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List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches

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This is a list of missions, historic and planned, for the SpaceX Falcon 9 family of launch vehicles. The four versions of the rocket are the Falcon 9 v1.0 (now retired), Falcon 9 v1.1 (now retired), Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust, and the in-development Falcon Heavy.

Notable missions

Maiden launch

Launch of Falcon 9 Flight 1 with a boilerplate Dragon

The Falcon 9 maiden launch occurred on June 4, 2010 and was deemed a success, placing the test payload within 1 percent of the intended orbit. The second stage engine performed a short second burn to demonstrate its multiple firing capability.[1]

The rocket experienced, "a little bit of roll at liftoff" as Ken Bowersox from SpaceX put it. This roll had stopped prior to the craft reaching the top of the tower.[2] The second stage began to slowly roll near the end of its burn which was not expected.[1]

The halo from the venting of propellant from the Falcon 9 second stage as it rolled in space could be seen from all of Eastern Australia and some believed it to be a UFO.[3][4]

COTS Demo Flight 1

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch with COTS Demo Flight 1

The next launch attempt for Falcon 9 was COTS Demo Flight 1, with an operational Dragon module. The launch took place on December 8, 2010.[5] The flight placed the Dragon capsule in a roughly 300-kilometer (190 mi) orbit. After two orbits, the capsule re-entered the atmosphere to be recovered off the coast of Mexico.[6] This flight tested the pressure vessel integrity, attitude control using the Draco engines, telemetry, guidance, navigation, control systems, the PICA-X heat shield, and parachutes at speed. The test payload for this flight was a wheel of cheese. The flight was a success on first attempt.

COTS Demo Flight 2

This flight was the first fully commercially developed launcher to deliver a payload to the International Space Station. This launch combined COTS 2 and 3 missions that included berthing with ISS. It was also the first night launch of Falcon 9.[7]

The first launch attempt, on 19 May 2012 resulted in a countdown abort on the pad at T−00:00:00.5.[8] Chamber pressure on one of the engines was observed by onboard computers as being outside nominal parameters; therefore the launch was automatically aborted after main engine ignition, but before liftoff. Following the countdown abort, representatives stated that the next attempt was scheduled for May 22, 2012 at 03:44 EDT (07:44 GMT) or May 23, 2012 at 03:22 EDT (07:22 GMT). The second attempt was successful.[9][10]

CRS-1

The first operational cargo resupply mission to ISS was launched on October 7, 2012 at 8:35 PM EST. At 76 seconds after liftoff, engine 1 of the first stage suffered a loss of pressure which caused an automatic shutdown of that engine. The remaining eight first-stage engines continued to burn and the Dragon capsule reached orbit successfully. Due to safety regulations required by NASA, the secondary Orbcomm-2 satellite payload was released into a lower-than-intended orbit, and subsequently declared a total loss.[11]

Engine anomaly on one of the nine engines on the Falcon 9 first stage during the ascent after 1 min 19 sec flight resulted in automatic engine shutdown and a longer first-stage burn on the remaining eight engines to complete orbital insertion. This was the first demonstration of SpaceX Falcon 9 "engine out" capability in flight.[12][13] NASA requires a greater-than-99% estimated probability that the stage of any secondary payload on a similar orbital inclination to the Station will reach their orbital goal above the station. Due to the original engine failure, the Falcon 9 used more fuel than intended, bringing this estimate down to around 95%. Because of this, the second stage did not attempt another burn, and Orbcomm-G2 was deployed into a rapidly decaying orbit[11][14] and burned up in Earth's atmosphere within 4 days after the launch.[15][16] The mission continued to rendezvous and berth the Dragon capsule with the ISS where the ISS crew unloaded its payload and reloaded it with cargo for return to Earth.

