Falcon 9 ushered in the modern space economy – retiring it could leave the industry vulnerable
The Falcon 9 rocket has carried over 50% of commercial spaceflight missions to low Earth orbit in 2025, launching Earth-imaging satellites, environmental monitoring systems, and astronaut crew capsules. SpaceX reportedly plans to phase out Falcon 9 by late 2026, redirecting resources to Starship development. The author argues this retirement threatens a booming commercial space sector unless public and private sectors find alternatives, and traces Falcon 9's role in enabling modern commercial space access since 2002.
Key points
- Falcon 9 conducted over 50% of ~330 spaceflights to low Earth orbit in 2025
- SpaceX planning to phase out Falcon 9 by late 2026 to focus on Starship
- Rocket has enabled Earth imaging, environmental monitoring, and ISS crew missions for 16 years
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