Falcon 9

First orbital class rocket capable of reflight

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Total Launches

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Total Landings

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Total Reflights

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 world’s 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 9's 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 9's 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.

no of engines 1 vaccume
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 13.1m / 43 ft
DIAMETER 5.2m / 17.1 ft






































ENGINES


MERLIN


sealevel | vaccume

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.


PROPALLANT LOX / RP-1
THRUST 885 kN / 190,000 lbf

Falcon 9 launches Dragon to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A

Falcon 9 vertical with its Iridium payload at moonrise

Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-5 payload

Falcon 9 first and second stages after separating in flight

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