceX launches and landings on the company's<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtI0Hodo5o5dUb67FeUjDeA"> YouTube channel</a> (opens in new tab). </p><h3>Bibliography</h3><p>Axiom Space. "SpaceX." 2022. <a href="https://www.axiomspace.com/home/spacex">https://www.axiomspace.com/home/spacex</a> (opens in new tab)</p><p>Chapman III, Edwin C. "NRO Launch: A Pictorial History, 1996-2021." 2021, December. National Reconnaissance Office. <a href="https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/news/articles/2022/NRO_Launch_History_Picture-Book_1996-2021_web.pdf">https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/news/articles/2022/NRO_Launch_History_Picture-Book_1996-2021_web.pdf</a> (opens in new tab)</p><p>NASA. "NASA Blogs: SpaceX." 2022. <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/">https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/</a> (opens in new tab)</p><p>SpaceX. "Falcon 9." 2022. <a href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/</a> (opens in new tab)</p><p>SpaceX. "Falcon User's Guide." 2021, September. <a href="https://www.spacex.com/media/falcon-users-guide-2021-09.pdf">https://www.spacex.com/media/falcon-users-guide-2021-09.pdf</a> (opens in new tab)</p>
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<p><em><a href="https://forums.space.com/">Join our Space Forums</a> to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: <a href="mailto:community@space.com">community@space.com.</a></em></p>
<div><p>Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for <a href="http://space.com/">Space.com</a> (opens in new tab) for 10 years before that, since 2012. Elizabeth's reporting includes an exclusive with Office of the Vice-President of the United States, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and (soon) a Bachelor of History from Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science since 2015. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: <a href="https://qoto.org/@howellspace">https://qoto.org/@howellspace</a></p></div>
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 Falcon 9: SpaceX's workhorse rocket

 By Elizabeth Howell
 published 27 April 2022

 The Falcon 9 rocket launches satellites, cargo and astronauts into low Earth orbit.

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 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 143 small satellites into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 24, 2021 to mark the Transporter-1 rideshare mission. (Image credit: SpaceX)
 Jump to:
 * Specifications
 * Funding
 * Development
 * Uses
 * Future SpaceX rocketry
 * Additional resources

 The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is the vehicle that brings satellites, Dragon cargo spacecraft and Crew Dragon spacecraft to orbit.

 Among its many uses, SpaceX regularly launches Falcon 9 to bring its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Dragon made the first private spacecraft visit ever there in October 2012 and has run more than 25 cargo missions in the years since. Since 2020, SpaceX also used Falcon 9 for crewed missions to the ISS, on behalf of NASA and other customers.

 Falcon 9 is built as a reusable system, in line with SpaceX founder Elon Musk's desire to drive down the cost of spaceflight. The rocket's first stage comes down on land, or on a drone ship nearby the launch pad. It is the ride of choice for SpaceX's Starlink satellite system for broadband service and has been tasked for security missions on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office.

 Related: 8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight

 Its Crew Dragon spacecraft runs missions to space on behalf of NASA, Axiom Space, the Polaris Program and other commercial companies or entities. These missions can go to the ISS or to low-Earth orbit. Also, elements of the Falcon 9 system are adapted for the much more powerful Falcon Heavy cargo rocket.

 Falcon 9 specifications

 Falcon 9 quick facts

 — Height: 229.6 feet (70 meters)

 — Diameter: 12 feet (3.7 m)

 — Mass: 1,194,000 lbs. (541,300 kg)

 — Payload to low Earth orbit (LEO): 28,991 lbs. (13,150 kg)

 — Payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO): 10,692 lbs. (4,850 kg)

 — First stage: Burn time: 162 seconds. Thrust at sea level: 1.53 million lbs. or 6,806 kilonewtons (kN) Thrust in vacuum: 1.6695 million lbs. (7,426 kN)

 — Second stage: Burn time: 397 seconds. Thrust: 210,000 lbs. (934 kN)

 The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket. The first stage has nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant, according to SpaceX.

