Falcon 9

''"Falcon 9 v1.1" redirects here. This article is for the newest Falcon 9, for the previous version please see "Falcon 9 v1.0".'' Falcon 9, or Falcon 9 v1.1, is a two-stage space launch vehicle designed and produced by SpaceX. The Falcon 9 v1.1 is an improved version of the original Falcon 9 v1.0 launch vehicle. Its first launch was on September 29, 2013, 5 years after the first successful launch of the now retired Falcon 1. Falcon 9 uses 9 Merlin 1D rocket engines.