History of SpaceX in Timeline
SpaceX, founded in 2002, is a dominant American space technology company. Headquartered in Starbase, Texas, it has revolutionized rocket propulsion, reusable launch vehicles, human spaceflight, and satellite constellations. By 2025, SpaceX became the leading global space launch provider, surpassing both private competitors and national programs in launch frequency. The company maintains close working relationships with NASA and the United States Armed Forces through government contracts, making them a key player in space exploration and technology.
2001: Elon Musk Joins Mars Society
In early 2001, Elon Musk met Robert Zubrin and donated $100,000 to his Mars Society, joining its board of directors for a short time. He gave a plenary talk at their fourth convention where he announced Mars Oasis, a project to land a greenhouse and grow plants on Mars. Musk initially attempted to acquire a Dnepr launch vehicle for the project through Russian contacts from Jim Cantrell.
2002: SpaceX Founded
In 2002, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SpaceX, was founded. SpaceX is an American space technology company headquartered at the Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas.
2002: Recruitment and Headquarters
In early 2002, Elon Musk started to look for staff for his company, soon to be named SpaceX, and approached five people for initial positions. SpaceX was first headquartered in a warehouse in El Segundo, California.
2004: Protest Against NASA Contract
In 2004, SpaceX protested against NASA to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) because of a sole-source contract awarded to Kistler Aerospace. Before the GAO could respond, NASA withdrew the contract, and formed the COTS program.
November 2005: SpaceX Employment Growth
By November 2005, SpaceX had 160 employees, reflecting its growth since its founding.
2005: Human-Rated Commercial Space Program Plans
In 2005, SpaceX announced plans to pursue a human-rated commercial space program through the end of the decade, a program that would later become the Dragon spacecraft.
2005: Decision to Develop Falcon 9
In 2005, SpaceX decided to proceed with the development of the Falcon 9, a reusable heavier lift vehicle, instead of continuing with the Falcon 5.
2006: Falcon 1 launched for first time
Falcon 1 launched for the first time in 2006.
2006: NASA Awards COTS Contract
In 2006, SpaceX was selected by NASA and awarded $396 million to provide crew and cargo resupply demonstration contracts to the International Space Station (ISS) under the COTS program.
2006: First Falcon 1 Launch and DARPA Falcon Project
In 2006, the first Falcon 1 launch was purchased by the United States Department of Defense under the DARPA Falcon Project.
September 28, 2008: First Successful Falcon 1 Launch
On September 28, 2008, SpaceX achieved its first successful launch on the fourth attempt of Falcon 1. Musk split his remaining $30 million between SpaceX and Tesla.
2008: Falcon 1 Launch Failures and Financial Crisis
Between 2006 and 2008, the first three launches of the Falcon 1 rocket resulted in failures, which almost ended the company. Tesla Motors also faced financial difficulties, putting Tesla, SolarCity, and Musk personally at risk of bankruptcy.
2008: Falcon 1 Successful Launch
In 2008, Falcon 1 successfully launched into orbit after three failed launch attempts, marking a significant milestone for SpaceX.
July 2009: Falcon 1 Retired After Second Successful Launch
In July 2009, following its second successful launch, the Falcon 1 was retired. This allowed SpaceX to focus company resources on the development of a larger orbital rocket, the Falcon 9.
2009: Falcon 1 launch vehicle retired
In 2009, the small-lift Falcon 1 was retired.
2009: Falcon 1 concludes launches in 2009
The Falcon 1 launched five times between 2006 and 2009, of which two were successful. It was the first privately funded, liquid-fueled rocket to reach orbit.
June 2010: First Falcon 9 Launch
In June 2010, the Falcon 9 launched for the first time with the Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit, using a mockup of the Dragon spacecraft.
April 2011: NASA Contract for Dragon Launch Escape System
In April 2011, as part of its second-round Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program, NASA issued a $75 million contract for SpaceX to develop an integrated launch escape system for Dragon in preparation for human-rating it as a crew transport vehicle to the ISS.
May 2012: Dragon Delivers Cargo to ISS
In May 2012, with the Dragon C2+ launch, Dragon became the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station.
August 2012: NASA Awards Space Act Agreement
In August 2012, NASA awarded SpaceX a fixed-price Space Act Agreement (SAA) to produce a detailed design of the crew transportation system.
2012: Commercial Resupply Services Missions Begin
By 2012, SpaceX finished all COTS test flights and began delivering Commercial Resupply Services missions to the International Space Station. Also around that time, SpaceX started developing hardware to make the Falcon 9 first stage reusable.