CRS-2

The second operational cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station took place on March 1, 2013. At 10:10 EST, a Falcon 9 v1.0 was launched carrying 575 kg (1,268 lb) of cargo for the astronauts aboard the ISS. Once in orbit, three of the four reaction control system (RCS) thruster pods on the Dragon capsule needed to dock with the ISS failed to initially start up due to a low oxidizer pressure condition. Shortly afterwards, SpaceX announced that the problem had been resolved and a stuck valve had been freed allowing full oxidizer pressure and normal thruster operation. The Dragon capsule berthed with the ISS on March 3.[17]

First flight of Falcon 9 v1.1

SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 launch from Vandenberg with CASSIOPE

SpaceX launched the maiden flight of the Falcon 9 v1.1—an essentially new launch vehicle, much larger and with greater thrust than Falcon 9 v1.0—on September 29, 2013, a demonstration launch.[18] Although the rocket carried CASSIOPE as a primary payload, CASSIOPE had a payload mass that is very small relative to the rocket's capability, and it did so at a discounted rate—approximately 20% of the normal published price for SpaceX Falcon 9 LEO missions—because the flight was a technology demonstration mission for SpaceX.[19][20][21]

After the second stage separated from the booster stage, SpaceX conducted a novel flight test, wherein the booster attempted to reenter the lower atmosphere in a controlled manner and decelerate to a simulated over-water landing.[22] The test was successful, but the booster stage was not recovered. This was the first high-altitude, high-velocity Falcon 9 ocean booster landing tests.

Launch history

Flight № Date and time (UTC) Type Launch Complex Payload Orbit Customer Outcome
1 June 4, 2010, 18:45 v1.0[23] CC LC40 Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit LEO SpaceX Success
1st flight of Falcon 9 v1.0[1]
2 December 8, 2010, 15:43[24] v1.0[23] CC LC40 NASA COTS – Demo 1, 2 Cubesats[25] LEO NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, National Reconnaissance Office Success
Maiden flight of Dragon Capsule; 3 hours, testing of maneuvering thrusters and reentry[26]
3 May 22, 2012, 07:44[27] v1.0[23] CC LC40 NASA COTS – Demo C2+[28] LEO NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Success[29]
Launch was scrubbed on first attempt, second launch attempt was successful.[9]
4 October 8, 2012, 00:34[30] v1.0[23] CC LC40 Primary payload: SpaceX CRS-1[31] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success
Secondary payload: Orbcomm-OG2[32] LEO Orbcomm Failure[15][33]
CRS-1 successful, secondary payload inserted into abnormally low orbit and lost due to Falcon 9 boost stage engine failure, ISS visiting vehicle safety rules, and the primary payload owner's contractual right to decline a second ignition of the second stage under some conditions.[15][16]
5 March 1, 2013, 15:10[34] v1.0[23] CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-2[35][36][37] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success
Final scheduled flight of Falcon 9 v1.0 vehicle.[38]
6 September 29, 2013, 16:00[21] v1.1[23] VAFB SLC-4E CASSIOPE[36][39] Polar orbit MDA Corp Success[21]
Commercial mission and first Falcon 9 v1.1 flight, with improved 13 tonne to LEO capacity.[38] Following second-stage separation from the first stage, SpaceX attempted to perform a propulsive-return over-water test and simulated landing of the discarded booster vehicle.[22] The test provided good test data on the experiment—its primary objective—but as the booster neared the ocean, aerodynamic forces caused an uncontrollable roll. The center engine, depleted of fuel by centrifugal force, shut down resulting in the impact and destruction of the vehicle.[21]
7 December 3, 2013, 22:41[40] v1.1 CC LC40 SES-8[41][42] GTO SES Success[43]
First GTO launch for Falcon 9.[41]
8 January 6, 2014, 22:06[44] v1.1 CC LC40 Thaicom 6 GTO Thaicom Success[45]
Second GTO launch for Falcon 9.
The USAF later evaluated launch data from this flight as part of a separate certification program for SpaceX to qualify to fly US military payloads and found that the Thaicom 6 launch had "unacceptable fuel reserves at engine cutoff of the stage 2 second burnoff".[46]
9 April 18, 2014, 19:25[47] v1.1 CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-3[35][36][37] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success
Following second-stage separation, SpaceX conducted a second controlled-descent test of the discarded booster vehicle and achieved the first successful controlled ocean soft touchdown of a liquid-rocket-engine orbital booster.[48][49]

This was the first Falcon 9 booster to fly with the extensible landing legs, and the first Dragon mission with the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle.

