Falcon 9 Full Thrust

Falcon 9 Full Thrust (also known as Falcon 9 v1.2) is a <a href="/facts/Reusable_launch_system/j0WC10op">partially reusable</a>, <a href="/facts/Two-stage-to-orbit/rD0nmgs0">two-stage-to-orbit</a>, <a href="/facts/Medium-lift_launch_vehicle/lYXwEPwC">medium-lift launch vehicle</a> when reused and <a href="/facts/Heavy-lift_launch_vehicle/IUfQAwcI">Heavy-lift launch vehicle</a> when expended designed and manufactured in the United States by <a href="/facts/SpaceX/2tKHsVdJ">SpaceX</a>. It is the third major version of the <a href="/facts/Falcon_9/mNck6vby">Falcon 9</a> family, designed starting in 2014, with its first launch operations in December 2015. It was later refined into the <a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_4/L5HWctap">Block 4</a> and <a href="/facts/Falcon_9_Block_5/0QqsLwWb">Block 5</a>. As of 22 April 2025, all variants of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust (including Block 4 and 5) had performed 447 launches with only one failure: <a href="/facts/Starlink/99JTqw3z">Starlink Group 9-3</a>.
<a href="/facts/Falcon_9_flight_20/9PTDkvv7">On December 22, 2015</a>, the Full Thrust version of the <a href="/facts/Falcon_9/mNck6vby">Falcon 9</a> family was the first launch vehicle on an <a href="/facts/Orbital_spaceflight/xdzKmkvt">orbital</a> trajectory to successfully <a href="/facts/VTVL/wqg2WnRq">vertically land</a> a <a href="/facts/First_stage_(rocketry)/WNrmgztj">first stage</a>. The landing followed a <a href="/facts/SpaceX_reusable_launch_system_development_program/kuah4fl8">technology development program</a> conducted from 2013 to 2015. Some of the required technology advances, such as landing legs, were pioneered on the Falcon 9 v1.1 version, but that version never landed intact. Starting in 2017, <a href="/facts/List_of_Falcon_9_first-stage_boosters/uIA83cHY">previously flown first-stage boosters</a> were reused to launch new payloads into orbit. This quickly became routine, in 2018 and in 2019 more than half of all Falcon 9 flights reused a booster. In 2020 the fraction of reused boosters increased to 81%.
Falcon 9 Full Thrust is a substantial upgrade over the previous <a href="/facts/Falcon_9_v1.1/2fd9FJJQ">Falcon 9 v1.1</a> rocket, which flew its last mission in January 2016. With uprated first- and second-stage engines, a larger second-stage propellant tank, and propellant densification, the vehicle can carry substantial payloads to <a href="/facts/Geostationary_orbit/VBq1v5Kr">geostationary orbit</a> and perform a <a href="/facts/Propulsive_landing/AcT1IShv">propulsive landing</a> for recovery.

Falcon 9 Full Thrust open-in-new

Falcon 9 Full Thrust