SpaceX Company Timeline
SpaceX is incorporated
SpaceX is incorporated on March 14, 2002, beginning Elon Musk's privately funded push to lower launch costs.
Falcon 9 is announced
SpaceX announces Falcon 9 on September 8, 2005, setting the stage for the rocket family that would carry the company forward.
Falcon 1 first launch
Falcon 1 flies for the first time in March 2006, marking SpaceX's debut launch attempt and the start of orbital development.
Falcon 1 reaches orbit
Falcon 1 becomes the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit after three failed attempts.
Falcon 1 delivers its first commercial payload
Falcon 1's fifth and final flight carries RazakSAT in July 2009, closing out SpaceX's first launch vehicle program.
Falcon 9 maiden flight
Falcon 9 reaches orbit on its first flight, giving SpaceX the larger booster it needed for cargo and crew missions.
Dragon returns from orbit
SpaceX's Dragon capsule is recovered after COTS Demo Flight 1, proving the company can launch, orbit, and recover spacecraft.
Dragon docks with the ISS
Dragon becomes the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station during the COTS demo campaign.
NASA awards Commercial Crew work
NASA awards SpaceX Commercial Crew funding, accelerating the push toward launching astronauts from U.S. soil again.
First Falcon 9 landing
SpaceX lands a Falcon 9 first stage for the first time in December 2015, proving orbital booster recovery was possible.
First reused orbital rocket launch
SpaceX launches SES-10 in 2017 using a previously flown Falcon 9 booster, the first reuse of an orbital-class rocket stage.
Falcon Heavy first flight
Falcon Heavy flies for the first time in February 2018, becoming the most powerful operational rocket of its time.
First Starlink satellites deployed
SpaceX launches the first 60 Starlink satellites in May 2019, beginning the company's broadband constellation rollout.
Starlink's first large deployment
A Falcon 9 launches 60 Starlink satellites in November 2019, underscoring SpaceX's shift toward internet services.
Crew Dragon Demo-2 launches
SpaceX launches its first crewed mission to the ISS in May 2020, returning human spaceflight capability to the United States.
Crew-1 begins operational crew flights
Crew-1 becomes SpaceX's first operational NASA crew rotation mission, showing crew transport was moving into routine service.
Inspiration4 launches
SpaceX launches the first all-private orbital mission in September 2021, carrying a civilian crew without professional astronauts.
First Starship integrated flight test
SpaceX launches the first integrated Starship flight test in April 2023, beginning its next-generation heavy-lift program.
Second Starship integrated flight test
The second Starship integrated flight test reaches space and advances the rapid iteration program in November 2023.
Polaris Dawn launches
SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn in September 2024, a private crewed mission that later performs the first commercial spacewalk.