Fairings V1

SpaceX fairings are the protective nose cones that shield satellites during rocket launch. These 13-meter tall, 5.2-meter wide structures are made of lightweight carbon composite, crucial for enduring extreme atmospheric conditions. Their unique feature is reusability, a key factor in SpaceX's mission to reduce spaceflight costs, as each new fairing costs around $6 million.

Initially, SpaceX tried to catch fairings with net-equipped ships, but now primarily uses a more reliable "wet recovery" method. After detaching, fairing halves use thrusters for orientation and deploy steerable parafoils for a controlled splashdown, then retrieved from the ocean. This process has enabled fairings to fly on multiple missions, with some completing over a dozen launches, highlighting their durable design and efficient recovery, making fairing reuse a standard practice in SpaceX's operations.

Size Guide