2023-10-21 16:10:01
By developing partially reusable launchers, SpaceX has opened the way to a space industry which no longer has to wait for long months and rare favorable slots to launch its satellites, which have generally become more numerous and smaller.
Elon Musk’s company’s technologies now make it possible to send clusters of dozens of satellites at once, like its own constellation Starlinkwhile being able to ensure a new launch in just a few days, while also being able to afford to launch several heavy rockets during the year.
SpaceX is already 74 shots since the start of the yearfar beating its record of 61 shots carried out in 2022. The few months remaining to end the year will see several more launches and the firm will try to get closer to 100 launches in 2023indicated its vice-president Bill Gerstenmaier before a committee of the American Senate.
Far exceed 100 shots in 2024
And already, SpaceX has set itself the goal of reaching a new record of 144 flights for the year 2024, he stressed to parliamentarians. This will lead to one shot every 2.8 days on averagecompared to 3.9 currently.
The company is already capable of launching several missions on the same day, which it has done on different occasions by carrying out two Falcon 9 launcher launches a few hours apart, and it has no shortage of customers, among its own missions to expand Starlink (which represent 60% of its shots this year) and the numerous external requests.
The Falcon 9 launcher remains the heart of SpaceX’s strategy but the heavy launcher Falcon Heavy and the future spaceship Starship supported by the Super Heavy booster opens up new opportunities.
SpaceX attend le green light from the FAA to carry out a second test flight for Starship, following a first test in April which had a taste of unfinished business, the ship having been destroyed during its ascent.
Too many administrative delays for SpaceX
Elon Musk, as well as other players in the space sector, is annoyed by these administrative delays and pleads for more agile management, knowing that trial/error and design modification along the way are at the heart of progression. rapid development of the techniques and commercial opportunities that will result from them.
Waiting for an approval that takes time to come due to a lack of staff at the FAA to deal with all aspects of the file when everything is ready for takeoff tends to be counterproductive, argue the champions of the sector who call for reforms in governance.
Starship will have a big role to play in returning humans to the Moon and in the longer term in the possibility of bringing humans to the planet Mars. Versatile, the vessel might also serve as an orbital station or carry out ultra-short flights to any point on the globe.
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