 The second stage, using just a single Merlin engine, is a slightly shorter version of the first stage tank. It is connected to the Falcon 9 first stage via an "interstage", which is made of carbon-fiber aluminum-core composite.

 Later versions of Falcon 9 include grid fins that come out of the first stage after separation, to guide the rocket to a soft landing. The legs emerge from the rocket a few moments before touchdown, either on a drone ship or a solid landing pad.

 A stunning view of the Earth at dawn from space is seen in this still image from video taken by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage during the launch of the NROL-85 spy satellite on April 17, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)

 (opens in new tab)

 Funding the Falcon 9

 SpaceX first trumpeted the Falcon 9's existence in a press release in 2005. Then priced at up to $35 million per flight (today it's $67 million), the rocket was developed in response to customer demand, the company said.

 At the time, SpaceX was developing the lighter Falcon 1 rocket and planned to gradually increase capabilities with an "intermediate class" Falcon 5 launcher. Early listed customers of the rocket included companies such as Bigelow Aerospace, Avanti Communications and MDA.

 According to SpaceX, it cost over $300 million to develop the vehicle. NASA was a huge player in providing funding during the company's early years. Notably, SpaceX received one of NASA's sought-after commercial orbital transportation services contracts (COTS), which was initially worth up to $278 million for SpaceX provided it met all its milestones. SpaceX continues to run cargo missions to the ISS under subsequent COTS contracts.

 In 2014, SpaceX also was one of two funded companies (the other was Boeing) allocated money in the final stage of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX received $2.6 billion under this development contract and successfully launched its first space station mission with people on board in 2020. NASA purchases more missions as required to fulfill space station staffing needs.

 Another big win was receiving supplier status for the National Reconnaissance Office, which launches classified missions that require a high degree of secrecy and technical sufficiency. SpaceX also receives revenue from numerous customers who purchase payload space aboard the rocket, or who supply money to ferry crews to orbital destinations.

 Falcon 9 development

 SpaceX conducted a static fire of its Falcon 9 rocket on April 30, 2012. During the test, the nine Merlin engines that power the rocket's first stage were ignited for two seconds. (Image credit: SpaceX)

 (opens in new tab)

 Falcon 9's primary structure was finished in April 2007, and the first multiple engine firings took place in January 2008. SpaceX spent the year testing the engines, culminating in a "full mission-length firing" in November of that year. In an update to its followers, the California-based company touted the rocket's ability to compensate for failed engines in flight — a selling point to customers.

 On Jan. 12, 2009, the Falcon 9 rocket rose to a vertical position at Cape Canaveral. It would be several months before the rocket soared into space, but SpaceX said the configuration was necessary to test all the systems in the next year.

 SpaceX hoped to send the rocket up in 2009, but the actual launch date was June 7, 2010. The rocket passed all of the expected milestones but encountered an unexpected roll during launch. Falcon 9 then sent its first Dragon aloft on Dec. 8, 2010, returning it safely to Earth.

 The early days of Dragon missions had some complications. For example, an engine problem forced an abort before Dragon soared to the ISS for a test flight in May 2012. An engine problem also marred Dragon's first official cargo run to the station five months later. Dragon arrived safely at its destination, but an Obrcomm satellite onboard fell out of orbit early, only five days after launch.

 Falcon 9's most catastrophic moment came in June 2015, when the rocket exploded in mid-air while carrying a Dragon spacecraft that was supposed to resupply the International Space Station. The cause was traced to a faulty strut and flights were suspended for several months. SpaceX resumed flights safely in 2016 and has continued launching with few issues in the years since.

 Related: Gallery: The Falcon and Dragons of SpaceX

 Notable uses of Falcon 9

 While Falcon 9 remains important for SpaceX ventures, there are other rockets in the fleet that are also supplying essential services for spaceflight.

