Elon Muskthe visionary founder of SpaceX, has revealed a bold space plan that seeks to launch a rocket every two and a half days. The reason behind this frenetic activity is their goal of expand mobile internet services provided by the company’s Starlink satellite constellation.
To date, as you remember 20 Bit, SpaceX has placed more than 4,500 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. These satellites are known for forming rows visible from places like Spain, but Musk has his sights set on a much larger number: 42,000 units.
Last week, SpaceX celebrated its 75th Starlink satellite launch so far this year. If they continue at their current pace, they could get close to 100 launches before the end of the year. The company’s ambitious goal is carry out 12 launches per month, which is equivalent to approximately 144 annual flights of its Falcon rockets. This would represent an increase of 60% compared to the current year and an average of one flight every 2.5 days in 2024.
The SpaceX projection
Despite the surprising speed of these launches, it is not something completely new for SpaceX. During 2023, they have already exceeded their launch pace compared to the previous year, when they carried out 61 missions (although, in total, 186 launches were carried out, which shows the growing importance of the company in the space industry).
Furthermore, in 2022, SpaceX also increased its pace compared to 2021, when 31 launches were carried out.
The question that arises is why SpaceX is determined to accelerate its Starlink satellite launches. A company worker revealed that they are working on a new service called “Starlink Direct to Cell”, which will offer direct connection to mobile phones. However, to make this possible, they need to launch a significant number of improved satellites, capable of connecting directly to mobile devices.