With the launch of 20 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit on Tuesday, Elon Musk‘s SpaceX has completed 50 launches this year, more than half of its total launches last year.
What Happened: “Congratulations to the SpaceX team on launching our 50th Falcon mission of the year!” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. “…it's been an extraordinary year so far and we’re not even halfway done yet!”
The company has launched customer satellites, cargo, astronauts, and also its own Starlink satellites to orbit since the start of 2024. The company had its first launch of the year on Jan. 2, when it launched 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from California. In its latest mission, SpaceX launched 20 Starlink satellites, also from California.
The 50 launches do not include Starship’s third test flight in March when the spacecraft lost contact and broke down while re-entering the planet's atmosphere instead of splashing down as planned in the Indian Ocean.
Why It Matters: CEO Elon Musk has said the company is aiming for 12 launches per month in 2024, totaling 144 launches. However, to touch the targeted 144 launches, the company will have to ramp up the number of launches in the upcoming months.
For the entirety of 2023, SpaceX only completed 96 launches, marking a 57% year-on-year increase, not including two Starship test flights. The company's launch numbers have been steadily increasing, with 26 launches in 2020, 31 in 2021, and 61 in 2022.
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Image: Created with artificial intelligence on MidJourney and Official SpaceX Photos on Flickr
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