 The Falcon Heavy is a large cargo-lifting rocket based upon the Falcon 9 vehicle. It includes a stronger Falcon 9 first stage as its central core, and two Falcon 9 first stages serve as strap-on boosters.

 SpaceX's Starship on the launch pad at Starbase on March 18, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)

 Related stories:

 – Space calendar 2022: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more!

 – The history of rockets

 – China's Long March rocket family: History and photos

 Falcon 9 has completed many dozens of missions successfully, but we can pick out a few trends for the rocket's use that show the importance of its work to SpaceX.

 The rocket is the booster of choice for SpaceX's Starlink fleet, which is a set of broadband satellites meant to deliver Internet service to remote areas. Starlink has several thousand members in orbit and SpaceX plans to grow the satellite fleet to tens of thousands of applications with the Federal Aviation Administration go to plan.

 Falcon 9 also delivers both cargo and people to the International Space Station. It flies the Dragon cargo spacecraft for regular deliveries of experiments, supplies and hardware to the orbiting complex. Since 2020, it has also been sending Crew Dragon missions for NASA aloft. It began sending crewed missions on behalf of Houston-based Axiom Space in 2022, which performs research on the ISS.

 It can also send people to other destinations in low-Earth orbit. In 2021, a Falcon 9 lifted the Crew Dragon carrying four individuals for Inspiration4, an all-private mission meant to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.

 Inspiration4 was bankrolled by Shift4 billionaire Jared Isaacman, who commanded the mission. Isaacman plans to return to space several more times under the Polaris Program, which is a set of space missions he is paying for. Polaris Dawn, the first of the series, should launch in 2022.

 Future SpaceX rocketry

 Its first voyage on Feb. 6, 2018, flew a Tesla Roadster (Musk also founded Tesla), carrying a mannequin named "Starman," to space. Falcon Heavy has been used for a few heavy-lift cargo missions in the years since and has a perfect flight record.

 Both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are expected to be superseded by Starship, a spacecraft system under development by SpaceX. Starship has been selected by NASA as the system that will land Artemis astronauts on the moon, and Musk also wants to use Starship for eventual human Mars missions. Starship has flown several test flights and is awaiting environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an orbital test, perhaps as soon as 2022.

 Additional resources

 Explore SpaceX’s website (opens in new tab) for more information on the Falcon 9 rocket including in-depth feature specifications. Stay up to date on SpaceX's launches on the company's Twitter feed (opens in new tab) . Watch SpaceX launches and landings on the company's YouTube channel (opens in new tab) .

 Bibliography

 Axiom Space. "SpaceX." 2022. https://www.axiomspace.com/home/spacex (opens in new tab)

 Chapman III, Edwin C. "NRO Launch: A Pictorial History, 1996-2021." 2021, December. National Reconnaissance Office. https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/news/articles/2022/NRO_Launch_History_Picture-Book_1996-2021_web.pdf (opens in new tab)

 NASA. "NASA Blogs: SpaceX." 2022. https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/ (opens in new tab)

 SpaceX. "Falcon 9." 2022. https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/ (opens in new tab)

 SpaceX. "Falcon User's Guide." 2021, September. https://www.spacex.com/media/falcon-users-guide-2021-09.pdf (opens in new tab)

 Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

 Elizabeth Howell
 Staff Writer, Spaceflight

 Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for Space.com (opens in new tab) for 10 years before that, since 2012. Elizabeth's reporting includes an exclusive with Office of the Vice-President of the United States, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and (soon) a Bachelor of History from Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science since 2015. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace

