Falcon-9
 Falcon-9 v1.0 |
 Falcon-9 v1.1 |
 Falcon-Heavy |
Falcon-9 is a liquid fueled orbital launch vehicle for medium to heavy sized missions, which is developmened by SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp.). It is techonologically based on the Falcon-1 launch vehicle. Both stages are Kerosene / LOX fueled.
The first stage, which is potentially reusable after recovery by parachutes, is powered by 9 of the SpaceX built Merlin-1C engines with regenerative cooling. The upper stage uses a single Merlin engine and will also be potentially reusable. The Falcon-9 is offered with a 5.2 m fairing.
Launch site for low inclination launches is Cape Canaveral launch pad SLC-40. High inclination launches will launch from Vandenberg AFB. An additional launch site near Brownsville, Texas, is also under consideration.
The Falcon-9 will also lift the Dragon space capsule for ISS cargo flights, which might be developed into a manned spacecraft.
The first flight for a Falcon-9 v1.0 took place in June 2010. In 2013, the enlarged Falcon-9 v1.1 will take over, featuring higher powered Merlin-1D engines in a new octagonal arrangement and larger tanks.
| Version | Strap-On | Stage 1 | Stage 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon-9 v1.0 | - | Stage 1 / 9 × Merlin-1C | Stage 2 / Merlin-1C-Vac |
| Falcon-9 v1.1 | - | Stage 1 (str.) / 9 × Merlin-1D | Stage 2 (str.) / Merlin-1D-Vac |
| Falcon-Heavy | 2 × Stage 1 (str.) / 9 × Merlin-1D | Stage 1 (str.) / 9 × Merlin-1D | Stage 2 (str.) / Merlin-1D-Vac |
| Performance (kg) | LEO | LPEO | SSO | GTO | GEO | MolO | IP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon-9 v1.0 | 9900 | 4050 | - | ||||
| Falcon-9 v1.1 | 10450 | 9000 | 8159 | 4850 | - | 2473 | |
| Falcon-Heavy | 53000 | 19500 |
No. TypNo Type Date LS Payload
1 1 Falcon-9 v1.0 04.06.2010 CC SLC-40 Dragon Qualification Unit 2 2 Falcon-9 v1.0 08.12.2010 CC SLC-40 Dragon C1 / SMDC-ONE 1 / QbX 1 / QbX 2 / Mayflower-Caerus / Perseus 000 / Perseus 001 / Perseus 002 / Perseus 003 3 3 Falcon-9 v1.0 22.05.2012 CC SLC-40 Dragon C2 / Celestis 11 4 4 Falcon-9 v1.0 08.10.2012 p CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-1 / Orbcomm FM44 5 5 Falcon-9 v1.0 01.03.2013 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-2 planned launches Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 ABS 2A / Satmex x Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 ABS 3A / Satmex 7 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 AMOS 6 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 AsiaSat 6 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 AsiaSat 8 1 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 Va SLC-4E CASSIOPE 1 / CUSat 1 / CUSat 2 / DANDE / POPACS 1 / 2 / 3 / SNAPS Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-3 / All-Star-THEIA/Ho‘oponopono 2/TechCube 1/LMRSat/FIREBIRD A/B/CUNYSAT 1/Hermes 2 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-4 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-5 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-6 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-7 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-8 / BEAM Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-9 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-10 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2016 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-11 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2016 CC SLC-40 Dragon CRS-12 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 DragonLab 1 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 CC SLC-40 DragonLab 2 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 DSCOVR / Sunjammer Falcon-Heavy xx.xx.2015 CC DSX / FORMOSAT 7A/7B/7C/7D/7E/7F / ? / Ballast Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 Va SLC-4E FORMOSAT 5 Falcon-Heavy xx.xx.2015 CC Intelsat xx Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2016 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2016 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2016 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2017 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2017 Va SLC-4E Iridium-NEXT 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 Va SLC-4E Jason 3 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 CC SLC-40 Orbcomm FM45, FM46, FM47, FM48, FM49, FM50, FM51, FM52 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 Orbcomm FM53, FM54, FM55, FM56, FM57, FM58, FM59, FM60, FM61 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 Va SLC-4E SAOCOM 1A Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2015 Va SLC-4E SAOCOM 1B Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 CC SLC-40 SES 8 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2013 CC SLC-40 Thaicom 6 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.2014 CC SLC-40 Turkmensat 1 Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.20xx CC SLC-40 (Bigelow) Falcon-9 v1.1 xx.xx.20xx CC SLC-40 (Loral) Falcon-9 / Heavy xx.xx.20xx CC SLC-40 (SES) Falcon-9 / Heavy xx.xx.20xx CC SLC-40 (SES) Falcon-9 / Heavy xx.xx.20xx CC SLC-40 (SES) 1 Falcon-Heavy xx.xx.2014 Va SLC-4E ? Failures: Flight 4: One engine of stage one failed 80 sec into the flight, but vehicle was able to compensate for a successful primary mission; second burn before secondary payload release took not place Launch Sites CC Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 Va Vandenberg, SLC-4E
