SpaceX · Operational · us · Launch Vehicle
Falcon 9 Block 5
World's most-flown orbital booster; up to 35 booster reflights demonstrated.
Verified 2026-06-17 · First flight 2018-05-11
Systems cutaway
9× Merlin 1D+ sea-level engines (S1), 1× Merlin 1D Vacuum (S2); RP-1/LOX; 7,607 kN total S1 liftoff thrust; S2 MVac 934 kN vacuum thrust.
Two-stage aluminum-lithium alloy; 3.7 m diameter; titanium grid fins for booster control.
Autonomous flight termination system (AFTS); triple-redundant flight computers; GPS/IMU guidance.
First stage returns via propulsive landing on drone ship (ASDS) or landing zone; cold-gas thrusters, titanium grid fins, four deployable landing legs; up to 35 reflights demonstrated.
Specs & Metrics
- Payload to LEO ↑ better
- 22,800 kg
- expendable; 18,500 kg reusable
- Maximum payload mass deliverable to low Earth orbit (~200–400 km circular), in the vehicle's stated reference configuration.
- Payload to GTO ↑ better
- 8,300 kg
- expendable; 5,500 kg reusable
- Maximum payload mass deliverable to geostationary transfer orbit (~185 × 35,786 km), in the stated reference config.
- Liftoff Thrust ↑ better
- 7607 kN
- Total first-stage thrust at liftoff (sea-level), in kilonewtons, summing all active engines and solid strap-ons.
- Liftoff Mass ↓ better
- 549 t
- Total vehicle mass at liftoff including propellant, payload, and all stages, in metric tonnes.
- Vehicle Height ↓ better
- 70 m
- Full stack height at liftoff, in metres, including fairing or spacecraft.
- Launch Cost ↓ better
- $74M
- 2026 list price
- Publicly stated or estimated list price per launch, in millions of USD.
- Cost per kg to LEO ↓ better
- $3,246/kg
- derived: $74M ÷ 22,800 kg expendable
- Derived cost efficiency: launch list price divided by payload-to-LEO capacity, in USD per kilogram.
- Max Booster Reflights ↑ better
- 35 flights
- B1067 as of mid-2026
- Maximum number of times a single booster unit has flown, as of the verifiedAt date.
- Mission Success Rate ↑ better
- 99.8%
- 595 successes out of 596 Block 5 launches
- Percentage of launch attempts rated as full mission successes over the vehicle's complete flight history.
- Launches in 2025 ↑ better
- 165
- Total number of launch attempts conducted in calendar year 2025 (Jan 1 – Dec 31 UTC).
Subsystems
9× Merlin 1D+ sea-level engines (S1), 1× Merlin 1D Vacuum (S2); RP-1/LOX; 7,607 kN total S1 liftoff thrust; S2 MVac 934 kN vacuum thrust.
Two-stage aluminum-lithium alloy; 3.7 m diameter; titanium grid fins for booster control.
Autonomous flight termination system (AFTS); triple-redundant flight computers; GPS/IMU guidance.
First stage returns via propulsive landing on drone ship (ASDS) or landing zone; cold-gas thrusters, titanium grid fins, four deployable landing legs; up to 35 reflights demonstrated.