2024 Sees Close to One Rocket Launch Attempt Every 34 Hours – Expect Even More Activity This Year

In 2024, the world of space exploration achieved remarkable milestones, marking the fourth year of record-breaking spaceflights with a total of 259 launches. This impressive frequency translates to a launch approximately every 34 hours, based on a recent survey of the global space industry.

The findings were highlighted in a report from The Space Report, a research initiative from the Space Foundation, a Colorado-based non-profit organization. Experts predict that the trend of increasing launch activities will escalate this year. This uptick is fueled by a renewed intent to enhance independent launch capabilities across Europe, with several vehicles in France, Germany, and the U.K. preparing for their inaugural flights.

“The space economy shows promising growth ahead,” stated Space Foundation CEO Heather Pringle in a statement. “Continuing to enhance our capacity enables others to participate in this expanding sector.”

The report indicates that SpaceX, a leading launch service provider for NASA and the Pentagon, completed 132 flights of its Falcon 9 rockets last year, accounting for over half of the total global launch volume. Approximately 90 of these missions were focused on expanding the Starlink communications network, which now has over 4 million subscribers worldwide and is expected to generate $11.8 billion in revenue this year.

Additionally, military satellite deployments surged by 86%, largely attributed to over 100 satellites SpaceX launched for the Starshield constellation, which supports national security initiatives. This conclusion is drawn from proprietary research by The Space Report and publicly available orbital data maintained by the U.S. Space Force.

The United States “led the launch landscape in 2024, surpassing China by a margin of over 2-to-1,” according to the report. Meanwhile, Russia also ramped up its satellite deployments, boosting its count from 21 in 2023 to 98 in 2024. Half of these new satellites are part of a network aimed at monitoring vessels along crucial maritime routes, including the Northern Sea Route.

Looking ahead, the space sector is expected to grow even busier this year. In the United States, Blue Origin successfully launched its highly anticipated New Glenn rocket last month, reaching orbit and positioning itself as a competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. Future missions for the New Glenn will include support for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which is set to contend with SpaceX’s Starlink in delivering global internet connectivity.

This year will also witness the inaugural flights of Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplane destined for the International Space Station aboard a Vulcan rocket, scheduled for launch no earlier than May. Additionally, Rocket Lab is preparing for its mid-2025 launch of the partially reusable Neutron rocket.

“These developments highlight the growing significance of commercial enterprises in the space sector,” noted Matt Ondler, CTO of Axiom Space, as stated in The Space Report.

To gear up for this busy year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allocated additional spectrum for commercial launches and simplified regulatory processes. This move will allow companies to conduct launch activities more efficiently without needing to seek temporary authorities from the FCC for each operation, as per a FCC statement.

In Europe, the French firm Latitude is prepping for the initial flight of its small launch vehicle named Zephyr this year. Meanwhile, Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg is targeting its inaugural launch of the RFA One rocket, having rebuilt the first stage after an unsuccessful static fire test.

Across the U.K., Orbex anticipates launching its first two-stage rocket, Prime, by the end of this year, while Skyrora is set to launch its Skylark L suborbital vehicle following a year of navigating regulatory hurdles.

In Australia, the startup Gilmour Space is preparing for the first launch of its Eris rocket, marking a significant milestone as the first Australian-made rocket to take off from its home soil.

The report emphasizes that although these launch vehicles may be small, they play a crucial role in enabling nations to establish independent launch capabilities, as countries look toward smaller rockets to ensure consistent access to space.

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