10 July 14, 2014, 15:15 v1.1 CC LC40 OG2 Mission 1
6 OG2 satellites
LEO Orbcomm Success[50]
Second Falcon 9 booster with landing legs. Following second-stage separation, SpaceX conducted a controlled-descent test of the discarded booster vehicle. In the event, the first stage successfully decelerated from hypersonic velocity in the upper atmosphere, made a successful reentry, landing burn, deployment of its landing legs and touched down on the ocean surface. The first stage was not recovered however, as the hull integrity breached when the rocket tipped over as intended following the soft-landing.[51]
11 August 5, 2014, 08:00 v1.1 CC LC40 AsiaSat 8[52][53][54] GTO AsiaSat Success[55]
12 September 7, 2014, 05:00 v1.1 CC LC40 AsiaSat 6[52][53][56] GTO AsiaSat Success[57]
13 September 21, 2014, 05:52[58][59] v1.1 CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-4[36][37] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success[60]
14 January 10, 2015, 09:47[61] v1.1 CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-5[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success[62]

Following second stage separation, SpaceX did a test flight and attempted to return the first stage of the Falcon 9 through the atmosphere and land it on an approximately 90 by 50 meters (300 ft × 160 ft) floating platform—called the autonomous spaceport drone ship. Many of the test objectives were achieved, including precision control of the rocket's descent to land on the platform at a specific point in the Atlantic ocean, and a large amount of test data was obtained from the first use of grid fin control surfaces used for more precise reentry positioning. The grid fin control system ran out of hydraulic fluid a minute before landing and the landing itself resulted in a crash.[63][64]

15 February 11, 2015, 23:03[65] v1.1 CC LC40 DSCOVR[66] L1 U.S. Air Force/NASA/NOAA Success
First launch under USAF's OSP 3 launch contract.[67] First SpaceX launch to put a satellite to an orbit with an orbital altitude many times the distance to the Moon: Sun-Earth libration point L1. The first stage made a test flight descent to an over-ocean landing within 10 m (33 ft) of its intended target.[68]
16 March 2, 2015, 03:50[69][70] v1.1 CC LC40 ABS-3A, Eutelsat 115 West B (ex-Satmex 7)[52] GTO Asia Broadcast Satellite, Eutelsat (Satmex) Success
The launch was Boeing's first-ever conjoined launch of a lighter-weight dual-commsat stack that was specifically designed to take advantage of the lower-cost SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle.[71][72] Per satellite, launch costs were less than $30 million.[73] The ABS satellite reached its final destination ahead of schedule and started operations on September 10.[74]
17 April 14, 2015, 20:10[69] v1.1 CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-6[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Success
Following the first-stage boost, SpaceX attempted a controlled-descent test of the first stage. The first stage contacted the ship, but soon tipped over due to excess lateral velocity caused by a stuck throttle valve resulting in a later-than-designed downthrottle.[75][76]
18 April 27, 2015, 23:03[77] v1.1 CC LC40 TurkmenAlem52E/MonacoSAT [78] GTO Turkmenistan National Space Agency[79] Success
19 June 28, 2015, 14:21[80][81] v1.1 CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-7[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services Failure[82]
Performance was nominal until T+140 seconds into launch when a cloud of white vapor appeared, followed by rapid loss of 2nd stage LOX tank pressure. The booster continued on its trajectory until complete vehicle breakup at T+150 seconds. The Dragon CRS-7 capsule was ejected from the disintegrating launch vehicle and deflagration and continued transmitting data until impact with the ocean. SpaceX officials stated that the capsule could have been recovered if the parachutes deployed; however, the software in the capsule did not include any provisions for parachute deployment in this situation. Subsequent investigation traced the accident to the failure of a strut which secured a helium bottle inside the 2nd stage LOX tank. With the helium pressurization system integrity breached, excess helium quickly flooded the LOX tank, causing it to overpressurize and burst.[83] (Video).

