SpaceX successfully launches Luxembourg’s first government satellite
Capitalism in space: SpaceX today successfully launched Luxembourg’s first government satellite, GovSat 1.
The launch used a previously flown first stage, which was intentionally not recovered on this flight. They did however land it in the ocean, probably to simply practice the entire routine.
The 2018 launch standings:
5 China
2 SpaceX
2 ULA
1 Rocket Lab
1 Europe
1 India
1 Japan
This launch puts the U.S. and China in a tie for the lead. I must also note that the world’s aerospace industry completed 13 launches in the first month of 2018. If this pace is maintained, we shall see about 150 launches in 2018, the most since before 1980, and possible the most in a single year ever. (I need to check the records for the 1970s, as it is possible but very unlikely this number was topped during that time.)
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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.
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Capitalism in space: SpaceX today successfully launched Luxembourg’s first government satellite, GovSat 1.
The launch used a previously flown first stage, which was intentionally not recovered on this flight. They did however land it in the ocean, probably to simply practice the entire routine.
The 2018 launch standings:
5 China
2 SpaceX
2 ULA
1 Rocket Lab
1 Europe
1 India
1 Japan
This launch puts the U.S. and China in a tie for the lead. I must also note that the world’s aerospace industry completed 13 launches in the first month of 2018. If this pace is maintained, we shall see about 150 launches in 2018, the most since before 1980, and possible the most in a single year ever. (I need to check the records for the 1970s, as it is possible but very unlikely this number was topped during that time.)
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows 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.
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.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four 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 or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
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.
This data is interesting. Keep up the good work covering the new space age with this reporting angle.
Will you count RocketLab as US? NZ? or strictly commercial? Depends where they launch from?
Does the Ariane launch count as a success?
Lot’s of interesting questions these days.
Seems everyone but the Russians are looking to seriously up their game this year. By Valentine’s Day, SpaceX could well match the current Chinese total of five launches. The Chinese, though, are scheduled to have one or two more launches accomplished by that time. Fun times.
Fred K: I consider Rocket Lab American. They launch from New Zealand, but the company is American owned and built.
Ariane 5’s launch I considered a success, though this could be argued. The primary satellite got to orbit and the customer seems satisfied.
I would give the Kiwis more credit. The company was originally founded in New Zealand by a New Zealander, and the primary investor was a Kiwi as well. In addition, Electron was designed mostly in New Zealand, built mostly in New Zealand, and launched from New Zealand, all largely by New Zealanders. They incorporated in the United States primarily to get access to U. S. government contracts.
This is, in my opinion, analogous to Space Systems / Loral being owned by the Canadian company MDA. It is eligible under Canadian law for loans by the Canadian version of the Export / Import bank, but it is American in all but legality.
They do seem to be moving more of their future work (e.g. engine production) to the United States, but I’m pretty sure most of the initial work was done in the other hemisphere.
Elon Musk: This rocket was meant to test very high retrothrust landing in water so it didn’t hurt the droneship, but amazingly it has survived. We will try to tow it back to shore.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/958847818583584768
Check out the photo, Wow!
Rocket Lab has a pretty sizable building in Huntington Beach, CA where it is apparently setting up engine and avionics production. Engines and avionics constitute most of the cost of a launch vehicle. If the company decides to launch from one or more U.S. spaceports, in addition to their current base in Middle Earth, this building looks plenty big enough to support fabrication of entire stages should that be part of Rocket Lab’s future plans.
I agree with mkent that Rocket Lab is of New Zealand origin, but its U.S. tail seems on the way to wagging the Kiwi dog. That makes the company American enough to put its launches in the U.S. column, I suppose, though adding a line item for New Zealand to your tallies is also reasonable. If Rocket Lab does start launching from U.S. spaceports, those missions would certainly be unambiguously in the U.S. launch total.
Luxembourg?
Can the Duchy of Grand Fenwick be far behind?