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As I noted in July, 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. 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. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.

 

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SpaceX launches 23 more Starlink satellites

SpaceX early last night continued its campaign to reach 100 launches in 2023, its Falcon 9 rocket launching for the third time in just over four days, lifting off from Cape Canaveral carrying 23 more Starlink satellites into orbit.

The first stage completed its fifteenth launch, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.

The leaders in the 2023 launch race:

86 SpaceX
52 China
14 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India

American private enterprise now leads China 98 to 52 in successful launches, and the entire world combined 98 to 81. SpaceX by itself is now leads the rest of the world (excluding American companies) 86 to 81.

With this launch, the number of successful orbital launches in 2023 now matches the record total of 179 set last year. With a little more than five weeks to go, expect that number to top 200 before the year is out, especially because China has historically tended to launch a lot of rockets in December.

Genesis cover

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

3 comments

  • MDN

    It is also noteworthy I think that SpaceX is now performing orbital class missions from FOUR separate launch pads spread across 3 different geographic locations.

  • Richard M

    So, for 2023, SpaceX has 86 orbital (or beyond) launches with Falcon family rockets, and one suborbital one (and one not quite suborbital) with Starship so far.

    Just looking at orbital launches, which I know is Bob’s rule, they have 14 launches to go in 39 days if they want to hit 100 for the year.

    Well, for the record, SpaceX has launched 16 times in the last 39 days.

    I really think they’re gonna hit it. All along, I’ve been thinking they’d end up around 90. But they have really cranked it up this fall. Just amazing to behold.

  • sippin_bourbon

    How long does it take the “starlink train” to disperse.

    I witnessed it for the first time last night, around 6:30. They were still close.

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