Falcon 9 Makes Its Debut from SLC-40

The first Falcon 9 launch from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral, successfully placed a Dragon qualification unit into LEO. The two-stage rocket powered by nine Merlin 1C engines at liftoff demonstrated SpaceX's new workhorse. Designed with nine Merlin engines to enable engine-out capability — if one fails, the mission can still succeed.