2012: Reusability Test Program Begins
In late 2012, SpaceX's active reusability test program began, focusing on testing low-altitude, low-speed aspects of the landing technology. The Falcon 9 prototypes performed vertical takeoffs and landings (VTOL).
2013: First Commercial Mission for Private Customer
In 2013, SpaceX launched the first commercial mission for a private customer, expanding its market reach.
2013: High-Velocity Testing of Booster Return Technology
In late 2013, SpaceX began high-velocity, high-altitude tests of the booster atmospheric return technology, furthering their reusability program.
September 2014: Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract awarded
In September 2014, NASA's Director of Commercial Spaceflight, Kevin Crigler, awarded SpaceX the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract to finalize the development of the Crew Transportation System.
January 2015: Funding from Google and Fidelity and Starlink Announcement
In January 2015, SpaceX raised $1 billion in funding from Google and Fidelity Investments. In the same month, SpaceX announced the development of the Starlink satellite constellation to provide global broadband internet service.
June 2015: Falcon 9 CRS-7 Failure
In late June 2015, the Falcon 9 experienced its first major failure when the seventh ISS resupply mission, CRS-7, exploded two minutes into the flight. The failure was caused by a failed steel strut.
December 2015: First Successful Landing and Recovery of First Stage
In December 2015, SpaceX first achieved a successful landing and recovery of a first stage with Falcon 9 Flight 20, marking a major step in reusable rocket technology.
2015: First Successful First-Stage Landing
In 2015, SpaceX demonstrated the first successful landing of the Falcon 9 first stage, a crucial step towards reusability.
April 2016: First Successful Landing on Drone Ship
In April 2016, SpaceX achieved the first successful landing of a Falcon 9 first stage on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) Of Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean.
September 2016: Falcon 9 Explosion During Test
In early September 2016, a Falcon 9 exploded during a propellant fill operation for a standard pre-launch static fire test, destroying the AMOS-6 communications satellite.
October 2016: Price Discount for Reused Falcon 9
By October 2016, following the successful landings, SpaceX indicated they were offering their customers a 10% price discount if they choose to fly their payload on a reused Falcon 9 first stage.
January 2017: Return to Flight After Explosion
SpaceX returned to flight in January 2017, after a four-month launch hiatus following the Falcon 9 explosion in September 2016.
March 2017: First Re-launch of a Returned Falcon 9
In March 2017, SpaceX launched a returned Falcon 9 for the SES-10 satellite. This was the first time a re-launch of a payload-carrying orbital rocket went back to space.
July 2017: Company Valuation
In July 2017, the company raised $350 million, which raised its valuation to $21 billion.
2017: First Re-launch of First Stage
In 2017, SpaceX achieved the re-launch of the Falcon 9 first stage, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology.
2017: SpaceX formed The Boring Company
In 2017, SpaceX formed a subsidiary called The Boring Company to construct a test tunnel at its headquarters.
March 2018: SpaceX Launch Manifest
By March 2018, SpaceX had more than 100 launches on its manifest representing about $12 billion in contract revenue, making it the leading global commercial launch provider measured by manifested launches.
May 2018: Boring Company test tunnel completed
In May 2018, The Boring Company completed a short test tunnel on and adjacent to the SpaceX headquarters and manufacturing facility.
December 2018: Boring Company test tunnel opened to the public
In December 2018, The Boring Company's test tunnel was opened to the public.
2018: Falcon Heavy First Flight
In 2018, Falcon Heavy, built from three Falcon 9 boosters, first flew after a more than decade-long development process.
January 2019: SpaceX to lay off 10% of workforce
In January 2019, SpaceX announced it would lay off 10% of its workforce to help finance the Starship and Starlink projects.
May 2019: SpaceX valuation rises to $33.3 billion
By May 2019, SpaceX's valuation had increased to $33.3 billion.
May 2019: SpaceX launches first large batch of Starlink satellites
In May 2019, SpaceX launched the first large batch of 60 Starlink satellites, starting the deployment of what would become the world's largest commercial satellite constellation.
2019: First Operational Starlink Satellite
In 2019, the first operational satellite of the Starlink internet satellite constellation came online.
2019: SpaceX raises $6 billion in equity financing
Since 2019, SpaceX has raised more than $6 billion in equity financing, primarily to support Starlink and Starship.
March 2020: SpaceX valuation reaches $36 billion
By March 2020, SpaceX's valuation had reached $36 billion.
May 2020: SpaceX launches NASA astronauts into orbit on Crew Dragon
In May 2020, SpaceX successfully launched two NASA astronauts (Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken) into orbit on a Crew Dragon spacecraft during Crew Dragon Demo-2, becoming the first private company to send astronauts to the International Space Station and marking the first crewed orbital launch from American soil in 9 years.
