As 'Falcon Heavy' Launches, SpaceX Plans Dragon and Falcon 9 Phase Out As Starship Ramps Up
Spaceflight Now reports: "A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched from Florida Thursday night on a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, America's spy satellite agency... The NRO has previously flown payloads on 22 Falcon 9 rockets but this is the first time it has used the heavy-lift Falcon Heavy, which consists of three Falcon 9 boosters and an upper stage, topped by a…
On a recent night in Florida, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off on a classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, America's spy satellite agency. This marked the first time the heavy-lift rocket, which consists of three Falcon 9 boosters and an upper stage, was used for a NRO mission. The powerful rocket, powered by 27 Merlin 1D engines, made its 14th flight on Thursday night.
SpaceX's NROL-97 was part of a busy day of launches, with 130 payloads on the Transporter 13 rideshare mission launched from California. The company has now landed four boosters in a single day.
As Starship flights ramp up, SpaceX has announced plans to phase out the use of its Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, which have revolutionized the space industry but also have no clear backup options. Some satellite operators are already feeling the impact, with Caleb Henry, director of research at Quilty Space, predicting that most remaining space on Falcon 9 rockets may be reserved solely for the US government beyond early 2029.
NASA, currently reliant on SpaceX's Dragon capsule for astronaut transport to the ISS, has acknowledged the looming retirement of these workhorse vehicles.
While Starship is expected to continue costing SpaceX millions as it moves out of the prototyping phase, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell believes it is much better for achieving the company's long-term goals. This shift in focus is financially motivated, as SpaceX's space segment, which includes Falcon, Dragon, and Starship, lost $542 million in its latest quarterly earnings report.
The supply crunch for rocket launches has been looming since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, removing Russia's Soyuz and Proton rockets from the commercial market. Amazon's purchase of over 100 launches from various rocket makers has further exacerbated the situation. While some satellite manufacturers hope for a future on future Starship launches, it remains unclear when or if this will happen.
Other rocket makers, such as Rocket Lab, Firefly Aerospace, United Launch Alliance, and Blue Origin, have not yet reached the scale or launch cadence demanded by the industry.
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