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Home
References
Spaceflight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 143 small satellites into orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Jan. 24, 2021 to mark the Transporter-1 rideshare mission.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is the vehicle that brings satellites, Dragon cargo spacecraft and Crew Dragon spacecraft to orbit.  Among its many uses, SpaceX regularly launches Falcon 9 to bring its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Dragon made the first private spacecraft visit ever there in October 2012 and has run more than 25 cargo missions in the years since. Since 2020, SpaceX also used Falcon 9 for crewed missions to the ISS, on behalf of NASA and other customers. Falcon 9 is built as a reusable system, in line with SpaceX founder Elon Musk's desire to drive down the cost of spaceflight. The rocket's first stage comes down on land, or on a drone ship nearby the launch pad. It is the ride of choice for SpaceX's Starlink satellite system for broadband service and has been tasked for security missions on behalf of the National Reconnaissance Office.  Related:  8 ways that SpaceX has transformed spaceflight  Its Crew Dragon spacecraft runs missions to space on behalf of NASA, Axiom Space, the Polaris Program and other commercial companies or entities. These missions can go to the ISS or to low-Earth orbit. Also, elements of the Falcon 9 system are adapted for the much more powerful Falcon Heavy cargo rocket. Falcon 9 specifications  Falcon 9 quick facts   — Height: 229.6 feet (70 meters)  — Diameter: 12 feet (3.7 m)  — Mass: 1,194,000 lbs. (541,300 kg)  — Payload to low Earth orbit (LEO): 28,991 lbs. (13,150 kg)  — Payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO): 10,692 lbs. (4,850 kg)  — First stage: Burn time: 162 seconds. Thrust at sea level: 1.53 million lbs. or 6,806 kilonewtons (kN) Thrust in vacuum: 1.6695 million lbs. (7,426 kN)  — Second stage: Burn time: 397 seconds. Thrust: 210,000 lbs. (934 kN)   The Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket. The first stage has nine Merlin engines and aluminum-lithium alloy tanks containing liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellant, according to SpaceX.  The second stage, using just a single Merlin engine, is a slightly shorter version of the first stage tank. It is connected to the Falcon 9 first stage via an "interstage", which is made of carbon-fiber aluminum-core composite. Later versions of Falcon 9 include grid fins that come out of the first stage after separation, to guide the rocket to a soft landing. The legs emerge from the rocket a few moments before touchdown, either on a drone ship or a solid landing pad.       A stunning view of the Earth at dawn from space is seen in this still image from video taken by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket first stage during the launch of the NROL-85 spy satellite on April 17, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)    (opens in new tab) Funding the Falcon 9  SpaceX first trumpeted the Falcon 9's existence in a press release in 2005. Then priced at up to $35 million per flight (today it's $67 million), the rocket was developed in response to customer demand, the company said. At the time, SpaceX was developing the lighter Falcon 1 rocket and planned to gradually increase capabilities with an "intermediate class" Falcon 5 launcher. Early listed customers of the rocket included companies such as Bigelow Aerospace, Avanti Communications and MDA. According to SpaceX, it cost over $300 million to develop the vehicle. NASA was a huge player in providing funding during the company's early years. Notably, SpaceX received one of NASA's sought-after commercial orbital transportation services contracts (COTS), which was initially worth up to $278 million for SpaceX provided it met all its milestones. SpaceX continues to run cargo missions to the ISS under subsequent COTS contracts. In 2014, SpaceX also was one of two funded companies (the other was Boeing) allocated money in the final stage of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX received $2.6 billion under this development contract and successfully launched its first space station mission with people on board in 2020. NASA purchases more missions as required to fulfill space station staffing needs. Another big win was receiving supplier status for the National Reconnaissance Office, which launches classified missions that require a high degree of secrecy and technical sufficiency. SpaceX also receives revenue from numerous customers who purchase payload space aboard the rocket, or who supply money to ferry crews to orbital destinations. Falcon 9 development       SpaceX conducted a static fire of its Falcon 9 rocket on April 30, 2012. During the test, the nine Merlin engines that power the rocket's first stage were ignited for two seconds. (Image credit: SpaceX)    (opens in new tab) Falcon 9's primary structure was finished in April 2007, and the first multiple engine firings took place in January 2008. SpaceX spent the year testing the engines, culminating in a "full mission-length firing" in November of that year. In an update to its followers, the California-based company touted the rocket's ability to compensate for failed engines in flight — a selling point to customers. On Jan. 12, 2009, the Falcon 9 rocket rose to a vertical position