Combined with Starship launches, SpaceX has launched 138 rockets in 2025, beating its 2024 record for total launches, too.
By Jon Martindale October 23, 2025
https://www.extremetech.com/aerospace/s ... -this-year
SpaceX has launched its Falcon 9 rocket for the 133rd time this year, breaking its previous record from last year with two months yet to go. This highlights SpaceX's increased launch cadence alongside that of many of its global contemporaries, as the 21st century space race back to the Moon—and Mars—heats up.
The Falcon 9 isn't just SpaceX's workhorse rocket. It's become the main launch vehicle for the majority of launches from US soil in 2025, and though there are plenty of smaller rocket companies vying for the small-to-medium-lift vehicle market, Falcon 9 holds strong as the mainstay for nearly everything else. Starship is designed as a one-day replacement for larger launches, but the Falcon 9 is tried and tested and continues to have a near-perfect success rate following early launch mishaps in its development.
With 133 launches in 2025, SpaceX has broken all sorts of records and will continue to do so as the year draws to a close. China has accelerated its launch schedule too, having taken over 40 years to launch its first 500 Long March rockets, and less than two years to launch the last hundred.