After the first stage was used for the ascent, SpaceX had planned to conduct another controlled-descent and landing test of the booster, but the main mission never got to the point where the booster test was to commence.

The International Docking Adapter (IDA)-1 was a large piece of cargo on SpaceX CRS-7.

20 December 22, 2015, 01:29[84] v1.1 FT CC LC40 OG-2 Mission 2[84]

11 OG2 satellites

LEO Orbcomm Success
First launch of the upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle (internally known as Falcon 9 v1.1 Full Thrust), with a 30 percent power increase.[85] Orbcomm had originally agreed to be the third flight of the enhanced-thrust rocket,[86] but the change to the maiden flight position was announced in October 2015.[85] SpaceX applied to the FAA for permission to land the booster on solid ground at Cape Canaveral;[87] this landing attempt was successful.[88]
21 January 17, 2016, 18:42[89] v1.1 VAFB SLC-4E Jason-3[90] LEO NASA/NOAA/CNES Success
First launch of NASA and NOAA joint science mission under the NLS II launch contract (not related to NASA CRS or USAF OSP3 contracts). Last launch of the original Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket. SpaceX again attempted a landing on an autonomous drone ship; this time located in the Pacific Ocean. The first stage did successfully soft-land on the ship, but one a lockout on one of the landing legs failed to latch and it fell over. The live video feed from the drone ship was lost shortly before the first stage landed and SpaceX is currently downlinking the video footage of the landing for final confirmation of what occurred.[91][92][93] Satellite was successfully deployed to target orbit.[94]

Future launches

Future missions are listed in order of launch when firm launch planning dates are in place, and reliably sourced. The order of the later launches is much less certain, as the official SpaceX manifest does not include a schedule. Tentative launch dates are picked from a compilation not derived from Wikipedia[89] or from individual sources for each launch.

SpaceX has indicated it has “well over a dozen” launches planned for 2016.[95]