at Cape Canaveral. It would be several months before the rocket soared into space, but SpaceX said the configuration was necessary to test all the systems in the next year. SpaceX hoped to send the rocket up in 2009, but the actual launch date was June 7, 2010. The rocket passed all of the expected milestones but encountered an unexpected roll during launch. Falcon 9 then sent its first Dragon aloft on Dec. 8, 2010, returning it safely to Earth. The early days of Dragon missions had some complications. For example, an engine problem forced an abort before Dragon soared to the ISS for a test flight in May 2012. An engine problem also marred Dragon's first official cargo run to the station five months later. Dragon arrived safely at its destination, but an Obrcomm satellite onboard fell out of orbit early, only five days after launch. Falcon 9's most catastrophic moment came in June 2015, when the rocket exploded in mid-air while carrying a Dragon spacecraft that was supposed to resupply the International Space Station. The cause was traced to a faulty strut and flights were suspended for several months. SpaceX resumed flights safely in 2016 and has continued launching with few issues in the years since.   Related:  Gallery: The Falcon and Dragons of SpaceX  Notable uses of Falcon 9 While Falcon 9 remains important for SpaceX ventures, there are other rockets in the fleet that are also supplying essential services for spaceflight. The Falcon Heavy is a large cargo-lifting rocket based upon the Falcon 9 vehicle. It includes a stronger Falcon 9 first stage as its central core, and two Falcon 9 first stages serve as strap-on boosters.       SpaceX's Starship on the launch pad at Starbase on March 18, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)  Falcon 9 has completed many dozens of missions successfully, but we can pick out a few trends for the rocket's use that show the importance of its work to SpaceX. The rocket is the booster of choice for SpaceX's Starlink fleet, which is a set of broadband satellites meant to deliver Internet service to remote areas. Starlink has several thousand members in orbit and SpaceX plans to grow the satellite fleet to tens of thousands of applications with the Federal Aviation Administration go to plan. Falcon 9 also delivers both cargo and people to the International Space Station. It flies the Dragon cargo spacecraft for regular deliveries of experiments, supplies and hardware to the orbiting complex. Since 2020, it has also been sending Crew Dragon missions for NASA aloft. It began sending crewed missions on behalf of Houston-based Axiom Space in 2022, which performs research on the ISS. It can also send people to other destinations in low-Earth orbit. In 2021, a Falcon 9 lifted the Crew Dragon carrying four individuals for Inspiration4, an all-private mission meant to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis.  Inspiration4 was bankrolled by Shift4 billionaire Jared Isaacman, who commanded the mission. Isaacman plans to return to space several more times under the Polaris Program, which is a set of space missions he is paying for. Polaris Dawn, the first of the series, should launch in 2022. Future SpaceX rocketry Its first voyage on Feb. 6, 2018, flew a Tesla Roadster (Musk also founded Tesla), carrying a mannequin named "Starman," to space. Falcon Heavy has been used for a few heavy-lift cargo missions in the years since and has a perfect flight record. Both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy are expected to be superseded by Starship, a spacecraft system under development by SpaceX. Starship has been selected by NASA as the system that will land Artemis astronauts on the moon, and Musk also wants to use Starship for eventual human Mars missions. Starship has flown several test flights and is awaiting environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct an orbital test, perhaps as soon as 2022. Additional resources Explore SpaceX’s website (opens in new tab) for more information on the Falcon 9 rocket including in-depth feature specifications. Stay up to date on SpaceX's launches on the company's Twitter feed (opens in new tab). Watch SpaceX launches and landings on the company's YouTube channel (opens in new tab).  Bibliography Axiom Space. "SpaceX." 2022. https://www.axiomspace.com/home/spacex (opens in new tab) Chapman III, Edwin C. "NRO Launch: A Pictorial History, 1996-2021." 2021, December. National Reconnaissance Office. https://www.nro.gov/Portals/65/documents/news/articles/2022/NRO_Launch_History_Picture-Book_1996-2021_web.pdf (opens in new tab) NASA. "NASA Blogs: SpaceX." 2022. https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacex/ (opens in new tab) SpaceX. "Falcon 9." 2022. https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/ (opens in new tab) SpaceX. "Falcon User's Guide." 2021, September. https://www.spacex.com/media/falcon-users-guide-2021-09.pdf (opens in new tab)
  Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.  
 Elizabeth Howell, Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022. She was contributing writer for Space.com (opens in new tab) for 10 years before that, since 2012. Elizabeth's reporting includes an exclusive with Office of the Vice-President of the United States, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and (soon) a Bachelor of History from Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science since 2015. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace
