SpaceX continues its successful streak with the recent launch of its 42nd rocket of the year on Tuesday. Carrying Starlink satellites into orbit, the company now boasts an impressive launch rate of one mission every 2.7 days in 2021. This puts SpaceX on track to break records with between 130 and 140 total launches by the end of the year.
Notably, the Falcon rocket family achieved a major milestone with its 300th successful first-stage landing during this mission. SpaceX has demonstrated its reusability prowess by landing about 85 percent of the Falcon rockets it has launched, with over 90 percent of missions utilizing previously flown boosters. These successful landings have also had a significant positive impact on the environment, preventing 15,000 metric tons of materials—equivalent to about 100 residential homes—from being dumped into the oceans.
While Russian rockets currently hold the all-time record for the most launches, the Falcon 9 rocket is quickly catching up. With nearly 350 launches across its variants, the Falcon 9 is expected to potentially surpass the Soyuz as the most-flown rocket by the middle of the 2030s. Additionally, SpaceX’s larger Starship rocket is poised to enter the scene in the next year or two, likely reducing demand for the Falcon 9 but ensuring its continued relevance through the 2030s.
Overall, SpaceX’s remarkable achievements in rocket launches and reusability point towards a promising future for the company in the space industry. As they continue to push boundaries and innovate, the possibilities for space exploration and satellite deployment are seemingly endless.
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