OperationalSpaceXUnited StatesFirst Launch: 2010-06-04

Falcon 9

The world's first orbital-class reusable rocket, leading global commercial and crewed spaceflight.

Falcon 9 is a two-stage, reusable launch vehicle designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. As the first orbital class rocket capable of reflight, Falcon 9 has revolutionized the economics of space access through rapid booster turnaround and vertical propulsive landing on drone ships and landing zones.

SpaceStats Reliability & Flight Record

TOTAL LAUNCHES

412

Orbital missions

SUCCESSFUL

410

1 failures

SUCCESS RATE

99.5%

LANDINGS

362

Reusable First Stage

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SpaceXFeatured Photography

Falcon 9 Liftoff with Dragon Spacecraft

SpaceX

01 // INTEGRATED LAUNCH VEHICLEOPERATIONAL

Full Stack

Integrated two-stage orbital class launch vehicle engineered for rapid reusability and high reliability. Standing 70 meters tall with a gross lift-off mass of 549 metric tons.

Height70 meters

Diameter3.7 meters

Gross Mass549,054 kg

LEO Payload22,800 kg

GTO Payload8,300 kg

SL Thrust7,607 kN

HARDWARE & SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

• Structural Core & Materials

The main propellant tank walls are friction-stir welded aluminum-lithium alloy tanks separated by a common dome. High structural rigidity is maintained under a maximum aerodynamic pressure (Max-Q) exceeding 35 kPa.

• Avionics & Autonomous Guidance

Triply-redundant flight computers with voting architecture process inertial navigation, GPS, and optical horizon tracker telemetry at 1,000 Hz, controlling thrust vectoring and cold-gas attitude thrusters.

FULL STACK0.0% STAGED

01/06

Architecture Analysis & Development Story

Engineering Dossier

History & Development

Conceived in the late 2000s as a successor to Falcon 1, Falcon 9 made its maiden voyage on June 4, 2010. Over its operational lifetime, the vehicle underwent aggressive engineering evolution from v1.0 through v1.1, Full Thrust, and culminated in the definitive Block 5 architecture in 2018. Block 5 incorporated titanium grid fins, upgraded thermal protection systems (including a carbon fiber interstage and bolted engine heat shields), higher thrust Merlin 1D engines, and reinforced octaweb structures designed to fly up to 20 or more missions per booster with minimal refurbishments.

Operational Record & Mission Impact

Falcon 9 has set unprecedented records in modern aerospace, completing hundreds of consecutive successful orbital flights. It serves as NASA's primary crew transportation system to the International Space Station via the Crew Dragon spacecraft, regularly deploys the global Starlink megaconstellation, and launches commercial geostationary communications satellites and deep-space scientific observatories.

Key Engineering Innovations & Design Highlights

Nine sea-level Merlin 1D engines arranged in an Octaweb configuration with active differential throttling and gimballing.

Autonomous hypersonic grid fins and cold-gas thruster reaction control systems for unpowered atmospheric entry orientation.

Deployable carbon-fiber landing legs with internal crush cores for shock absorption upon touchdown.

Sub-cooled cryogenic densified propellants (Liquid Oxygen at -207°C and chilled RP-1) maximizing tankage energy density.

Technical & Propulsion Specifications

Operator: SpaceX

Vehicle Dimensions & Mass

Overall Height: 70 m
Body Diameter: 3.7 m
Gross Lift-off Mass: 549.1 t
Stages Count: 2
Fairing Diameter: 5.2 m

First Stage Booster (Block 5)

Main Engines: 9x Merlin 1D (M1D)
Propellant: Densified LOX / Rocket Grade Kerosene (RP-1)
SL Thrust: 7,607 kN
Vacuum Isp: 311s
Dry Mass: 25.6 t
Recovery Mode: ASDS_DroneShip

Second Stage (Upper Stage)

Upper Engine: 1x Merlin 1D Vacuum (MVacD)
LEO Capacity: 22.8 t
GTO Capacity: 8.3 t
TLI (Lunar): 4 t
Cost per Launch: $67,000,000
LEO Price / kg: ~$2,939 / kg

Fleet Deployment & Economics Suite

Model Satellite Constellations or Payload Charters with Falcon 9

Calculate multi-plane Walker Delta fleet costs, fairing dispenser limits, launch cadence timelines, and single-mission rideshare economics.

Launch Economics Planner

Launch Complexes & Spaceports Network

3 Active Launch Pads

Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Florida, USA

28.562°N, -80.577°E

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A)

Kennedy Space Center

Florida, USA

28.608°N, -80.604°E

Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E)

Vandenberg Space Force Base

California, USA

34.632°N, -120.611°E

Milestone & Historic Missions

Key Flight Achievements

2015-12-21Success

ORBCOMM OG2-M2

Customer: ORBCOMM

First successful vertical propulsive landing of an orbital-class first stage booster at Landing Zone 1.

