Falcon 9

Falcon 9

Falcon 9 Full Thrust standing on the LC40 launch pad, carrying a Dragon cargo spacecraft for the CRS-8 mission (April 8, 2016)
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Cost per launch	FT: $62M
Size
Height	Block 5: 70 m (230 ft) FT: 70 m (230 ft) v1.1: 68.4 m (224 ft) v1.0: 54.9 m (180 ft)
Diameter	3.7 m (12 ft)
Mass	FT: 549,054 kg (1,210,457 lb) v1.1: 505,846 kg (1,115,200 lb) v1.0: 333,400 kg (735,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to LEO	FT: 22,800 kg (50,300 lb) v1.1: 13,150 kg (28,990 lb) v1.0: 10,450 kg (23,040 lb)
Payload to GTO	FT: 8,300 kg (18,300 lb) v1.1: 4,850 kg (10,690 lb) v1.0: 4,540 kg (10,010 lb)
Launch history
Status	Block 5: In Development FT: Active v1.1: Retired v1.0: Retired
Launch sites	Cape Canaveral SLC-40 Kennedy Space Center LC-39A Vandenberg SLC-4E SpaceX Boca Chica (Under Construction)
Total launches	29+1 FT: 9+1 v1.1: 15 v1.0: 5
Successes	27 FT: 9 v1.1: 14 v1.0: 4
Failures	2 FT: 1 v1.1: 1
Partial failures	1 (v1.0)
Landings	7 / 12 attempts
First flight	FT: December 22, 2015 v1.1: September 29, 2013 v1.0: June 4, 2010
Last flight	FT: 14 January 2017 v1.1: 17 January 2016 v1.0: 1 March 2013
First stage
Engines	Block 5: 9 Merlin 1D+ (max thrust) FT: 9 Merlin 1D+ v1.1: 9 Merlin 1D v1.0: 9 Merlin 1C
Thrust	Block 5 (Mid 2017): 8,451 kN (1,900,000 lbf) FT (late 2016): 7,607 kN (1,710,000 lbf) FT: 6,806 kN (1,530,000 lbf) v1.1: 5,885 kN (1,323,000 lbf) v1.0: 4,940 kN (1,110,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	v1.1 Sea level: 282 seconds Vacuum: 311 seconds v1.0 Sea level: 275 seconds Vacuum: 304 seconds
Burn time	FT: 162 seconds v1.1: 180 seconds v1.0: 170 seconds
Fuel	LOX / RP-1
Second stage
Engines	FT: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum+ v1.1: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum v1.0: 1 Merlin 1C Vacuum
Thrust	FT: 934 kN (210,000 lbf) v1.1: 801 kN (180,000 lbf) v1.0: 617 kN (139,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	FT: 348 seconds v1.1: 340 seconds v1.0: 342 seconds
Burn time	FT: 397 seconds v1.1: 375 seconds v1.0: 345 seconds
Fuel	LOX / RP-1

Falcon 9 is a family of two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicles, named for its use of nine first-stage engines, designed and manufactured by SpaceX. The Falcon 9 versions are the Falcon 9 v1.0 (retired), Falcon 9 v1.1 (retired), and the current Falcon 9 Full Thrust, a partially-reusable launch system. Both stages are powered by rocket engines that burn liquid oxygen (LOX) and rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1) propellants. The first stage is designed to be reusable, while the second stage is not. The Falcon 9 versions are in the medium-lift to heavy-lift range of launch systems. The current Falcon 9 ("Full Thrust") can lift payloads of up to 22,800 kilograms (50,300 lb) to low Earth orbit, and up to 8,300 kilograms (18,300 lb) to geostationary transfer orbit.

The Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule combination won a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract from NASA in 2008 to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The first commercial resupply mission to the ISS launched in October 2012. The initial version 1.0 design made five flights before it was retired in 2013. The version 1.1 design made a total of 15 flights beginning in 2013 before it was retired in January 2016.

SpaceX has been flying an improved version with 30 percent higher performance —Falcon 9 Full Thrust—since December 2015 on the 20th Falcon 9 launch. This followed the 2013 upgrade which was 60 percent heavier —Falcon 9 v1.1—that flew from September 2013 on the 6th Falcon 9 launch, through January 2016 on the 21st Falcon 9 launch. Falcon 9 Full Thrust will be the base for the Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. SpaceX intends to complete testing in order to achieve certification for the Falcon 9 to be human-rated for transporting NASA astronauts to the ISS as part of a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract, also using the Full Thrust version. Elon Musk announced that there will be a final upgrade to the Falcon 9, Falcon 9 Block 5 (previously known unofficially as Falcon 9 1.3). This upgrade will mainly increase the thrust on the engines to the maximum they can produce and will make some improvements to the landing legs. There will also be some minor improvements to help recovery and reuse, among other smaller things.