SpaceX is planning fewer Falcon 9 launches in 2026 as it shifts infrastructure and logistics toward Starship, while Falcon 9 remains central to Starlink missions and ISS crew transport.
SpaceX has stopped taking new dedicated Falcon 9 launch bookings for missions scheduled beyond 2028, a move that points to a transition toward Starship while squeezing launch options for commercial customers. The company is also planning to reduce Falcon 9 activity in 2026, with SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell saying the rocket will fly roughly 140 to 145 times, down from 165 launches in 2025, as resources are redirected to the next-generation vehicle. The shift is visible in Florida, where Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center is being transitioned for Starship operations and occasional Falcon Heavy missions, while one of SpaceX’s two Florida-based droneships has been retired and repurposed for Starship transport logistics. Falcon 9 operations are increasingly centered at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, which is set to handle most remaining flights, primarily for the company’s Starlink constellation. Starship, meanwhile, remains in flight testing, with Flight 13 scheduled for July 24, 2026 from Starbase in Texas. NASA has already selected Starship as the lunar lander for Artemis, but Falcon 9 remains the only American crew vehicle certified to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and is expected to keep that role through at least the early 2030s, after Boeing’s Starliner fell behind. The tightening manifest still raises the risk of delays for small satellite operators and could contribute to a broader launch-capacity crunch if Starship does not enter commercial service quickly enough.