SpaceX Speeds Up Mission Launches With A New One Taking Off Every Other Day Over Last Month As It Races Towards Its 2024 Target

Elon Musk‘s SpaceX has been increasing its launch cadence, enabling 17 launches in the last 31 days, and exceeding its monthly launch targets.

What Happened: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched 24 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida on Thursday, marking its 17th launch in 31 days.

SpaceX launched almost every other day in the last 31 days, exceeding its target set at the start of the year of 12 launches every month.

However, the Musk-led space giant fell short of its launch targets in the first half of 2024, completing just 67 missions, not including its Starship test flights. The company is now trying to reach its launch target for the whole year by amping up launches in the remaining months.

Why It Matters: SpaceX has already exceeded 100 launches this year, outrunning its 96 launches in 2023.

SpaceX VP of Launch Kiko Dontchev said earlier this month that the company will not make its goal of 144 launches this year but is still targeting 30 more launches, or one launch every two days, for the rest of the year.

SpaceX is currently using its Falcon launch vehicles for the payload carrying missions. The company is also testing its Starship launch vehicle, whose next test flight is expected as early as Nov. 18.

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Photo courtesy: SpaceX