However SpaceX is just on its 17th launch and the 13.8-th success, and the 7th flight of the current configuration. Still a long queue to go before they got out the critical zone of gaining confidence - one larger slip over the next 3-4 years and their growth can suddenly ground to a stop..... :shifty:
I think the reason SpaceX has had so much success with Falcon 9 is because of the failures of Falcon 1. Remember how NASA keeps saying that a failure teaches them more than a success? Maybe this was true for SpaceX.
Falcon 9 is a different vehicle from Falcon 1, but it is based off of its technology.
I would be surprised if Falcon 9 does not experience a full failure in its lifetime, but so far they're doing well.