SpaceXpectations 2024
Next year is huge for SpaceX
We are witnessing space open up before our eyes thanks to SpaceX, who plan to launch 144 missions next year. For avid SpaceX watchers here are the highlights, broken down by calendar quarter. Can hardly wait...
First Quarter
IFT-3 – SpaceX will enter the year like a lion with the third Integrated Flight Test of Starship (NET January). The first flight cleared the pad, the second completed hot-staging, the third aims to land in Hawaii!
AX-3 – Axiom’s third private astronaut mission to ISS (NET Jan 10).
IM-1 – Intuitive Machine’s first mission with their Nova C lunar lander (NET Jan13).
Crew-8 – NASA’s eighth commercial crew launch to the international Space Station (NET Feb).
Second Quarter
Polaris Dawn – first flight in the Polaris Program, a commercial partnership between Jared Isaacman and SpaceX. First mission will send Dragon into deep space to test radiation tolerance, then descend to LEO to perform a Starlink laser communications test, followed by the first commercial spacewalk (NET April).
GOES-U – completes the NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite constellation with the first Falcon Heavy launch of the year (NET April).
Third Quarter
Crew-9 – NASA’s ninth commercial crew launch to the ISS (NET August).
AX-4 – Axiom’s fourth private astronaut mission to ISS (NET August).
Fourth Quarter
Europa Clipper – NASA’s interplanetary mission to Europa, the sixth moon of Jupiter (NET Oct 10). Launch on Falcon Heavy, arrives in the Jovian sub-system April 2030.
Griffin Mission 1 – Astrobotic’s first Griffin lander mission, carrying NASA’s Viper rover to the lunar South Pole (NET November). Third Falcon Heavy launch of the year.
Note these are just the highlights, expect plenty of Starship + Super Heavy goodness, with SpaceX aiming for at least 5 flights from Starbase Tx. Added bonus: Version 2 Starship rollout...
A truly happy New Year!
This is crazy. I remember when we had to wait months between SpaceX launches. 144 launches in one year? Illustrates the power of progress and what falling prices can do.
I thought 100 was a no-way goal, but they managed to do 100 in 365 days. So 144? Add 5-10 Starships, RTLS, FH out of VSFB and hope for good weather ... it might just happen.
While 2023 was the year of FH, 2024 needs to be the year of Starship.
BTW: Why include GOES-8 call out? SX will be putting up many gov't and commercial payloads, and to the chagrin of the EU, a number of EU built ones.