Elon Musk‘s rocket manufacturing firm SpaceX resumed launch actions over the weekend after Christmas, bringing the overall variety of launches to date this yr to 133.
What Occurred: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from California on Saturday and the Astranis: From One to Many mission to a geosynchronous switch orbit from Florida on Sunday.
The 2 missions mark the corporate’s 132nd and 133rd launch this yr.
Nevertheless, the corporate shouldn’t be performed launching this yr. Additionally it is eyeing launching 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida on Dec. 31. If profitable, it will take SpaceX’s complete launches this yr to 134, not together with Starship check flights.
Why It Issues: For everything of 2023, SpaceX solely accomplished 96 launches, not together with two check flights of the corporate’s Starship launch automobile.
SpaceX was initially trying to full 144 launches this yr or a mean of 12 occasions per 30 days.
Nevertheless, SpaceX VP of Launch Kiko Dontchev mentioned in November that the corporate wouldn’t make its aim of 144 launches this yr however remains to be concentrating on many extra till year-end.
SpaceX additionally performed 4 check flights of its bold Starship launch automobile this yr, the final of which was in November. The automobile, a part of Musk’s dream to take people again to the floor of the Moon and additional onto Mars, is within the growth and testing section and is but to hold any payload to orbit.
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