SpaceX Transporter Mission

As of , rockets from the Falcon 9 family have been launched times, with full mission successes, two mission failures during launch, one mission failure before launch, and one partial failure.

Designed and operated by SpaceX, the Falcon 9 family includes the retired versions Falcon 9 v1.0, launched five times from June 2010, to March 2013, Falcon 9 v1.1, launched 15 times from September 2013, to January 2016, and Falcon 9 v1.2 "Full Thrust" (blocks 3 and 4), 36 times from December 2015, to June 2018. The currently active "Full Thrust" variant Falcon 9 Block 5 has launched times since May 2018. Falcon Heavy, a heavy-lift derivative of Falcon 9, combining a strengthened central core with two Falcon 9 first stages as side boosters has launched times since February 2018.

The Falcon design features reusable first-stage boosters, which land either on a ground pad near the launch site or on a drone ship at sea. In December 2015, Falcon 9 became the first rocket to land propulsively after delivering a payload into orbit. This reusability results in significantly reduced launch costs, as the cost of the first stage constitutes the majority of the cost of a new rocket. Falcon family boosters have successfully landed times in attempts. A total of boosters have flown multiple missions, with a record of missions by a booster. SpaceX has also reflown fairing halves more than 300 times, with some being reflown at least twenty times.

Typical missions include launches of SpaceX's Starlink satellites (accounting for a majority of the Falcon manifest since January 2020), Dragon crew and cargo missions to the International Space Station, and launches of commercial and military satellites to LEO, polar, and geosynchronous orbits. The heaviest payload launched on Falcon is a batch of 24 Starlink V2-Mini satellites weighing about total, first flown in February 2024, landing on JRTI. The heaviest payload launched to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) was the Jupiter-3 on July 29, 2023. Launches to higher orbits have included DSCOVR to Sun–Earth Lagrange point L₁, TESS to a lunar flyby, a Tesla Roadster demonstration payload to a heliocentric orbit extending past the orbit of Mars, DART and Hera to the asteroid Didymos, Euclid to Sun-Earth Lagrange point L₂, Psyche to the asteroid 16 Psyche, and Europa Clipper to Europa (a moon of Jupiter).

Launch statistics

Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have a success rate of and have been launched times over , resulting in full successes, two in-flight failures (SpaceX CRS-7 and Starlink Group 9–3), one pre-flight failure (AMOS-6 while being prepared for an on-pad static fire test), and one partial failure (SpaceX CRS-1, which delivered its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), but a secondary payload was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit). The active version of the rocket, the Falcon 9 Block 5, has flown times successfully and failed once (Starlink Group 9–3), resulting in the success rate.

In 2022, the Falcon 9 set a new record with 60 successful launches by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. This surpassed the previous record held by Soyuz-U, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979. In 2023, the Falcon family of rockets (including the Falcon Heavy) had 96 successful launches, surpassing the 63 launches (61 successful) of the R-7 rocket family in 1980. In 2024, SpaceX broke their own record with 134 total Falcon flights (133 successful) accounting for over half of all orbital launches that year.

The Falcon 9 has evolved through several versions: v1.0 was launched five times from 2010 to 2013, v1.1 launched 15 times from 2013 to 2016, Full Thrust launched 36 times from 2015 to 2015. The most recent version, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018. With each iteration, the Falcon 9 has become more powerful and capable of ver

tical landing. As vertical landings became more commonplace, SpaceX focused on streamlining the refurbishment process for boosters, making it faster and more cost-effective.

The Falcon Heavy derivative is a heavy-lift launch vehicle composed of three Falcon 9 first-stage boosters. The central core is reinforced, while the side boosters feature aerodynamic nosecone instead of the usual interstage.

Falcon 9 first-stage boosters landed successfully in of attempts (), with out of () for the Falcon 9 Block 5 version. A total of re-flights of first stage boosters have all successfully launched their second stages and, all but one, their payloads.