SpaceX's Falcon 9: Rocket for the Dragon
https://www.space.com/18962-spacex-falcon-9.html
https://spaceflightnow.com/category/falcon-9/
Falcon 9
2023-02-06
None
<div><div>
<article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/06/falcon-9-amazonas-nexus-coverage/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX will try again at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT) Monday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with Amazonas Nexus, a powerhouse satellite owned by the Spanish company Hispasat to connect trans-Atlantic airline passengers, maritime traffic, and rural communities across the Americas. The launch was delayed from Sunday due to bad weather. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/06/falcon-9-amazonas-nexus-coverage/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/04/spanish-owned-communications-satellite-ready-for-weekend-launch/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>A nearly five-ton satellite for the Spanish company Hispasat is ready for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, beginning a mission to provide in-flight internet and other communications services over the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/04/spanish-owned-communications-satellite-ready-for-weekend-launch/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/02/falcon-9-starlink-5-3-coverage/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>A Falcon 9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday with 53 more Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s global internet network. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/02/02/falcon-9-starlink-5-3-coverage/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/31/starlink-satellites-italian-space-tug-launched-by-spacex-rocket/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday from California’s Central Coast with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare space tug for the Italian company D-Orbit, itself carrying tech demo experiments and cremated human remains for customers in the United States, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/31/starlink-satellites-italian-space-tug-launched-by-spacex-rocket/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/31/falcon-9-starlink-2-6-mission-status-center/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare payload for the Italian company D-Orbit. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at 8:15 a.m. PST (11:15 a.m. EST; 1615 GMT) after delays over the last two days to allow SpaceX to complete pre-launch preparations on the vehicle. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/31/falcon-9-starlink-2-6-mission-status-center/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/26/falcon-9-starlink-5-2-coverage/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>A Falcon 9 rocket thundered off a launch pad at Cape Canaveral before dawn Thursday with another batch of 56 Starlink satellites, setting a record for the heaviest payload ever launched on a SpaceX rocket at more than 38,000 pounds. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/26/falcon-9-starlink-5-2-coverage/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/19/spacex-orbits-51-more-starlink-satellites-in-years-first-launch-from-vandenberg/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX’s first launch of the year from California, and fourth mission overall in 2023, added 51 more satellites to the Starlink internet constellation, keeping pace with the company’s goal of 100 Falcon rocket launches this year. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/19/spacex-orbits-51-more-starlink-satellites-in-years-first-launch-from-vandenberg/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/19/falcon-9-starlink-2-4-mission-status-center-2/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:43 a.m. PST (10:43 a.m. EST; 1543 GMT) Thursday with 51 more Starlink internet satellites. The mission was delayed more than a week due to bad weather. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/19/falcon-9-starlink-2-4-mission-status-center-2/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/18/falcon-9-gps-3-sv06/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket just after sunrise Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, hauling a GPS navigation satellite into orbit to replace an aging 16-year-old spacecraft in the global positioning network trusted to guide everything from military weapons to civilian commuters. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/18/falcon-9-gps-3-sv06/"></a></p>	</div>
</article><article>
	<p><a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/17/gps-navigation-satellite-set-for-launch-on-spacex-rocket/">	</a>
	</p>
	<div>
	<p>SpaceX’s second launch for the U.S. military in three days is set to blast off from Florida and deliver a GPS navigation satellite into orbit Wednesday, reinforcing the global positioning and timing network as four more GPS spacecraft are in storage at a Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado to be launched as needed over the next few years. <a href="https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/01/17/gps-navigation-satellite-set-for-launch-on-spacex-rocket/"></a></p>	</div>
</article>	</div>||||I|||| February 6, 2023
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 Falcon 9

