SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday reiterated his goal to have his satellite launch company take over 90% of all of Earth’s payload to orbit later this year while adding that competitors are free to copy the company and its products.
What Happened: “SpaceX might exceed 90% of all Earth payload to orbit later this year,” Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We file almost no patents, so nothing stopping competition from copying us.”
The CEO was responding to a report from analytics firm Bryce Tech which pegged the number of launches by SpaceX in the first quarter at 31, China’s China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) at 9, and Russia’s Roscosmos at 5.
As per the report, SpaceX launched about 429,125 kgs of spacecraft upmass in Q1, seconded by CASC after launching just 29,426 kgs. SpaceX’s American rival United Launch Alliance, meanwhile, launched only 1,285 kgs of spacecraft upmass in the quarter. ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
Why It Matters: SpaceX’s goal of delivering 90% of Earth’s payload to orbit this year is higher than the 80% payload goal it set last year. SpaceX is also looking to complete 144 launches this year.
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.
Last week, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell confirmed on X that the company has already completed 50 missions this year, not including the Starship test flight in March.
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Image Credit – SpaceX
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