SpaceX will retire Falcon 9 once Starship proves reliable
SpaceX is gearing up to retire its iconic Falcon 9 rocket, but only once the new Starship proves it can launch reliably and often.
Since 2010, Falcon 9 has lifted off nearly 700 times and made history by reusing its booster.
Elon Musk says switching to Starship will let SpaceX launch more often and carry bigger payloads, thanks to full reusability.
Starship enables larger Starlink launches
Starship stands almost twice as tall as Falcon 9 and can haul more than 100 tons to orbit, way more than Falcon 9's 25 tons.
This means SpaceX can finally launch its next-generation Starlink satellites, which are too big for Falcon 9.
While commercial launches with Falcon 9 may wrap up by 2028, NASA plans to keep using it for International Space Station missions until at least 2030.
The big switch depends on Starship proving it's just as reliable; SpaceX has an upcoming test flight that may be its first attempt at fully reaching orbit soon to make sure it's ready for prime time.