SpaceX’s first launch vehicle, developed under Elon Musk’s leadership, was Falcon 1.
Falcon 1 was a small, two-stage rocket designed to carry satellites into low Earth orbit. SpaceX developed it after Musk founded the company in 2002, with the goal of making orbital launches more affordable and eventually supporting larger launch systems.
The rocket’s first three launches failed between 2006 and 2008. Its fourth launch, on September 28, 2008, succeeded and made Falcon 1 the first privately developed, liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit. A fifth launch also succeeded in 2009.
Falcon 1 is sometimes confused with Falcon 9, which became SpaceX’s main orbital rocket. Falcon 9 was larger, had nine first-stage engines, and later introduced the reusable booster landings that became central to SpaceX’s launch operations.