Merlin 1D
SpaceX Merlin 1D pump-fed gas-generator kerosene/LOX engine used in nine-engine Falcon 9 first stages and 27-engine Falcon Heavy core/booster clusters. SpaceX Falcon User Guide 2025-05-09 identifies M1D at up to 845 kN (190,000 lbf) sea-level thrust per engine; NASA identifies Merlin 1D as the Falcon series first-stage engine and distinguishes the separate vacuum-optimized second-stage Merlin configuration.
Identity
- Domains
- spaceflight
- Identity Level
- variant
- Kind
- liquid-rocket-engine
- Name
- Merlin 1D
- Status
- active
Details
- Description
- SpaceX Merlin 1D pump-fed gas-generator kerosene/LOX engine used in nine-engine Falcon 9 first stages and 27-engine Falcon Heavy core/booster clusters. SpaceX Falcon User Guide 2025-05-09 identifies M1D at up to 845 kN (190,000 lbf) sea-level thrust per engine; NASA identifies Merlin 1D as the Falcon series first-stage engine and distinguishes the separate vacuum-optimized second-stage Merlin configuration.
- Developers
- Family
- First Flight Date
- 2013-09-29
- Manufacturers
- Propellants
- RP-1liquid oxygen
- Rocket Specs
- Cycle
- gas-generator
- Sea Level Thrust Kn
- 845
Links
- Official Url
- https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- July 29, 2026 at 08:54:06 UTC
- Updated Time
- August 24, 2026 at 22:24:22 UTC
- Image
- Download
Other
- Sources
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used during migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Falcon 9 Full Thrust first-stage booster official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used during migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Falcon 9 v1.1 official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used during migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Falcon 9 Full Thrust official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used during migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-07-29
- Note
- Supports the legacy vehicle installation and the narrow canonical identity used during migration.
- Publisher
- Official vehicle or program source
- Title
- Falcon 9 Block 5 official vehicle reference
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Publisher
- NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
- Title
- NASA Marshall, SpaceX team celebrates Merlin 1D engines
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-14
- Publisher
- Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
- Title
- Falcon User Guide
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-22
- Note
- NASA identifies the Falcon 9 v1.1 debut on 2013-09-29 as the first flight test of the new Merlin 1D gas-generator engine.
- Publisher
- NASA
- Title
- SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 Data Sheet
- Accessed Date
- 2026-08-24
- Note
- SpaceX Falcon User Guide 2025-05-09 identifies the M1D first stage engine at 845 kN (190,000 lbf) sea level thrust per engine.
- Publisher
- SpaceX
- Title
- Falcon User Guide 2025-05-09