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

Accepted Answer

True. Falcon 9's first successful booster landing was on land at Cape Canaveral on December 21, 2015. The first successful drone ship landing followed later, on April 8, 2016.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

True. The Falcon 9 is named after the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, as confirmed by Elon Musk. The '9' derives from the nine Merlin engines on its first stage.

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: The Falcon 9 Block 5 variant first flew in 2018.

Accepted Answer

True. The Block 5 debuted with the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 mission on May 11, 2018.

Question 7

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.

Question 8

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.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Trivia Questions