It's no secret as to what happens after the final mission: it's all about the BFR. The giant rocket "takes over" from Falcon 9 after those five years are done, Musk said, enabling missions to the Moon, Mars and "eventually outer planets." While there's been little doubt that Falcon 9 was ultimately a stepping stone for SpaceX, the reality of that transition is quickly coming into focus.

There's a lingering question about how this will affect the cost of each mission. Right now, it costs about $50 million to launch a reused Falcon 9. In theory, flying 300 missions with as few as 30 rockets is going to dramatically lower the per-launch cost. Musk didn't touch on that directly, but there's a distinct chance that space will be considerably more accessible for companies and countries in the near future.