Launch vehicle
Falcon 9
The first orbital-class rocket capable of reflight, and the most-flown launch vehicle in history. Nine Merlin engines on a 3.7-meter kerolox core, a single Merlin Vacuum upstairs, and a first stage that lands itself — on a droneship or back at the pad.
- Height
- 70 m / 230 ft
- Diameter
- 3.7 m / 12.1 ft
- Liftoff mass
- 518 t
- Liftoff thrust
- 7,607 kN
- Stages
- 2
- Payload to LEO · rated
- 23 t
- Operator
- SpaceX
- First flight
- 2010
- Status
- operational
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Performance
Payload capacity, solved by the engine
Ideal staged-Δv model (rocket equation, Rust) against standard surface-to-destination budgets that include typical gravity/drag/steering losses. First-order — not a flight manifest.
LEO
…
Low Earth orbit (~9.4 km/s incl. losses)
GTO
…
Geostationary transfer (LEO + 2.44)
GEO
…
Direct to geostationary (LEO + 3.9)
Moon
…
Trans-lunar injection (LEO + 3.12)
Mars
…
Trans-Mars injection (LEO + 3.6)
Stage 1
First stage
- Length
- 42.6 m
- Diameter
- 3.7 m
- Dry mass
- 25.6 t
- Propellant
- 395.7 t
- Engines
- 9× Merlin 1D
- Thrust
- 7,607 kN
- Isp (vacuum)
- 312 s
Stage 2
Second stage
- Length
- 12.6 m
- Diameter
- 3.7 m
- Dry mass
- 3.9 t
- Propellant
- 92.7 t
- Engines
- 1× Merlin Vacuum
- Thrust
- 981 kN
- Isp (vacuum)
- 348 s
Now put it on a trajectory
Every number on this page came out of the same Rust engine that propagates your orbits. Load this vehicle on the Flight Deck, plan a transfer, and see if your mission closes.