Arianespace successfully launches four commercial communications satellites
Capitalism in space: Using a Russian-built Soyuz rocket Arianespace today successfully placed four O3b communications in orbit.
The leaders in the 2019 launch race:
4 China
4 Europe (Arianespace)
3 SpaceX
3 Russia
The U.S. now leads China and Europe 6 to 4 in the national rankings.
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
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Capitalism in space: Using a Russian-built Soyuz rocket Arianespace today successfully placed four O3b communications in orbit.
The leaders in the 2019 launch race:
4 China
4 Europe (Arianespace)
3 SpaceX
3 Russia
The U.S. now leads China and Europe 6 to 4 in the national rankings.
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation:
5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
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You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above. And if you buy the books through the ebookit links, I get a larger cut and I get it sooner.
I am a bit concerned that there have been so few launches in the first quarter of the year. In addition to the 14 launches listed, I believe that there are two each for ULA and India, and one each for Rocket Lab and Japan, giving a total, so far, of 20. At this rate, we will not meet last year’s launch total of 111, so I hope things start to pick up soon.
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/essays-and-commentaries/the-2018-global-launch-race-plus-predictions-for-2019/
“I therefore expect the launch total for 2019 to be much higher, possibly as much as 120 launches.”
I count 50 scheduled launches through August, which is a bit better, at 10 launches per month, but that rate may only take us to the equivalent of last year’s total.
https://watchrockets.com/
Edward: Your count is correct, 20 launches so far this year.
The numbers so far is less than last year, partly because the launches last year were clearing out backlog for both SpaceX and China. They don’t have as many launches now on their manifest. However, this will be compensated for but the arrival of the smallsat rockets, of which Rocket Lab is one.