2017-03-30Success

SES-10

Customer: SES S.A.

First re-flight and successful recovery of a flight-proven orbital first stage booster in commercial history.

2020-05-30Success

Crew Dragon Demo-2

Customer: NASA Commercial Crew Program

First human orbital spaceflight launched from American soil since the retirement of the Space Shuttle.

2021-11-24Success

DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test)

Customer: NASA / JHUAPL

Targeted planetary defense asteroid impact mission launched on an escape trajectory.

High-Resolution Photo Gallery & Media

7 photos & renders of Falcon 9

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Liftoff2015-04-14

Falcon 9 Liftoff with Dragon Spacecraft

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ascending into low Earth orbit carrying the Dragon cargo spacecraft to the ISS.

SpaceX

Source

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Landing2015-12-22

First Stage Landing at Landing Zone 1

Falcon 9 booster stage standing upright on the LZ-1 concrete pad following a historic Return-To-Launch-Site recovery.

SpaceX Photos

Source

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Landing2016-04-08

Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Landing

Falcon 9 booster stage completing a precision vertical landing on the autonomous drone ship at sea.

SpaceX

Source

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Rollout2015-04-22

Falcon 9 Transporter Erector Rollout

Falcon 9 rolling out horizontally to Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.

SpaceX

Source

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Liftoff2016-07-18

CRS-9 Night Launch & Exhaust Plume

Falcon 9 launching Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station under the cover of night.

SpaceX

Source

Crew Dragon Demo-2 Historic Human Launch

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Liftoff2020-05-30

Crew Dragon Demo-2 Historic Human Launch

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley lift off on Falcon 9 from Pad 39A, restoring American human orbital spaceflight.

NASA / Bill Ingalls

Source

Transporter-1 Dedicated Rideshare Launch

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Liftoff2021-01-24

Transporter-1 Dedicated Rideshare Launch

Falcon 9 carrying a record 143 commercial and government satellites to sun-synchronous orbit.

SpaceX

Source

SpaceStats Launch Manifest & Database

40 mission records cataloged in database

Full Space Calendar

Flight / Mission	Orbit	Launch Date	Pad / Location	Booster / Landing	Status	Details
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| CHORUS CHORUS	LEO	Dec 31, 2026	Unknown Pad Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1080 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| BlueBird 14-16 (Block 2 #9-11) BlueBird 14-16 (Block 2 #9-11)	LEO	Dec 31, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer E SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer E	PO	Dec 31, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Telesat Lightspeed 1 Telesat Lightspeed 1	LEO	Dec 31, 2026	Unknown Pad Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1080 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer D SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer D	PO	Dec 31, 2026	Unknown Pad Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-21 Starlink Group 15-21	LEO	Nov 30, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| OneWeb 21 OneWeb 21	PO	Nov 30, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| NROL-195 NROL-195	LEO	Nov 30, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Cygnus CRS-2 NG-25 Cygnus CRS-2 NG-25	LEO	Nov 29, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	Unknown F9 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-317 USSF-317	LEO	Nov 13, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1100 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-627 USSF-627	LEO	Nov 10, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1103 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-432 USSF-432	LEO	Nov 7, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1095 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-18 Starlink Group 15-18 Test	LEO	Oct 28, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1093 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-16 Starlink Group 15-16	LEO	Oct 27, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1082 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-15 Starlink Group 15-15	LEO	Oct 20, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1063 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare) Bandwagon 5 (Dedicated Mid-Inclination Rideshare)	LEO	Oct 19, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1085 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-481 USSF-481	PO	Oct 15, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1081 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35 Dragon CRS-2 SpX-35	LEO	Oct 13, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1096 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-25 Starlink Group 15-25	LEO	Oct 12, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1088 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A	PO	Oct 5, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1103 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Transporter 18 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) Transporter 18 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare)	SSO	Oct 1, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1082 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Crew-13 Crew-13	LEO	Oct 1, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1101 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A	PO	Sep 30, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1080 ASDS	TBD	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-385 USSF-385	LEO	Sep 26, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1100 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-27 Starlink Group 15-27	LEO	Sep 20, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1093 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-259 USSF-259	PO	Sep 16, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1097 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| O3b mPower 11-13 O3b mPower 11-13	MEO	Sep 13, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1080 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-153 USSF-153	LEO	Sep 10, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1081 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-24 Starlink Group 15-24	LEO	Sep 6, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1088 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-23 Starlink Group 15-23	LEO	Sep 2, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1063 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-22 Starlink Group 15-22	LEO	Aug 26, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1082 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 10-49 Starlink Group 10-49	LEO	Aug 25, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1067 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 15-20 Starlink Group 15-20	LEO	Aug 22, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1100 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 10-39 Starlink Group 10-39	LEO	Aug 20, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1078 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 17-50 Starlink Group 17-50	LEO	Aug 19, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1097 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 8) Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 8)	LEO	Aug 16, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1090 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| USSF-366 USSF-366	LEO	Aug 15, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1088 ASDS	SUCCESS	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 17-49 Starlink Group 17-49	LEO	Aug 12, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1103 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 10-19 Starlink Group 10-19	LEO	Aug 10, 2026	Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA	B1085 ASDS	GO	Details →
Falcon 9 Block 5 \| Starlink Group 17-38 Starlink Group 17-38	LEO	Aug 8, 2026	Space Launch Complex 4E Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA	B1093 ASDS	GO	Details →

