Charted: How SpaceX hit the world record for rocket launches
The Falcon 9 and Starship rockets are both grounded – so the record may have to wait, writes Anthony Cuthbertson
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SpaceX is one lift-off away from breaking its own record for the number of orbital rocket launches in a single year – however two of its rockets are currently grounded.
The launch from Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida of a Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Saturday equaled the previous milestone of 96 launches set in 2023.
The latest launch is part of a rescue mission to return two astronauts stranded aboard the ISS, however the Falcon 9’s second stage encountered a problem when returning to Earth.
There were no injuries or property damage, though the rocket landed outside of the designated hazard area set out by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
SpaceX decided to pause launches of its Falcon 9 rocket – which have performed more than 90 per cent of all orbital launches this year – until it better understood the cause of the “off-nominal deorbit burn” last weekend.
The FAA confirmed that it was awaiting the results of the investigation before space flights can resume.
Among the missions currently on hold include Nasa’s Europa Clipper mission, as well as launches to deliver SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The US regulator has also postponed the next orbital flight test of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, despite Elon Musk claiming that the world’s biggest rocket has been ready to launch since August.
The SpaceX boss accused the FAA of “regulatory overreach”, however a spokesperson for the regulator responded to the criticism by claiming that SpaceX changed the profile of the next Starship mission to include new variables that require new safety and environmental reviews.
“SpaceX chose to modify both for its proposed Starship Flight 5 launch which triggered a more in-depth review,” a spokesperson for the FAA told The Independent. “In addition, SpaceX submitted new information in mid-August detailing how the environmental impact of Flight 5 will cover a larger area than previously reviewed.”
One of the updated mission objectives requiring review is an attempt to catch a Super Heavy booster with a “chopsticks” system built into the same launchpad that the rocket will lift off from. The FAA said a conclusion to its review would not be completed until late November at the earliest.
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