SpaceX takes the US to the lead in rocket launches – 01/03/2024 – Science

Thanks to SpaceX, the United States easily led the world space launch market in 2023. There were 107 orbital flights, a much higher balance than other countries in this strategic sector.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched Falcon 9 96 times throughout the year — equivalent to almost two launches per week — with the aim of continuing the deployment of its Starlink internet satellite constellation.

The company also launched the Falcon Heavy to put the X-37B military space plane into orbit and carried out two tests with the Starship, which will be used for the Artemis missions to the Moon. In one of them, the rocket exploded and, in the other, it was lost. if the signal from the vehicle after it reaches space.

“For this year, we want to increase the number to around 12 flights per month, that is, 144,” declared SpaceX vice president Bill Gerstenmaier when he appeared before the US Senate in October.

Faced with American dominance, China is rapidly expanding its space activities.

The Asian country accumulated 67 launches in 2023, compared to 64 in 2022, according to Spacenews. Of these, 47 were from its Long March rocket alone, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Russia had 19 launches, 17 of them of the Soyuz rocket, carrying mainly satellites for government and military needs, in addition to the Progress spacecraft, destined for the International Space Station (ISS), according to the specialized website Gunter’s Space Page.

India, with the space agency Isro, launched its GSLV, PSLV and SSLV rockets seven times in 2023. It also carried out the first launch of 2024: a PSLV rocket, fired at 4:30 am last Monday (1:30 am in Brasília), placed a scientific satellite in orbit.

Europe, which is experiencing a launcher crisis, has recorded just three launches in 2023: the last two Ariane 5 and a Vega rocket. But it hopes to regain autonomy in space with the inaugural flight of Ariane 6, scheduled for mid-June, and with the flight of Vega-C at the end of this year.

Japan also carried out three launches in 2023, but its new H-3 launcher failed. The Japanese space agency, Jaxa, announced that it will make a new attempt on February 15.