Falcon 9 Vehicle Overview

The Falcon 9, developed by SpaceX, is a partially reusable medium-lift launch vehicle primarily used for transporting cargo and crew to Earth orbit. It made history in 2020 as the first commercial rocket to launch humans to orbit and remains the only U.S. rocket certified for this purpose. The Falcon 9 features a two-stage design with the first stage capable of vertical landing for reuse. Powered by SpaceX Merlin engines using liquid oxygen and RP-1 as propellants, it has demonstrated a high safety record and versatility, including setting a record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket. The rocket is human-rated, meeting stringent safety standards for NASA astronaut transport to the International Space Station.