Rocket configurations

Launch sites

Launch outcomes

Booster landings

Past launches

2010 to 2019

From June 2010, to the end of 2019, Falcon 9 was launched 77 times, with 75 full mission successes, one partial failure and one total loss of the spacecraft. In addition, one rocket and its payload were destroyed on the launch pad during the fueling process before a static fire test was set to occur. Falcon Heavy was launched three times, all successful.

The first Falcon 9 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 (through Block 4) 36 times from December 2015, to June 2018. The latest Full Thrust variant, Block 5, was introduced in May 2018, and launched 21 times before the end of 2019.

2020 to 2022

From January 2020, to the end of 2022, Falcon 9 was launched 117 times, all successful, and landed boosters successfully on 111 of 114 attempts. Falcon Heavy was launched once and was successful, including landing of the mission's two side boosters.

2023

SpaceX launched 96 Falcon family vehicles—91 Falcon 9 and five Falcon Heavy rockets. It surpassed both the company's own single-year launch record of 61 and the global annual record of 64 launches, coming close to its previously announced goal of 100 Falcon launches in the year.

The company's payload delivery capacity also rose, with approximately sent to orbit.

2024

SpaceX conducted 134 Falcon family (132 Falcon 9 and two Falcon Heavy) launches in 2024, including the failed Starlink Group 9-3 mission. It again broke the global single-year launch record of 98 launches in a year (set by SpaceX in the previous year with 96 Falcon and 2 Starship launches).

The company had set initial launch targets for the year of approximately 144 launches, or an average of 12 per month, accounting for potential delays due to weather, technical issues, and scheduled maintenance. However, subsequent statements from SpaceX leadership indicated a potential increase to 148 launches, an average of 13 launches per month. Later in November 2024, due to launch or recovery failures leading to several mishap investigations and delays, SpaceX leadership lowered the year's launch projections to approximately 136 launches in the year, which was subsequently missed by two launches.

The company's payload delivery capacity also rose, with more than (only 85.5% of the launches were reported launch masses) sent to orbit.

2025

As of SpaceX has conducted ( Falcon 9 and no Falcon Heavy) launches in 2025. In November 2024, the company outlined ambitious launch targets for the year, with initial projections of more than 150 launches, or an average of 12 to 13 per month, accounting for potential delays due to weather, technical issues, and scheduled maintenance. Later, in December, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell stated they are expecting 175 to 180 launches in 2025, or an average of 14 to 15 per month. Later they reduced the target to 170 launches this year or an average of 13 to 14 launches per month.

In Q1, the company delivered payload more than (only 81.1% of the launches were reported launch masses) sent to orbit.

Future launches

Future launches are listed chronologically when firm plans are in place. The order of the later launches is much less certain. Tentative launch dates and mission details are sourced from multiple locations. Launches are expected to take place "no earlier than" (NET) the listed date.

2025, future

2026

2027 and beyond

Notable launches

First flights and contracts

On June 4, 2010, the first Falcon 9 launch successfully placed a test payload into the intended orbit. The second launch of Falcon 9 was COTS Demo Flight 1, which placed an operational Dragon capsule in orbit on December 8, 2010. The capsule re-entered the atmosphere after two orbits, allowing for testing the reentry procedures. The capsule was recovered off the coast of Mexico and then placed on display at SpaceX headquarters. The remaining objectives of the NASA COTS qualification program were combined into a single Dragon C2+ mission, on the condition that all milestones would be validated in space before berthing Dragon to the ISS. The Dragon capsule was propelled to orbit in May 2012, and following successful tests in the next days it was grabbed with the station's robotic arm (Canadarm2) and docked to the ISS docking port for the first time on May 25. After successfully completing all the return procedures, the recovered Dragon C2+ capsule was put on display at Kennedy Space Center. Thus, Falcon 9 and Dragon became the first fully commercially developed launcher to deliver a payload to the International Space Station, paving the way for SpaceX and NASA to sign the first Commercial Resupply Services agreement for cargo deliveries.

