Musk plans to retire Falcon 9 once Starship flies reliably
Elon Musk said SpaceX will gradually wind down the Falcon 9 program once Starship flies reliably several times a week, redirecting engineering and manufacturing capacity to Starship. Falcon 9 has flown most of the company's orbital missions since 2010 and pioneered routine booster reuse.
- Falcon 9 has flown since June 2010 and lifts about 23 tons to low Earth orbit
- Starship carries over 100 tons; Super Heavy produces ~18 million pounds of thrust
- As of September 2026 Starship is still in testing, with its 13th flight in July
- Musk wants several Starship launches per day before ending Falcon 9
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