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Space Force scrambles as SpaceX retires its major rocket
SpaceX handled 85 percent of U.S. launches in 2025, and every Falcon 9 slot through 2028 is already booked; the waiting list is longer than the rocket.
On air: Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman on BBN This MorningPublished
Photo: Official SpaceX Photos · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBNWatch it as it aired: Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman on this story, from BBN This Morning at 6:30 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Politico's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Politico: “Space Force scrambles as Musk’s SpaceX retires its major rocket”, with reporting from Yahoo News, Foreign Policy, The Space Review, Space.com, The Motley Fool and Wikipedia.
- Covered on BBN on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 6:30 AM ET on BBN This Morning, by Hank Ledger and Dale Bearman.
- Topics: SpaceX, Elon Musk.
- BBN covered this story before: Elon Musk confirms talks to merge Tesla and SpaceX (October 21).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- PoliticoSpace Force scrambles as Musk’s SpaceX retires its major rocket
- Yahoo NewsSpaceX drone ship retires, what it means for launches facts used on air
- Foreign PolicyAfter Falcon 9 Leaves, Space Launch Faces a Crisis October 1, 2026 · facts used on air
- The Space ReviewThe Space Review: Coming to terms with the end of the Falcon 9 facts used on air
- Space.comGoodbye, Falcon 9: SpaceX planning to retire workhorse launcher when Starship is up and running facts used on air
- The Motley FoolSpaceX Is Changing: Here's What You Need to Know October 17, 2026 · facts used on air
- WikipediaList of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches October 13, 2026 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSpace Force is scrambling this morning as SpaceX moves to retire its Falcon 9 rocket, which carried 101 of the 109 launches out of Florida last year.
Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorEvery slot is booked until twenty twenty-eight, and there's a waiting list. Even the rockets are getting the wait-and-see treatment from the bureaucrats.
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Photo: Achim Raschka ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Scott Andrews, Canon · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Matt Brown · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Photographer: Lukasz Kobus (European Commission) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
The story so far
- Tesla's new Roadster 'flies' on SpaceX thrusters · Space.com
- Elon Musk says he'll give a SpaceX share to every American child · CNBC
- Musk Vows to Give Each U.S. Child a SpaceX Share · WSJ
- SpaceX and Tesla form committees to study a merger · Axios
- Why does Elon Musk want to merge Tesla and SpaceX? · BBC
- Elon Musk confirms talks to merge Tesla and SpaceX · BBC
- Space Force scrambles as SpaceX retires its major rocket (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Thursday, October 22, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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