SpaceX and Rocket Lab complete successful launches
This evening both SpaceX and Rocket Lab completed launches only about an hour apart but on opposite sides of the world.
First, SpaceX this evening successfully launched another 20 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage completed its 20th flight, landing safely on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
Next, Rocket Lab completed the second to two launches for NASA, placing the second Prefire climate satellite into orbit, following the first launch on May 25, 2024. Its Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab’s launchpad in New Zealand.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
59 SpaceX
26 China
8 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the world combined in successful launches, 68 to 40, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including other American companies, 59 to 49.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
This evening both SpaceX and Rocket Lab completed launches only about an hour apart but on opposite sides of the world.
First, SpaceX this evening successfully launched another 20 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage completed its 20th flight, landing safely on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
Next, Rocket Lab completed the second to two launches for NASA, placing the second Prefire climate satellite into orbit, following the first launch on May 25, 2024. Its Electron rocket lifted off from Rocket Lab’s launchpad in New Zealand.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
59 SpaceX
26 China
8 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the world combined in successful launches, 68 to 40, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including other American companies, 59 to 49.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Mr. Z.,
–something is wrong with the SpaceX link….
Wayne: Thank you. Fixed.
1. I think 20 rather than 23 Starlink satellites were on this launch. There were 13 direct to cell variants aboard and prior such launches carried only 20 satellites.
2. OCD: ‘…second to two launches for NASA…’ could perhaps be ‘…second of two launches for NASA…’
Well, Starliner is in orbit. I guess Navy test pilots do indeed have nerves of steel! Godspeed!
Regarding Rocket Lab, they have had at least one other launch set that was closer than 11 days, but the previous was from two different launch pads (and two different continents).
This set was 11 days apart from the same pad in LC-1B in Mahia.
Additionally, they recently indicated that they are going into the Hall Thruster business.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall when Chris Kemp reads that.