'400 landings': SpaceX reaches major milestone in reusable rockets

Produced by Tarun Mishra

400 Rocket Landings

On January 21, 2025, SpaceX marked its 400th successful landing of an orbital-class rocket. The milestone was reached during a Falcon 9 mission that launched 27 Starlink satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Majority of Landings

The Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX's primary launch vehicle, accounts for most of these touchdowns. Its first stage landed on a drone ship at sea, continuing the company’s practice of booster recovery and reuse.

High-Performance

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 boosters are designed for multiple flights. One particular booster has achieved a record 25 launches and landings, showcasing the reliability of the technology.

Falcon Heavy

SpaceX’s heavy-lift rocket, the Falcon Heavy, has also contributed to the tally, completing several three-booster landings during its 11 missions to date.

Starship Testing

Landings of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket are not part of the 400 count. The fully reusable Starship system is still under development, with a focus on missions to the Moon and Mars.

Reusability

SpaceX continues to refine reusable rocket technology, significantly lowering the cost of access to space. The 400 landings underline the company’s progress toward sustainable space exploration.

Recent Starship Launch

Starship launched on its seventh suborbital test flight on January 16, 2025. While its Super Heavy first stage was successfully caught by the launch tower, the upper stage exploded due to a propellant leak.