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.)
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.)