Falcon 9

The world's first orbital-class reusable rocket, leading global commercial and crewed spaceflight.

Full Stack

Integrated two-stage orbital class launch vehicle engineered for rapid reusability and high reliability. Standing 70 meters tall with a gross lift-off mass of 549 metric tons.

Height70 meters

Diameter3.7 meters

Gross Mass549,054 kg

LEO Payload22,800 kg

GTO Payload8,300 kg

SL Thrust7,607 kN

HARDWARE & SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

• Structural Core & Materials

• Avionics & Autonomous Guidance

Flight / Mission

Orbit

Launch Date

Pad / Location

Booster / Landing

Status

Details

Falcon 9 Block 5 | CHORUS

CHORUS

LEO

Dec 31, 2026

Unknown Pad

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

B1080

ASDS

TBD

Falcon 9

SpaceStats Reliability & Flight Record

Full Stack

• Structural Core & Materials

• Avionics & Autonomous Guidance

Fairing & Payload

• Acoustic & Vibration Mitigation

• Pneumatic Clamshell Separation

Second Stage (MVac)

• Radiatively Cooled Niobium Extension

• Multiple Engine Restarts

Interstage & Fins

• Forged Titanium Grid Fin Design

• Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU)

First Stage Core

• Sub-Cooled Cryogenic Densification

• Autonomous 3-Burn Recovery Profile

Booster & Engines

• Octaweb Structural Matrix

• Telescoping Carbon-Fiber Legs

Architecture Analysis & Development Story

History & Development

Operational Record & Mission Impact

Key Engineering Innovations & Design Highlights

Technical & Propulsion Specifications

Vehicle Dimensions & Mass

First Stage Booster (Block 5)

Second Stage (Upper Stage)

Model Satellite Constellations or Payload Charters with Falcon 9

Launch Complexes & Spaceports Network

Milestone & Historic Missions

ORBCOMM OG2-M2

SES-10

Crew Dragon Demo-2

DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test)

High-Resolution Photo Gallery & Media

Falcon 9 Liftoff with Dragon Spacecraft

First Stage Landing at Landing Zone 1

Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship Landing

Falcon 9 Transporter Erector Rollout

CRS-9 Night Launch & Exhaust Plume

Crew Dragon Demo-2 Historic Human Launch

Transporter-1 Dedicated Rideshare Launch

SpaceStats Launch Manifest & Database

Falcon 9

SpaceStats Reliability & Flight Record

Full Stack

• Structural Core & Materials

• Avionics & Autonomous Guidance

Fairing & Payload

• Acoustic & Vibration Mitigation

• Pneumatic Clamshell Separation

Second Stage (MVac)

• Radiatively Cooled Niobium Extension

• Multiple Engine Restarts

Interstage & Fins

• Forged Titanium Grid Fin Design

• Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU)

First Stage Core

• Sub-Cooled Cryogenic Densification

• Autonomous 3-Burn Recovery Profile

Booster & Engines

• Octaweb Structural Matrix

• Telescoping Carbon-Fiber Legs

Architecture Analysis & Development Story

History & Development

Operational Record & Mission Impact

Key Engineering Innovations & Design Highlights

Technical & Propulsion Specifications

Vehicle Dimensions & Mass

First Stage Booster (Block 5)

Second Stage (Upper Stage)

Model Satellite Constellations or Payload Charters with Falcon 9

Launch Complexes & Spaceports Network

Milestone & Historic Missions

ORBCOMM OG2-M2

SES-10

Crew Dragon Demo-2

DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test)

High-Resolution Photo Gallery & Media