As new rockets and space companies arrive on the scene, this workhorse of a rocket, the Falcon 9, remains the most common rocket launched from Florida launch pads. It debuted 15 years ago this week, and has changed not only the launch cadence on the Space Coast but the entire industry.

SpaceX’s first launch of the Falcon 9 took at Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 4, 2010. The inaugural flight marked a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight history as it was the first time that a privately developed rocket of Falcon 9’s size had been successfully launched to orbit.