---
title: "SpaceX COO Claims the Company Will Produce 20 Rockets in 2017"
description: "In just 3 years, SpaceX tripled the number of rockets it produces."
date: "2017-06-30"
modified: "2017-06-30"
authors:
  - name: "Dom Galeon"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/domgaleon"
url: "https://futurism.com/spacex-coo-claims-the-company-will-produce-20-rockets-in-2017"
categories:
  - "Space"
  - "SpaceX"
tags:
  - "falcon 9"
  - "Falcon Heavy"
  - "reusable rocket"
  - "SpaceX"
---

# SpaceX COO Claims the Company Will Produce 20 Rockets in 2017

![spacex falcon 9 falcon heavy reusable rocket](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/16236321533_9b96f3fcb2_k.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/16236321533/in/photolist-qJKoJa-rokQXY-rzAoQ8-r9Xj47-rFxigT-qCNNcT-rpkEgQ-rrCG5T-rp5Sxr-rnd6t2-ra4h8j-rrCFZH-qCAJt5-ra6Te7-rggKbr-H1LqYB-s8uiEz-rzxa5f-s4Mtke-rzA8dX-rFwPRx-s7v8YG-smNyRh-rrw3xB-rabKfc-rrw3Dt-rxix2L-rEPhWe-ssUFXT-ra4hdj-ri9aVx-ra4cqo-ri1JPU-ri1JwE-qJ8c9P-rEPdS3-rpkL5y-rzA7ET-qCNNpM-ra7QtC-rxiM6h-rmA9Mt-rabKh6-quFHSJ-qJwNCu-rFxj5X-ra5eTj-rggJqP-soW6Bf-Cfa5wz" target="\_blank"\>SpaceX/Flickr\</a\>\</em\>*

[SpaceX](<http://www.spacex.com/>) has no plans to relax following their recent [successful weekend doubleheader](<https://futurism.com/spacex-closes-doubledheader-weekend-with-back-to-back-launches-of-reusable-rockets>). Serial entrepreneur Elon Musk's space venture company is already looking ahead, beginning with a final upgrade to their Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for later this year.

"We are flying Block 3s right now," [SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell said](<http://spacenews.com/spacexs-final-falcon-9-design-coming-this-year-two-falcon-heavy-launches-next-year/>) during a June 22 appearance on [the online radio program *The Space Show*](<http://www.thespaceshow.com/show/22-jun-2017/broadcast-2934-ms.-gwynne-shotwell>). "Block 4s start flying shortly, and then Block 5 at the end of this year. We definitely have gotten better \[at\] more smooth introducing of change. You don't see the big impacts to production we've had before when we've changed vehicle designs."

Block 5 is going to be the definitive version for the Falcon 9, Shotwell explained, and it is capable of being relaunched “a dozen or so times.” It would also not require refurbishing — the reusable rocket would simply undergo inspections prior to launch.

Shotwell said during her radio show appearance that [SpaceX's much larger Falcon Heavy's](<http://www.spacex.com/falcon-heavy>) first mission in 2018 will be carrying a payload for Arabsat. “We’ll be flying Arabsat to \[geostationary transfer orbit\] on the second Falcon Heavy flight, and then we’ll be flying STP-2, an Air Force mission,” she said. In total, the Falcon Heavy has three missions scheduled in the next 18 months, the first being a demonstration later in 2017.

https://youtu.be/u26-CIDaazQ

SpaceX has much more planned for the months to come, including that [commercial Moon roundtrip](<https://futurism.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-spacexs-trip-to-the-moon>). "Three years ago or so we were producing six rockets a year," Shotwell said. "This year we are going to produce more than 20." When you consider that reusability is a key element of SpaceX's design, you can imagine just how many missions those rockets will be capable of handling in the coming years.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-john-galeon-9b086925/>)  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/domgaleon>)