Summary
SpaceX plans to retire its Falcon 9 rocket once its next-generation Starship becomes fully operational, as confirmed by Elon Musk. The Falcon 9, which has launched nearly 700 times, will gradually be phased out, with some missions potentially continuing until 2028 for NASA's ISS resupply and crew transport. The larger, fully reusable Starship is designed to carry heavier payloads and will support future Starlink satellite deployments and NASA's Artemis lunar missions.