The Falcon 9 is a reusable orbital-class launch vehicle designed for payload delivery to orbit.
The Falcon 9 is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle developed by SpaceX capable of delivering payloads to low-Earth orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, and beyond. Its first stage is designed for vertical landing and rapid reuse, dramatically reducing launch costs and enabling high flight cadence for commercial, government, and scientific missions.
The vehicle has flown hundreds of missions for NASA, commercial satellite operators, and defense customers. Vertical takeoff, vertical landing architecture, and rapid refurbishment cycles make Falcon 9 one of the most frequently flown orbital rockets in history, supporting crewed Dragon capsule launches under NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
| Attribute | Falcon 9 | Alpha | Ariane 6 | Electron, Neutron | New Glenn | Small Satellite Launch | Vulcan Centaur | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Founded | 2002 | 2017 | 1980 | 2006 | 2000 | 2022 | 2006 | |
| Sells To | Enterprise, Government | Enterprise | Enterprises | Enterprise, Government | Enterprise | — | Government | |
| Pricing Model | Software, Transactional | Transactional | Services | Software, Transactional | Transactional | — | Transactional | |
| Ownership | Private, Venture Capital | Equity | Private | Public | — | — | Joint Venture, Venture Capital |
Provider
Founded 2002
Sells To Enterprise, Government
Pricing Model Software, Transactional
Ownership Private, Venture Capital
Provider
Founded 2017
Sells To Enterprise
Pricing Model Transactional
Ownership Equity
Provider
Founded 1980
Sells To Enterprises
Pricing Model Services
Ownership Private
Provider
Founded 2006
Sells To Enterprise, Government
Pricing Model Software, Transactional
Ownership Public
Provider
Founded 2000
Sells To Enterprise
Pricing Model Transactional
Ownership —
Boeing Starliner
boeing.com
