For the sixth 12 months in a row, SpaceX is on the right track to set a brand new annual launch report for the Falcon 9 rocket, highlighting SpaceX’s rising dominance in orbital launch exercise, in addition to the success of its reusable booster system in enabling frequent, cost-effective flights.
The Elon Musk-led spaceflight firm is about to finish 159 Falcon 9 launches by the tip of the 12 months, beating final 12 months’s annual tally of 132 — 134 for those who rely the 2 Falcon Heavy launches, every of which used three Falcon 9 boosters. Whereas among the launches have concerned satellite tv for pc deployments for governments and organizations, the overwhelming majority of the missions have despatched batches of SpaceX’s Starlink web satellites to orbit.
If you assume again to 2015 when SpaceX accomplished a mere 10 Falcon 9 missions, the uptick within the firm’s launch frequency is fairly astonishing.
It’s been in a position to enhance its launch actions thanks for probably the most half to the reliability of its workhorse rocket, and the corporate’s capacity to land the first-stage booster after launch, permitting it to reuse every one for a number of missions.
SpaceX’s principal rivals embody United Launch Alliance and Rocket Lab, however neither firm has come near the variety of launches achieved by SpaceX in 2025.
One to look at is Blue Origin, a spaceflight firm began by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Whereas primarily identified for its single-stage sub-orbital New Shepard rocket that’s been taking paying passengers on rides to the sting of house since 2021, the corporate is now specializing in the event of its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket, which by way of thrust energy sits above the Falcon 9 although beneath the Falcon Heavy.
The New Glenn took its first flight in January 2025, and its second simply final month, deploying two Mars satellites for NASA.
Blue Origin didn’t land the first-stage booster in throughout its maiden mission in January, however succeeded final month, mirroring SpaceX’s touchdown of the Falcon 9 booster.
SpaceX’s busiest 12 months to this point has run alongside its growth of the Starship, its next-generation megarocket that’s destined for crew and cargo missions to the moon, and presumably to Mars, too.
The Starship took its first take a look at flight in 2023 and has since flown an extra 10 instances. Its subsequent take a look at flight is anticipated to happen early subsequent 12 months.