SpaceX has already launched 72 rockets in 2025, a pace that puts Elon Musk’s private space company well on track to approach its ambitious target of 175 to 180 Falcon launches by year-end. With an average launch every 2.27 days and a 100% success rate for all Falcon 9 missions so far, 2025 is shaping up to be the company’s most prolific year to date.
Of the 72 launches, 70 have been powered by Falcon 9 rockets, while Falcon Heavy has remained dormant. Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation launch system, has flown twice this year, bringing its total number of orbital attempts to eight.
Non-Starlink missions accounted for 19 of the launches, indicating SpaceX’s continued engagement with government, commercial, and scientific clients. Notably, the company has reused boosters in 65 of the 70 Falcon 9 launches, demonstrating the maturity and reliability of its reusability program.
SpaceX launched from three major sites across the US:
- East Coast (Florida): 45 launches (LC-39A: 13 and SLC-40: 32)
- West Coast (California): 24 launches from SLC-4E
- Gulf Coast (Texas): 2 Starship flights from Starbase
In terms of recovery, the company has landed 68 Falcon 9 boosters this year - 9 on land (at LZ-1, LZ-2, and LZ-4) and 59 on droneships (OCISLY: 19, JRTI: 19, ASOG: 21). The overall landing success rate is a remarkable 99%, with only one failed attempt.
After four test flights in 2024, SpaceX has conducted two additional Starship test flights in 2025, with more expected soon. The company is currently pursuing FAA approval for up to 25 Starship launches annually, which would amount to nearly biweekly flights.
Goals for 2025 include testing Starlink deployment using Starship, achieving stable orbital insertion, and beginning to launch operational satellites. Starship Block 2, with improved performance but reduced payload capacity, is debuting this year, while Block 3, expected later, promises to restore and enhance cargo volume.
Starlink continues to dominate the Falcon 9 manifest, with multiple launches per month. SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell projected 175–180 Falcon 9 launches in 2025. While that number may ultimately fall slightly short, estimates suggest the company could still achieve 160–170 launches, a record nonetheless.
However, this could be the last year where Starlink missions heavily rely on Falcon 9. With Starship expected to take over Starlink V2 launches, a gradual transition is anticipated. The shift would free up Falcon 9 capacity for more commercial and science missions in the future.
SpaceX is expanding its human spaceflight footprint with a growing number of private missions. So far, eight astronauts have flown aboard its rockets in 2025, evenly split between government and commercial flights.
This year’s roster includes at least one Axiom Space mission, the Fram2 mission funded by a Chinese crypto investor, and a planned mission by Vast to its Haven-1 commercial space station. In parallel, two NASA crew rotations to the International Space Station (ISS) are scheduled, further underscoring SpaceX’s leadership in both private and public sector crewed spaceflight.
Excluding classified and rideshare payloads, SpaceX has launched an estimated 886,394 kg of mass into orbit this year, a testament to the efficiency and frequency of its missions. This number will likely surge in the latter half of 2025 as Starship flights ramp up.
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