The once-ubiquitous Falcon 9 is making way for the ambitious Starship. SpaceX is scaling back its reliance on the workhorse rocket as it prepares to launch larger, more capable vehicles destined for lunar and Martian missions.

According to Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president, the company plans around 140 Falcon launches in 2026, down from last year’s total of 165. This reduction is not a sign of faltering, but rather a strategic move towards the next phase of space exploration.

At Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX is transitioning Launch Complex-39A to accommodate Starships, marking a definitive shift in launch sites. The site will see fewer Falcon 9 launches as these rockets adapt to secondary roles, such as occasional launches from the more powerful triple-core Falcon Heavy.

The company’s oldest launch site, Space Launch Complex-40, is also experiencing reduced activity. In an effort to streamline operations and prepare for Starship flights, SpaceX retired one of its Florida-based seagoing landing platforms last month. A second Starship factory will soon be operational at Kennedy Space Center, although SpaceX aims to begin Starship flights from Florida before that happens.