Flight № Date and time (UTC) Type Launch Complex Payload Orbit Customer Status
22 NET February 6 2016[89][96][97] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SES-9[98] GTO SES
Second launch of the enhanced Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle.[85]
23 March 20, 2016
04:23[89][96]
v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-8[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
Dragon will carry the inflatable Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) to the ISS for two years of in-orbit tests.[99]
NET Late March 2016[89][96] v1.1 FT CC LC40 ABS-2A, Eutelsat 117 West B (ex-Satmex 9) GTO Asia Broadcast Satellite, Eutelsat (Satmex)
One year after pioneering this technique on flight 16, Falcon will again launch two Boeing 702SP electric-propulsion satellites in a dual-stack configuration,[74] with the same customers sharing the rocket and mission costs.
Early 2016[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 JCSAT-14[100] GTO JSAT Corporation
Q1, 2016[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 Amos-6[101] GTO Spacecom
April, 2016[89][102] Heavy KSC LC39A Falcon Heavy Demo[103] TBD SpaceX
Will be the first launch of the Falcon Heavy.
TBD (prev Mar 21 2016)[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-9[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
Among other cargo, a second International Docking Adapter (IDA-2) will be carried to the ISS, replacing the lost one from CRS-7.
June 10, 2016[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-10[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
2016 v1.1 FT CC LC40 Thaicom 8[104] GTO Thaicom
2016 v1.1 FT CC LC40 BulgariaSat-1[105] GTO Bulsatcom
2016 v1.1 FT CC LC40 JCSAT-16[106] GTO JSAT Corporation
2016 v1.1 FT CC LC40 KoreaSat 5A[107] GTO KT Corporation
2016 v1.1 FT CC LC40 Es’hail 2[108] GTO Es’hailSat
August 15, 2016[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-11[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
August 2016[89][109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 3-12[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
After the first two qualification units riding a Dnepr rocket in April, each Falcon mission will carry 10 Iridium NEXT satellites, with a goal to complete deployment of the 72-satellite constellation by the end of 2017.[109]
2016 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E FORMOSAT 5[112][113] SSO NSPO, Taiwan
2016 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E SAOCOM 1A[114] SSO CONAE
October 2016[89][109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 13-22[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
October 2016[89] Heavy KSC LC39A DSX, FORMOSAT 7A/B/C/D/E/F, LightSail-B[115] LEO/MEO U.S. Air Force
USAF Space Test Program Flight 2 (STP-2)[67]
Q4, 2016[116] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SES-10[98] GTO SES
Q4, 2016[116] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SES-11[117] GTO SES
2016[needs update][103] Heavy KSC LC39A EuropaSat/HellasSat 3[118] GTO Inmarsat
2016[needs update][103] Heavy KSC LC39A Inmarsat 5-F4[118] GTO Inmarsat
2016[needs update][103] Heavy KSC LC39A ViaSat-2[119][120] GTO ViaSat
2016[needs update] v1.1 FT CC LC40 DragonLab Mission 1[52] SpaceX
Late 2016[109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 23-32[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
December 15, 2016[89] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-12[52] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
December 2016 v1.1 FT KSC LC39A SpX-DM1[121] LEO NASA
Demonstration mission to ISS for NASA with an uncrewed Dragon V2 capsule.
Early 2017[109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 33-42[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
Early 2017[109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 43-52[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
Early 2017[122] v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-13[122] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
April 2017 v1.1 FT KSC LC39A SpX-DM2[121] LEO NASA
Dragon V2 for a NASA-contracted mission—planned to be the first NASA astronauts to ISS on a US spacecraft since STS-135 in 2011.
Q2, 2017[116] v1.1 FT Boca Chica
(tentative)[123]
SES-16 / GovSat-1[124] GTO SES
2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-14[122] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 SpaceX CRS-15[122] LEO NASA Commercial Resupply Services
2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite[125] HEO NASA
2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 (TBC) PSN-6[126] / co-payload TBA GTO PSN/ TBA
2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 (TBC) ABS-8[127] GTO Asia Broadcast Satellite
2017 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E SAOCOM 1B[114] SSO CONAE
2017 Heavy KSC LC39A TBD GTO Intelsat
Q4, 2017[116] v1.1 FT Boca Chica
(tentative)[123]
SES-14[124] GTO SES
Late 2017[109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 53-62[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
Late 2017[109] v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E Iridium NEXT 63-72[110][111] LEO Iridium Communications
Late 2017 v1.1 FT CC LC40 Hispasat 1F[128] or Amazonas 5[129] GTO Hispasat[130]
Late 2017 v1.1 FT ? Google Lunar X Prize / SpaceIL lander[131] and a dozen small satellites to be announced[132] SSO[133] + TLI Spaceflight Industries[133]
A Falcon 9 booked by Spaceflight Industries will deliver a 500-kg Moon lander built by Israeli project SpaceIL. This is the first launch contract officially verified by Google Lunar X Prize, allowing the competition to continue until the end of 2017.[131] The launch customer plans to share the mission with a dozen other payloads from 50 to 575 kg.[132]
2018 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E RCM 1/2/3[134] SSO CSA
2018[needs update] v1.1 FT CC LC40 DragonLab Mission 2[52] SpaceX
2018 Heavy KSC LC39A ArabSat 6A[135] GTO ArabSat
2019 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E SARah 1[136] SSO Bundeswehr
2019 v1.1 FT VAFB SLC-4E SARah 2/3[136] SSO Bundeswehr

See also

References

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