The first operational cargo resupply mission to ISS, the fourth flight of Falcon 9, was launched in October 2012. An engine suffered a loss of pressure at 76 seconds after liftoff, which caused an automatic shutdown of that engine, but the remaining eight first-stage engines continued to burn and the Dragon capsule reached orbit successfully and thus demonstrated the rocket's "engine out" capability in flight. Due to ISS visiting vehicle safety rules, at NASA's request, the secondary payload Orbcomm-2 was released into a lower-than-intended orbit. Despite this incident, Orbcomm said they gathered useful test data from the mission and later in 2014, launched more satellites via SpaceX. The mission continued to rendezvous and berth the Dragon capsule with the ISS where the ISS crew unloaded its payload and reloaded the spacecraft with cargo for return to Earth.

Following unsuccessful attempts at recovering the first stage with parachutes, SpaceX upgraded to a much larger first stage booster and with greater thrust, termed Falcon 9 v1.1, and performed a demonstration flight of this version in September 2013. After the second stage separation and delivering CASSIOPE, a very small payload relative to the rocket's capability, SpaceX conducted a novel high-altitude, high-velocity flight test wherein the booster attempted to reenter the lower atmosphere in a controlled manner and decelerate to a simulated over-water landing.

Loss of CRS-7 mission

In June 2015, Falcon 9 Flight 19 carried a Dragon capsule on the seventh Commercial Resupply Services mission to the ISS. The second stage disintegrated due to an internal helium tank failure while the first stage was still burning normally. This was the first (and only as of May 2024) primary mission loss for any Falcon 9 rocket. In addition to ISS consumables and experiments, this mission carried the first International Docking Adapter (IDA-1), whose loss delayed preparedness of the station's US Orbital Segment (USOS) for future crewed missions.

Performance was nominal until T+140 seconds into launch when a cloud of white vapor appeared, followed by rapid loss of second-stage LOX tank pressure. The booster continued on its trajectory until complete vehicle breakup at T+150 seconds. The Dragon capsule was ejected from the disintegrating rocket and continued transmitting data until impact with the ocean. SpaceX officials stated that the capsule could have been recovered if the parachutes had deployed; however, the Dragon software did not include any provisions for parachute deployment in this situation. Subsequent investigations traced the cause of the accident to the failure of a strut that secured a helium bottle inside the second-stage LOX tank. With the helium pressurization system integrity breached, excess helium quickly flooded the tank, eventually causing it to burst from overpressure. NASA's independent accident investigation into the loss of SpaceX CRS-7 found that the failure of the strut which led to the breakup of the Falcon-9 represented a design error. Specifically, that industrial grade stainless steel had been used in a critical load path under cryogenic conditions and flight conditions, without additional part screening, and without regard to manufacturer recommendations.

Full-thrust version and first booster landings

After pausing launches for months, SpaceX launched on December 22, 2015, the highly anticipated return-to-flight mission after the loss of CRS-7. This launch inaugurated a new Falcon 9 Full Thrust version of its flagship rocket featuring increased performance, notably thanks to subcooling of the propellants. After launching a constellation of 11 Orbcomm-OG2 second-generation satellites, the first stage performed a controlled-descent and landing test for the eighth time, SpaceX attempted to land the booster on land for the first time. It managed to return the first stage successfully to the Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral, marking the first successful recovery of a rocket first stage that launched a payload to orbit. After recovery, the first stage booster performed further ground tests and then was put on permanent display outside SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

On April 8, 2016, SpaceX delivered its commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station marking the return-to-flight of the Dragon capsule, after the loss of CRS-7. After separation, the first-stage booster slowed itself with a boostback maneuver, re-entered the atmosphere, executed an automated controlled descent and landed vertically onto the drone ship ''Of Course I Still Love You'', marking the first successful landing of a rocket on a ship at sea. This was the fourth attempt to land on a drone ship, as part of the company's experimental controlled-descent and landing tests.

