SpaceX is phasing out its Falcon 9 rocket to prioritize the development of the fully reusable Starship vehicle. The company has reportedly stopped selling shared rideshare missions on the Falcon 9. This transition is creating a significant supply-demand imbalance and driving up launch prices.
Competitors Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance face development delays for their new heavy-lift rockets. High demand for communications and national security satellite deployments is intensifying the resulting bottleneck.
Some companies are currently unable to secure Falcon 9 flights past 2028. These firms are now forced to seek expensive alternatives or develop proprietary launch capabilities.