Two-stage launch vehicle, partially reusable
Falcon 9
A partially reusable two-stage launch vehicle that uses a nine-engine booster and a restartable vacuum upper stage to serve Earth-orbit and escape missions.
- Height
- 70m
- Liftoff thrust
- 1,700,000+lbf
- Payload to LEO
- 22,800kg
- Expendable
- First flight
- 2010
Overview
- Manufacturer
- SpaceX
- Country
- United States
- First flight
- Stages
- 2
- Engines
- 10 in total
Engineering analysis
Staging
Falcon 9 has nine LOX/RP-1 Merlin engines on the first stage and one Merlin Vacuum engine on the second. The upper stage can restart several times, so one launch can adjust its final orbit or deliver payloads to different orbits.
Reusability
Recovering the first stage costs propellant: fuel kept for entry and landing cannot be spent on ascent. Grid fins, restartable engines and landing hardware make reuse possible, and higher-energy missions can give up recovery margin for payload performance.
Specifications
Size, mass and thrust at liftoff as published, with the basis of each figure.
Falcon 9 key specifications
| Parameter | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 70 m229.7 ft | |
| Liftoff mass | 549,054 kg1,210,000 lb | |
| Liftoff thrust | 1,700,000+ lbf7,562+ kNPublished minimum | Published minimum |
Published figures are shown as recorded. The figure under each one, in the other unit system, is converted by ORBIX and rounded to four significant figures or one decimal place, whichever is coarser. A figure with no qualifier is a published or nominal value. A plus sign after a figure marks a published minimum.
Stages
Each stage element in flight order, with its propellants, engines and whether it is designed to be recovered.
Falcon 9 stages
| Element | Stage | Propellants | Engines | Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First stageRP-1 with liquid oxygen9 × Merlin 1DDesigned for recovery | 1 | RP-1 with liquid oxygen | 9 × Merlin 1D | Designed for recovery |
| Second stageRP-1 with liquid oxygen1 × Merlin VacuumExpended | 2 | RP-1 with liquid oxygen | 1 × Merlin Vacuum | Expended |
Propulsion
Thrust is per engine, where a figure is published. A rocket engine produces more thrust in vacuum because no outside air pressure acts against its exhaust.
Falcon 9 engines by stage
| Engine | Sea level | Vacuum | Stage | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merlin 1D9 engines, SpaceXFirst stageGas generator | 845 kN190,000 lbfPublished maximum | Not published | First stage | Gas generator |
| Merlin Vacuum1 engine, SpaceXSecond stageGas generator | Not published | 981 kN220,500 lbfApproximate | Second stage | Gas generator |
Performance
Payload mass depends on the destination orbit and on whether boosters are recovered, so each figure is tied to both.
Falcon 9 payload capability
| Destination | Payload | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Low Earth orbit (LEO)Expendable | 22,800 kg50,270 lbPublished maximum | Expendable |
| Geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)Expendable | 8,300 kg18,300 lbPublished maximum | Expendable |
The record also lists Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), Medium Earth orbit (MEO), Highly elliptical orbit (HEO) and Earth escape as supported destinations, with no published payload figure.
Photographs
Falcon 9 and Dragon being raised to vertical at Space Launch Complex 40 before the Crew-9 mission, September 2024. Photo: NASA/Keegan Barber. Public domain. Source file. 
Falcon 9 launching NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station, March 2025. Photo: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani. Public domain. Source file. 
Falcon 9 first stage landing on a drone ship after launching CRS-8, April 2016. Photo: SpaceX. CC0 1.0. Source file.
.jpg){kind=link}