August 19, 2020: SpaceX valuation increases to $46 billion after funding round
On August 19, 2020, following a $1.9 billion funding round, SpaceX's valuation increased to $46 billion.
2020: Dragon 2 Crewed Missions Begin
In 2020, SpaceX began to operate its Dragon 2 capsules to deliver crewed missions for NASA and private entities.
February 2021: SpaceX raises $1.61 billion, valuation rises to $74 billion
In February 2021, SpaceX raised an additional $1.61 billion, raising the company valuation to approximately $74 billion.
April 16, 2021: Starship HLS wins NASA Artemis program contract
On April 16, 2021, Starship HLS won a contract to play a critical role in the NASA crewed spaceflight Artemis program.
July 2021: SpaceX unveils drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas
In July 2021, SpaceX unveiled another drone ship named A Shortfall of Gravitas.
August 29, 2021: SpaceX lands booster on A Shortfall of Gravitas for the first time
On August 29, 2021, SpaceX landed a booster from CRS-23 on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas for the first time.
October 2021: SpaceX valuation rises to $100.3 billion
By October 2021, the valuation of SpaceX had risen to $100.3 billion.
December 13, 2021: SpaceX to convert captured carbon into rocket fuel
On December 13, 2021, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced a carbon dioxide removal program to convert captured carbon into rocket fuel.
August 2022: ESA considers using SpaceX launchers due to Russia-Ukraine conflict
In August 2022, Reuters reported that the European Space Agency (ESA) began initial discussions with SpaceX for potential temporary use of SpaceX launchers due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and blocked access to Soyuz rockets. Since that invasion and in the greater war between Russia and Ukraine, Starlink was extensively used.
December 2022: FCC approves launch of SpaceX's next-generation Starlink satellites
In December 2022, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the launch of up to 7,500 of SpaceX's next-generation satellites in its Starlink internet network.
2022: Falcon 9 sets world record for launches in a single year
In 2022, SpaceX's Falcon 9 became the world record holder for the most launches of a single vehicle type in a single year, with 61 launches total, most of which were Falcon 9 rockets.
2022: SpaceX valued at $127 billion in new financing round
In 2022, a new round of financing valued SpaceX at $127 billion.
2022: SpaceX launches focus on Starlink deployments
In 2022, most SpaceX launches focused on Starlink, which now has over 6,000 satellites in orbit providing consumer internet services.
2022: SpaceX achieves 18 rocket launches and two astronaut splashdowns in the first 130 days
Within the first 130 days of 2022, SpaceX had 18 rocket launches and two astronaut splashdowns.
April 20, 2023: Starship's first orbital flight test ends in explosion
On April 20, 2023, Starship's first orbital flight test ended in a mid-air explosion over the Gulf of Mexico before booster separation. The vehicle lost control and was intentionally destroyed after multiple engine failures.
August 2023: DOJ Sues SpaceX for Discrimination
In August 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against SpaceX for discriminating against refugees and asylum seekers in its hiring process. The lawsuit alleges that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by rejecting refugees and asylum recipients, hiring only U.S. citizens and permanent residents. SpaceX denied wrongdoing, citing U.S. export control law.
October 2023: SpaceX executive blames regulators for Starship launch delay
In October 2023, a senior SpaceX executive stated the company had been ready to launch the next Starship test flight since September, accusing government regulators of disrupting the project's progress and potentially allowing China to reach the Moon first.
November 2023: SpaceX to acquire Pioneer Aerospace
In November 2023, SpaceX announced it would acquire its parachute supplier Pioneer Aerospace out of bankruptcy for $2.2 million.
November 18, 2023: Starship's second flight test ends in explosions
On November 18, 2023, SpaceX launched Starship on its second flight test, with both vehicles flying for a few minutes before separately exploding.
2023: SpaceX Injury Rates and Workplace Conditions
In 2023, Reuters reported that SpaceX employees were facing high-pressure conditions due to the company's rapid pace. An examination of OSHA records revealed higher than average injury rates. The report documented 600 previously unreported workplace injuries, including serious incidents and one death of a former United States Marine, Lonnie LeBlanc.
March 13, 2024: SpaceX receives FAA launch license for Starship flight
On March 13, 2024, SpaceX received the 'launch license' by the FAA for its next uncrewed Starship launch configuration flight test.
March 14, 2024: Starship reaches suborbital trajectory on third flight test
On March 14, 2024, Starship launched for the third time and reached its planned suborbital trajectory for the first time. However, the booster malfunctioned before landing, and the ship was lost during re-entry.
