At 16:03 on December 18, Beijing time, SpaceX launched the 127th batch of 22 Starlink satellites, bringing the total number to 5,581. This seemingly ordinary task has a milestone significance:It is the 100th orbital launch mission carried out by SpaceX in the past 365 days, far exceeding the 61 times last year.
This is SpaceX’s 91st orbital launch in 2023, 60 of which were used to launch Starlink satellites.
The launch was carried out by a 13-hand Falcon 9 rocket B1071, which was successfully recovered on an unmanned barge again.
According to information provided by analysis company BryceTech,The mass of payloads launched into orbit by SpaceX this year accounted for 80% of the global total. In the third quarter, 519 satellites were launched with a total weight of 381,278 kilograms. The second place was China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, with 24 satellites and a total weight of 24,560 kilograms.
According to Musk's plan, SpaceX will launch an average of 12 times per month in 2024, and at least 144 times throughout the year.
In addition, tomorrow, SpaceX will use the Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time to launch the U.S. Space Force’s mysterious experimental aerospace aircraft X-37B, with a contract value of US$154.7 million.
On September 17, 2017, the fifth launch of the X-37B used a Falcon 9 rocket, while other launches used ULA Atlas V rockets.
This is also the seventh flight of the X-37B, which will enter a higher orbit. In the past, it was in low-Earth orbit.
The X-37B was launched for the first time on April 22, 2010. During the first mission, it stayed in space for 224 days, which were later extended to 469 days, 675 days, 718 days, 780 days, and 908 days, for a total of 3,774 days.