Elon Musk sets condition to end Falcon 9 once Starship flies reliably weekly
Elon Musk stated that SpaceX will retire Falcon 9 once Starship achieves reliable flights several times per week. Falcon 9 remains SpaceX's busiest rocket, with an estimated 140 to 145 launches in 2026. Musk explained that reaching this Starship flight frequency will allow shifting engineering and production resources to increase launch cadence to several times daily, leading to Falcon 9's phase-out. However, Starship has yet to reach weekly or daily flights, with its next mission aiming for the first orbital flight. NASA is concerned about the transition, as it relies on Falcon 9 for crew rot
- SpaceX plans to retire Falcon 9 when Starship flies several times per week
- Falcon 9 projects 140-145 launches in 2026, after 165 in 2025
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