SpaceX, or Space Exploration Technologies Corp., founded in 2002, is an American space technology company and a dominant launch provider. It designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, including the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon spacecraft, and Starship. SpaceX partners with organizations like NASA and the United States Armed Forces and is known for its advancements in reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellation technology like Starlink. Key words: launch provider, reusable rockets, space exploration, Starlink, Falcon, Dragon, Starship, NASA.
All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.
In fall 2024 the Department of the Air Force approved SpaceX plans to convert Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral into a Starship launch facility with two pads.
On 8 February, Elon Musk posted on X that SpaceX has shifted its strategic focus from colonizing Mars to building a Moon city.
NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 5:38 a.m. EST on Thursday, February 12, 2026 for the Crew-12 launch to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
United Launch Alliance's Vulcan mission USSF-87 and SpaceX's Falcon 9 carrying Crew-12 are scheduled to launch within two hours of each other from neighboring pads located 2.5 kilometers apart.
SpaceX Starship’s upper stage mass is approximately 85 to 100 tons and is not compatible with the low-dry-weight upper-stage requirement of the proposed approach.
SpaceX plans to keep the Crew Access Arm at Launch Complex 39A on the ground after maintenance but can reinstall it quickly if needed.
In 2011, Elon Musk told the Wall Street Journal that SpaceX astronauts would reach Mars in "best case, 10 years, worst case, 15 to 20 years."
SpaceX is taking the Crew Access Arm at Launch Complex 39A down to perform maintenance.
SpaceX’s Starship program won a $2.9 billion contract to fly Artemis III astronauts to the Moon’s surface.
Atlas V, Blue Origin’s New Glenn, and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan accounted for the non-SpaceX orbital launches from the Eastern Range in 2025.
SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System requires 8 to 15 refueling operations to support Artemis III human rating according to the analysis.
Elon Musk said SpaceX will also strive to build a Mars city and begin doing so in about 5 to 7 years.
Musk's post implies SpaceX may reallocate medium-term development priorities from Mars toward the Moon.
SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System has a fineness ratio of about 5.5 to 6 for its upper stage.
SpaceX Crew-12 is slated to launch on a Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The only orbital launch attempt from Vandenberg in 2025 not performed by SpaceX was a Firefly Alpha launch that failed to reach orbit.
Elon Musk stated that SpaceX can launch to the Moon every 10 days.
SpaceX will place journeys to Mars on the back burner while prioritizing lunar missions.
Momentus’ Vigoride 7 orbital service vehicle will carry NASA’s R5 Spacecraft 10 alongside other payloads on a SpaceX Transporter mission set for March.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 is targeted to launch Crew-12 to the International Space Station no earlier than Thursday, February 12, 2026.