Falcon 9
SpaceX
Partially reusable two-stage orbital rocket and the world's first commercially successful reusable orbital launch vehicle.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Payload capacity
- 22,800 kg
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Payload to LEO
- 22,800 kg
- Payload to GTO
- 8,300 kg
- Payload to GEO (direct)
- 3,500 kg
- First stage engines
- 9× Merlin 1D (sea-level)
- Second stage engine
- 1× Merlin 1D Vacuum
- Total thrust (sea level)
- 7,607 kN
- Fairing diameter
- 5.2 m
- Height
- 70 m
- Liftoff mass
- 549,054 kg
- Propellant
- RP-1 / LOX
- First stage reusability
- Yes — up to 20+ reflights demonstrated
About
Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s workhorse launch vehicle — a partially reusable, two-stage rocket powered by nine Merlin engines on the first stage and one Merlin Vacuum engine on the second. The rocket’s first stage is designed to return to Earth after launch and land propulsively, either on a drone ship at sea or at the launch site, enabling the stage to be reflown multiple times and dramatically reducing launch costs.
Falcon 9 has been the most frequently launched orbital rocket in history and the first commercial launch vehicle to successfully deliver astronauts to the International Space Station, under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It supports payload delivery to a wide range of orbits including low Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), and escape trajectories.
The vehicle is available in both a standard payload fairing configuration (5.2m diameter) and as Falcon 9 Block 5, the current production version, which features improvements enabling greater reusability. SpaceX also operates Falcon 9 in rideshare configuration through its Transporter and Bandwagon programs, offering affordable small satellite launch slots on a regular cadence.
As of mid-2026, individual Falcon 9 first stages have been reflown over 20 times, and the vehicle family has completed well over 300 successful missions.
Documentation
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.