March 2024: SpaceX targets March 14 launch for Starship configuration flight test
In early March 2024, SpaceX announced that it was targeting March 14 as the tentative launch date for its next uncrewed Starship launch configuration flight test, pending the issuance of a "launch license" by the FAA.
June 4, 2024: SpaceX receives launch license for Starship's fourth flight test
On June 4, 2024, SpaceX received the launch license for Starship's fourth flight test. This licensure was the first time the FAA allowed SpaceX to launch subsequent test flights without a mishap investigation if they met a similar launch profile and used the same specification of hardware.
June 2024: Ex-Employees File Lawsuit Against SpaceX
In June 2024, eight ex-employees, who were previously fired for writing an open letter against Elon Musk, filed a lawsuit against Musk and SpaceX alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. The lawsuit has since stalled on headquarter jurisdiction grounds.
July 16, 2024: SpaceX to move headquarters to Brownsville, Texas
On July 16, 2024, Elon Musk announced on X that SpaceX would move its headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to SpaceX Starbase in Brownsville, Texas due to California's AB1955 bill.
August 2024: SpaceX headquarters officially move to Brownsville, Texas
In August 2024, SpaceX's headquarters officially moved to Brownsville, Texas.
October 12, 2024: SpaceX receives FAA approval for Starship's fifth flight test
On October 12, 2024, SpaceX received FAA approval for Starship's fifth flight test. The flight was the first without engine failures, and the first successful tower catch.
November 19, 2024: Starship launches on its sixth flight test
On November 19, 2024, SpaceX launched Starship on its sixth flight test. The booster aborted the catch attempt, while the ship conducted a relight in space.
December 2024: Federal Investigation into SpaceX Security Violations
In December 2024, federal agencies investigated SpaceX for security violations and alleged drug use by Elon Musk.
2024: SpaceX Revenue
SpaceX is not publicly traded; a space industry newspaper estimated that SpaceX has a revenue of over $10 billion in 2024.
2024: Polaris Dawn Mission featured first private spacewalk
SpaceX's 2024 Polaris Dawn mission featured the first-ever private spacewalk, marking a major milestone in commercial space exploration.
January 16, 2025: Starship launches on its seventh flight test with Starlink simulator
On January 16, 2025, SpaceX launched Starship on its seventh flight test, which was the first with Block 2 Ship, Ship 33, carrying a Starlink V3 simulator, but SpaceX lost contact with 'Ship' during the ascent, causing it to explode over the Atlantic Ocean. The FAA required a mishap investigation.
February 2025: DOJ Files Motion to Dismiss SpaceX Discrimination Case
In February 2025, the DOJ filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against SpaceX, regarding discrimination against refugees and asylum seekers, with prejudice.
March 7, 2025: Another Starship rocket launched in Texas
On March 7, 2025, SpaceX launched another Starship rocket from Texas. Contact was lost minutes into the test flight, and the spacecraft came tumbling down and broke apart, with wreckage seen across Florida's skies. Preliminary investigation pointed to an oxygen leak and fires disrupting the flight.
May 2025: Falcon 9 Launch Cadence
As of May 2025, the company's Falcon 9 rockets have landed and flown again more than 450 times, reaching 1–3 launches a week.
June 18, 2025: SpaceX Starship rocket explodes during static fire test
On June 18, 2025, a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded during a static fire test at the company’s Starbase facility in Texas, following what the company described as a “major anomaly”.
July 2025: SpaceX agreed to invest $2 billion in xAI
By July 2025, as part of $5 Billion equity raise SpaceX agreed to invest $2 billion in xAI.
September 2025: SpaceX to purchase EchoStar's spectrum for Starlink
In September 2025, SpaceX said it would purchase the rights to use some of EchoStar's spectrum for $17 billion in a cash and stock deal. The company said it would use the spectrum as a foundation for Starlink's direct-to-cell business around the globe.
2025: SpaceX is the world's dominant space launch provider
As of 2025, SpaceX is the world's dominant space launch provider. Its launch cadence eclipses all others, including private competitors and national programs like the Chinese space program.
2025: ProPublica reported Chinese Investment in SpaceX
In 2025, ProPublica reported that Chinese investors were investing in SpaceX via offshore entities and direct investments, raising national security concerns.
2025: SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Explosion
In 2025, the SpaceX Starship Flight 7 rocket explosion scattered debris into the atmosphere and across the Caribbean Sea. The incident also released significant amounts of harmful air pollution into the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere.
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