Falcon 9 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Falcon 9
Size

A Falcon 9 lifting off from LC-39A, carrying Demo-2
Function	Orbital launch vehicle
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Country of origin	United States
Cost per launch	US$67 million (2022)
Height	FT: 70 m (230 ft) v1.1: 68.4 m (224 ft) v1.0: 54.9 m (180 ft)
Diameter	3.7 m (12 ft)
Mass	FT: 549 t (1,210,000 lb) v1.1: 506 t (1,116,000 lb) v1.0: 333 t (734,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to Low Earth orbit (LEO)	FT: 22.8 t (50,000 lb) Expended 18.4 t (41,000 lb) when landing on ASDS v1.1: 13.1 t (29,000 lb) v1.0: 10.4 t (23,000 lb)
Payload to Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO)	FT: 8.3 t (18,000 lb) Expended 5.5 t (12,000 lb) when landing on ASDS 3.5 t (7,700 lb) when RTLS v1.1: 4.8 t (11,000 lb) v1.0: 4.5 t (9,900 lb)
Payload to Mars transfer orbit	FT: 4,020 kg (8,860 lb)

Associated rockets
Derivatives	Falcon Heavy
Launch history
Status	FT Block 5: Active FT Block 4: Retired FT Block 3: Retired v1.1: Retired v1.0: Retired
Launch sites	Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 Kennedy Space Center, LC-39A Vandenberg, SLC-4E Vandenberg, SLC-6 (future)
Total launches	334 FT: 314 v1.1: 15 v1.0: 5
Successes	332 FT: 314 v1.1: 14 v1.0: 4
Failures	1 (v1.1: CRS-7 in-flight)
Partial failures	1 (v1.0: CRS-1)
Other	1 (FT: AMOS-6 pre-flight destruction)
Landings	292 / 301 attempts
First flight	FT Block 5: 11 May 2018 (Bangabandhu Satellite-1) FT: 22 December 2015 (OG2 Flight 2) v1.1: 29 September 2013 CASSIOPE v1.0: 4 June 2010 (Dragon COTS Demo 1)
Last flight	FT Block 4: 29 June 2018 (SpaceX CRS-15) v1.1: 17 January 2016 (Jason-3) v1.0: 1 March 2013 (SpaceX CRS-2)

First stage
Engines	FT Block 5: 9 Merlin 1D+ (maximum thrust) FT: 9 Merlin 1D+ v1.1: 9 Merlin 1D v1.0: 9 Merlin 1C
Thrust	FT (late 2016): 7.6 MN (770 t_f; 1,700,000 lbf) FT: 6.8 MN (690 t_f; 1,500,000 lbf) v1.1: 5.9 MN (600 t_f; 1,300,000 lbf) v1.0: 4.9 MN (500 t_f; 1,100,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	v1.1 Sea level: 282 s (2.77 km/s) Vacuum: 311 s (3.05 km/s) v1.0 Sea level: 275 s (2.70 km/s) Vacuum: 304 s (2.98 km/s)
Burn time	FT: 162 seconds v1.1: 180 seconds v1.0: 170 seconds
Fuel	LOX / RP-1
Second stage
Engines	FT regular: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum+ regular nozzle FT short: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum+ short nozzle v1.1: 1 Merlin 1D Vacuum v1.0: 1 Merlin 1C Vacuum
Thrust	FT regular: 934 kN (95.2 t_f; 210,000 lbf) FT short: 840.6 kN (85.72 t_f; 189,000 lbf) v1.1: 801 kN (81.7 t_f; 180,000 lbf) v1.0: 617 kN (62.9 t_f; 139,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	FT regular: 348 s (3.41 km/s) FT short: 348 s (3.41 km/s) v1.1: 340 s (3.3 km/s) v1.0: 342 s (3.35 km/s)
Burn time	FT regular: 397 seconds FT short: 397 seconds v1.1: 375 seconds v1.0: 345 seconds
Fuel	LOX / RP-1

The Falcon 9 is a powerful rocket built by an American company called SpaceX. It is special because it can be used more than once, like a reusable car. This rocket can carry both supplies and astronauts into Earth orbit. It can also launch very heavy things into space.

The first Falcon 9 rocket launched on June 4, 2010. It made history in 2020 by becoming the first private rocket to send humans into orbit. It is the only U.S. rocket approved to take astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). In 2022, it became the U.S. rocket with the most launches ever. It also has a great safety record, with only one major flight issue.

How Does the Falcon 9 Rocket Work?
- The First Stage: The Booster
- The Second Stage: Reaching Orbit
What Can Falcon 9 Carry?
- Carrying Satellites
- Carrying Astronauts and Cargo
Different Versions of Falcon 9
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

How Does the Falcon 9 Rocket Work?

The Falcon 9 rocket has two main parts, called stages. Think of it like a two-part toy rocket.

The First Stage: The Booster

The first stage is the big bottom part. It has nine powerful SpaceX Merlin engines. This stage pushes the rocket and its cargo very fast and high into the sky. After its job is done, the first stage separates.

What makes Falcon 9 amazing is that this first stage can fly back to Earth and land upright! This means it can be used again for future missions. SpaceX first achieved this incredible landing in December 2015. As of today, Falcon 9 boosters have landed successfully many times. Some boosters have flown into space as many as 19 times!

The Second Stage: Reaching Orbit

The second stage is the top part of the rocket. It has one Merlin engine. After the first stage separates, the second stage fires up. It pushes the payload (the satellites or spacecraft) even faster. This helps the payload reach its exact target orbit in space.

Both stages of the rocket use special fuel. They burn super-cold liquid oxygen (LOX) and a type of rocket fuel called RP-1.

What Can Falcon 9 Carry?

The Falcon 9 is known for carrying heavy payloads. It has set records for the most satellites launched at once.

Carrying Satellites

The Falcon 9 has launched some of the heaviest satellites. For example, it carried the Intelsat 35e satellite, which weighed over 6,700 kilograms (about 14,900 pounds). It also launched Telstar 19V, weighing over 7,000 kilograms (about 15,500 pounds).

On January 24, 2021, a Falcon 9 rocket launched 143 satellites into orbit. This was a world record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket!

Carrying Astronauts and Cargo

The Falcon 9 is approved by NASA to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. It also carries important supplies and experiments to the ISS. This makes it a very important rocket for space exploration.

NASA trusts the Falcon 9 for its most important and complex missions. This is because of its strong safety record and reliability.

Different Versions of Falcon 9

Over the years, SpaceX has made different versions of the Falcon 9 rocket. Each new version was an improvement on the last.

v1.0: This was the first version, flying from 2010 to 2013.
v1.1: This version flew from 2013 to 2016.
v1.2 Full Thrust (FT): This version first launched in 2015.
Block 5: This is the latest and most advanced version of the Full Thrust rocket. It has been in use since May 2018. The Block 5 is designed to be even more reusable.

Images for kids

Falcon 9 Flight 20 historic first-stage landing at CCAFS, Landing Zone 1, on December 21, 2015.
A Falcon 9 v1.0 being launched with a Dragon spacecraft to deliver cargo to the ISS in 2012.
The launch of the first Falcon 9 v1.1 from SLC-4, Vandenberg AFB (Falcon 9 Flight 6) in September 2013.
A close-up of the newer titanium grid fins first flown for the second Iridium NEXT mission in June 2017.
Falcon 9's first stage successfully landing on an ASDS for the first time, following the launch of SpaceX CRS-8 to the ISS.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket delivered the ABS-3A and Eutelsat 115 West B satellites to a supersynchronous transfer orbit, launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida in March 2015.