Question 1

True or false: Falcon 9's second stage is reusable and returns to Earth for refurbishment.

Accepted Answer

False. Only the first stage is reusable; the second stage burns up in the atmosphere or is discarded in orbit after payload deployment.

Question 2

True or false: Falcon 9 uses liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene as propellants.

Accepted Answer

True. The Merlin engines burn RP-1 (refined kerosene) and liquid oxygen, a common but highly efficient combination.

Question 3

True or false: The Falcon 9 rocket was named after the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.

Accepted Answer

False. Elon Musk named it after the Millennium Falcon, but it's a common misconception the '9' refers to nine engines—it does.

Question 4

True or false: Falcon 9's first successful landing occurred on a land pad, not a drone ship.

Accepted Answer

False. The first successful landing was on the drone ship 'Just Read the Instructions' in April 2016; land pad success came later in December 2015.

Question 5

True or false: Falcon 9's first stage can land on a drone ship after launching from Vandenberg, California.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, it lands on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' in the Pacific for southerly polar launches from Vandenberg.

Question 6

True or false: Falcon 9 Block 5 can fly up to 10 times without major refurbishment between flights.

Accepted Answer

True. SpaceX designed Block 5 for 10 flights with minimal work; some boosters have exceeded that, like B1058 with 19 flights.

Question 7

True or false: Falcon 9's grid fins are made of titanium to withstand extreme reentry heat.

Accepted Answer

True. Upgraded in 2017, titanium grid fins resist heat better than aluminum, allowing multiple uses without replacement.

Question 8

True or false: Falcon 9 can launch astronauts directly to the Moon without a lunar gravity assist.

Accepted Answer

False. Falcon 9 lacks the delta-v for direct lunar insertion; crew missions use Falcon Heavy or a separate transfer stage.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Trivia Questions