Loss of AMOS-6 on the launch pad

On September 1, 2016, the 29th Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launchpad while propellant was being loaded for a routine pre-launch static fire test. The payload, Israeli satellite AMOS-6, partly commissioned by Facebook, was destroyed with the launcher. On January 2, 2017, SpaceX released an official statement indicating that the cause of the failure was a buckled liner in several of the COPV tanks, causing perforations that allowed liquid and/or solid oxygen to accumulate underneath the COPVs carbon strands, which were subsequently ignited possibly due to friction of breaking strands.

Zuma launch

Zuma was a classified United States government satellite and was developed and built by Northrop Grumman at an estimated cost of US$3.5 billion. Its launch, originally planned for mid-November 2017, was postponed to January 8, 2018, as fairing tests for another SpaceX customer were assessed. Following a successful Falcon 9 launch, the first-stage booster landed at LZ-1. Unconfirmed reports suggested that the Zuma spacecraft was lost, with claims that either the payload failed following orbital release, or that the customer-provided adapter failed to release the satellite from the upper stage, while other claims argued that Zuma was in orbit and operating covertly. SpaceX's COO Gwynne Shotwell stated that their Falcon 9 "did everything correctly" and that "Information published that is contrary to this statement is categorically false". A preliminary report indicated that the payload adapter, modified by Northrop Grumman after purchasing it from a subcontractor, failed to separate the satellite from the second stage under the zero gravity conditions. Due to the classified nature of the mission, no further official information is expected.

Falcon Heavy test flight

The maiden launch of the Falcon Heavy occurred on February 6, 2018, making it the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V, with a theoretical payload capacity to low Earth orbit more than double the Delta IV Heavy. Both side boosters landed nearly simultaneously after a ten-minute flight. The central core failed to land on a floating platform at sea. The rocket carried a car and a mannequin to an eccentric heliocentric orbit that reaches further than aphelion of Mars.

First crewed flights

On March 2, 2019, SpaceX launched its first orbital flight of Dragon 2 (Crew Dragon). It was an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station. The Dragon contained a mannequin named Ripley, which was equipped with multiple sensors to gather data about how a human would feel during the flight. Along with the mannequin was 300 pounds of cargo of food and other supplies. Also on board was Earth plush toy referred to as a "Super high tech zero-g indicator". The toy became a hit with astronaut Anne McClain, who showed the plushy on the ISS each day and also deciding to keep it on board to experience the crewed SpX-DM2.

The Dragon spent six days in space, including five days docked to the International Space Station. During the time, various systems were tested to make sure the vehicle was ready for US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to fly in it in 2020. The Dragon undocked and performed a re-entry burn before splashing down on March 8, 2019, at 08:45 EST, off the coast of Florida.

SpaceX held a successful launch of the first commercial orbital human space flight on May 30, 2020, crewed with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken. Both astronauts focused on conducting tests on the Crew Dragon capsule. Crew Dragon successfully returned to Earth, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico on August 2, 2020.

Starlink 9-3 upper stage anomaly

On July 12, 2024, SpaceX launched a group of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. While the booster performed nominally, including a successful droneship landing, the upper stage failed to relight for a second burn, with ice appearing to accumulate around the engine during the first burn due to a liquid oxygen leak that developed from vibrational fatigue which led to a crack in a pressure sensor line. The satellites were deployed from the upper stage into the lower initial parking orbit with a perigee of 135 km, less than half the targeted perigee. After separation, the satellites were commanded to burn their ion thrusters. SpaceX modified the satellite software so the thrusters would produce as much thrust as possible. Despite this, all of the satellites re-entered the atmosphere following the launch. This launch was the first Falcon 9 Block 5 or Falcon 9 Full Thrust failure thereby ending the Guinness World Record of 325 successful Falcon 9 launches since the pre-flight anomaly of AMOS-6.

Reuse of the first stage

SpaceX has developed a program to reuse the first-stage booster, setting multiple booster reflight records.

See also

* List of Falcon 1 launches
* List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters
* List of SpaceX Dragon 1 missions
* List of SpaceX Dragon 2 missions
* List of Starlink and Starshield launches
* List of Starship launches

Notes

References

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