SpaceX may phase out Falcon 9 for commercial launches within 2-3 years, triggering a scramble among satellite operators and prompting launch providers like Firefly to anticipate higher costs. Meanwhile, Astra is targeting early 2027 for its return, and French startup HyPrSpace has delayed its Baguette One suborbital rocket to 2027.
Background
SpaceX's Falcon 9 has been the workhorse of commercial spaceflight, offering relatively cheap and rapid launch cadence. Its potential phase-out signals a major shift in the commercial launch market.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026 at 07:00 PM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10