SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellitesSpaceX tonight successfully launched 20 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The satellites included 13 of the Starlink direct-to-cell satellites. The first stage successfully completed its eighth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
113 SpaceX
51 China
13 Russia
12 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 131 to 76, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 113 to 94.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
SpaceX tonight successfully launched 20 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The satellites included 13 of the Starlink direct-to-cell satellites. The first stage successfully completed its eighth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
113 SpaceX
51 China
13 Russia
12 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 131 to 76, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 113 to 94.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
Jan……10
Feb…….9
Mar…..13 (1 was IFT-3 of Starship/Super Heavy)
Apr…..12
May….13
June…12 (1 was IFT-4 of Starship/Super Heavy, 1 was Falcon Heavy)
July……5 (FAA stand down of two weeks)
Aug.…12
Sep…….9
Oct…..12 (Another FAA stand down)(1 was IFT-5 of Starship/Super Heavy, 1 was Falcon Heavy)
Nov……7. (At mid-month)
129 (11 flights monthly for remaining 2 months)
131 (12 flights monthly for remaining 2 months)
133 (13 flights monthly for remaining 2months)
135 (14 flights monthly for remaining 2 months)
My projected range is now 129 to 135 flights in 2024, as compared to my last projection in mid-October of 128 to 137 flights.
The SpaceX launch pace quickened to 14 flights from mid-October to mid-November. It will be interesting to see if SpaceX can manage a record breaking 14 (or more) flights in the full month of November.
Unfortunately, 150 flights this year is completely out of the question as SpaceX would need to launch at a cadence of 21.5 flights per month starting November 1. Even 140 flights is out of reach now as they would need a cadence of 16.5 flights per month. SpaceX’s best month in 2024 is only 13 flights and they have only done that twice.
I am still projecting the 2024 SpaceX flight total to be in the low 130’s, but the chances of the mid-130’s has increased due to Musk targeting 30 flights for November and December.