Comments on: SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites, flying its second booster for a 17th time

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 22:53:18 +0000

Showoffs.
That is all they are anymore, just showoffs.

By: Edward

Edward — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 23:19:51 +0000

Richard M noted: “These SpaceX guys are getting pretty good at this, aren’t they?”

They have to get good at it. SpaceX has to launch a very large number of Starlink-2 satellites in the next few years, and the delay of Starship means that a few hundred Falcons would be required to do it instead. Starship would be less expensive, and much faster, but they don’t have that option, yet.

By: Steve White

Steve White — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 17:22:19 +0000

Richard M: thank you, and just as I thought.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 03:27:53 +0000

About SuperHeavy and any flow problems:
https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/10.2514/1.A35553

Lots of goodness here.

Elon reads Next Big Future, so I hear…

By: Richard M

Richard M — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 23:51:59 +0000

In addition to the numbers of flights, it might be interesting to look at payload mass put in orbit.

BryceTech actually tracks that, globally, every quarter.

You can see their briefings here: https://brycetech.com/briefing

So, you can see that in 2Q 2023, SpaceX launched about 214,095 kg of spacecraft upmass in Q2, followed very distantly by CASC with about 23,069 kg. No one else even hit 10,000 kg.

By: Richard M

Richard M — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 23:47:37 +0000

If all goes as planned, based on the launches SpaceX has announced, that Falcon Heavy launch will be the company’s 70th in 2023, which will match the annual record of launches for the entire United States prior to 2022.

These SpaceX guys are getting pretty good at this, aren’t they?

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 21:35:20 +0000

In reply to Richard M. Richard M: If all goes as planned, based on the launches SpaceX has announced, that Falcon Heavy launch will be the company's 70th in 2023, which will match the annual record of launches for the entire United States prior to 2022. In 1966 the U.S. completed 70 launches, and then didn't beat that record until last year (mostly because of SpaceX).

By: Richard M

Richard M — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 21:23:56 +0000

It’s wild to think that we’re only 11 days from the big (Falcon Heavy) launch of Psyche, and that’s not even the next Falcon launch. There are two Starlink launches scheduled ahead of it.

By: Steve White

Steve White — Sun, 24 Sep 2023 19:38:51 +0000

In addition to the numbers of flights, it might be interesting to look at payload mass put in orbit. I have a hunch (I don’t have the numbers) that while SpaceX may trail the world a bit on numbers, when it comes to mass they’re way, way ahead.