 Live coverage: SpaceX delays launch of Amazonas Nexus satellite until Monday

 February 6, 2023

 SpaceX will try again at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT) Monday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with Amazonas Nexus, a powerhouse satellite owned by the Spanish company Hispasat to connect trans-Atlantic airline passengers, maritime traffic, and rural communities across the Americas. The launch was delayed from Sunday due to bad weather.

 Spanish-owned communications satellite ready for launch from Cape Canaveral

 February 4, 2023

 A nearly five-ton satellite for the Spanish company Hispasat is ready for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, beginning a mission to provide in-flight internet and other communications services over the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean.

 SpaceX launches 53 more Starlink internet satellites

 February 2, 2023

 A Falcon 9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday with 53 more Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s global internet network.

 Starlink satellites, Italian space tug launched by SpaceX rocket

 January 31, 2023

 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday from California’s Central Coast with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare space tug for the Italian company D-Orbit, itself carrying tech demo experiments and cremated human remains for customers in the United States, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

 Live coverage: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from California

 January 31, 2023

 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare payload for the Italian company D-Orbit. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at 8:15 a.m. PST (11:15 a.m. EST; 1615 GMT) after delays over the last two days to allow SpaceX to complete pre-launch preparations on the vehicle.

 SpaceX launches heaviest payload on Falcon 9 rocket

 January 26, 2023

 A Falcon 9 rocket thundered off a launch pad at Cape Canaveral before dawn Thursday with another batch of 56 Starlink satellites, setting a record for the heaviest payload ever launched on a SpaceX rocket at more than 38,000 pounds.

 SpaceX orbits 51 more Starlink satellites in year’s first launch from Vandenberg

 January 19, 2023

 SpaceX’s first launch of the year from California, and fourth mission overall in 2023, added 51 more satellites to the Starlink internet constellation, keeping pace with the company’s goal of 100 Falcon rocket launches this year.

 Live coverage: SpaceX launches 51 Starlink satellites from California

 January 19, 2023

 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:43 a.m. PST (10:43 a.m. EST; 1543 GMT) Thursday with 51 more Starlink internet satellites. The mission was delayed more than a week due to bad weather.

 SpaceX delivers GPS satellite to 12,000-mile-high orbit

 January 18, 2023

 SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket just after sunrise Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, hauling a GPS navigation satellite into orbit to replace an aging 16-year-old spacecraft in the global positioning network trusted to guide everything from military weapons to civilian commuters.

 GPS navigation satellite set for launch on SpaceX rocket

 January 17, 2023

 SpaceX’s second launch for the U.S. military in three days is set to blast off from Florida and deliver a GPS navigation satellite into orbit Wednesday, reinforcing the global positioning and timing network as four more GPS spacecraft are in storage at a Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado to be launched as needed over the next few years.

 1 2 3 … 133 »

 News Headlines

 * Live coverage: SpaceX delays launch of Amazonas Nexus satellite until Monday

 February 6, 2023

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SpaceX will try again at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT) Monday to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with Amazonas Nexus, a powerhouse satellite owned by the Spanish company Hispasat to connect trans-Atlantic airline passengers, maritime traffic, and rural communities across the Americas. The launch was delayed from Sunday due to bad weather.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	A nearly five-ton satellite for the Spanish company Hispasat is ready for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, beginning a mission to provide in-flight internet and other communications services over the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	A Falcon 9 rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Thursday with 53 more Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s global internet network.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday from California’s Central Coast with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare space tug for the Italian company D-Orbit, itself carrying tech demo experiments and cremated human remains for customers in the United States, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday with 49 Starlink internet satellites and a rideshare payload for the Italian company D-Orbit. Liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California occurred at 8:15 a.m. PST (11:15 a.m. EST; 1615 GMT) after delays over the last two days to allow SpaceX to complete pre-launch preparations on the vehicle.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	A Falcon 9 rocket thundered off a launch pad at Cape Canaveral before dawn Thursday with another batch of 56 Starlink satellites, setting a record for the heaviest payload ever launched on a SpaceX rocket at more than 38,000 pounds.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	SpaceX’s first launch of the year from California, and fourth mission overall in 2023, added 51 more satellites to the Starlink internet constellation, keeping pace with the company’s goal of 100 Falcon rocket launches this year.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 7:43 a.m. PST (10:43 a.m. EST; 1543 GMT) Thursday with 51 more Starlink internet satellites. The mission was delayed more than a week due to bad weather.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket just after sunrise Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, hauling a GPS navigation satellite into orbit to replace an aging 16-year-old spacecraft in the global positioning network trusted to guide everything from military weapons to civilian commuters.   	
 
	 	
	
	
	SpaceX’s second launch for the U.S. military in three days is set to blast off from Florida and deliver a GPS navigation satellite into orbit Wednesday, reinforcing the global positioning and timing network as four more GPS spacecraft are in storage at a Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado to be launched as needed over the next few years.
Falcon 9
https://spaceflightnow.com/category/falcon-9/
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2022/august/rocket-launch-spacex-falcon-9-starlink-4-26
ROCKET LAUNCH SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
2022-08-09
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 SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
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<h4>MISSION:</h4>
<p>SpaceX's Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe.</p>
<h4>LAUNCH VIEWING: </h4>
<p>Heat the roar of the Falcon 9 rocket from the following location(s):</p>
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 ROCKET LAUNCH: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
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 Atlantis North Lawn
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<li>See the rocket once it clears the tree line</li>
<li>Approximately 7.5 miles / 12 kilometers from the launch pad</li>
<li>Viewing area opens at 4:30 PM</li>
<li>Included with admission to visitor complex</li>
<li>Launch audio, video, and communicator commentary available</li>
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<p><a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/info/tickets">BUY ADMISSION</a></p>
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 * ROCKET LAUNCH SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26

 SpaceX Rocket Launch

 Event Details
 Launch Details

 Launch Details

 Payload Blog

 SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26

 Aug 09, 2022 06:49 PM Launch Complex 39A • Kennedy Space Center

 MISSION:

 SpaceX's Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe.

 LAUNCH VIEWING:

 Heat the roar of the Falcon 9 rocket from the following location(s):

 ROCKET LAUNCH: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26

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 * Main Visitor Complex
 Launch Viewing

 Atlantis North Lawn

 Located to the left when approaching Space Shuttle Atlantis®

 * See the rocket once it clears the tree line
 * Approximately 7.5 miles / 12 kilometers from the launch pad
 * Viewing area opens at 4:30 PM
 * Included with admission to visitor complex
 * Launch audio, video, and communicator commentary available

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Launch Details
 
Launch Details
 SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
 
 
MISSION:
SpaceX's Starlink is the constellation of networked satellites aimed to provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe.
LAUNCH VIEWING: 
Heat the roar of the Falcon 9 rocket from the following location(s):
 ROCKET LAUNCH: SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
 
Launch Viewing
 Atlantis North Lawn
 
   
See the rocket once it clears the tree line
Approximately 7.5 miles / 12 kilometers from the launch pad
Viewing area opens at 4:30 PM
Included with admission to visitor complex
Launch audio, video, and communicator commentary available
 BUY ADMISSION
ROCKET LAUNCH SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 4-26
https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2022/august/rocket-launch-spacex-falcon-9-starlink-4-26