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« Last post by Nemesis on December 30, 2023, 12:24:18 pm »
SpaceX has had 98 launches in 2023, short of their planned 100. This last Falcon Heavy launch blocked several planned Falcon 9 with all its delays tying up the rocket transporter that takes weeks to readjust to and from the Falcon Heavy configuration. Still VERY impressive especially with most of them being already flown boosters. They plan 140 launches next year, whether that will be reduced if Starship goes into operation with its higher payload I wouldn't try to predict.
Currently looks like the 3rd Starship (SN28 and BN10) will be in March. They just (within hours of each other) did a single engine static fire for SN28 and a 33 engine static fire for BN10, both successful tests. SN28 has had test opening and closing of the cargo slot so this one seems to be planning to be launched without welding it closed. The question is will it have any Starlink 2 satellites (or even mass simulators for them) when the launch occurs?
Vulcan has slipped to January 8th with the 2nd not till April where it is planned to carry Dreamchaser, the Sierra Nevada mini shuttle. Proving my prediction that they wouldn't launch multiple Vulcans in quick succession after the 1st launch without at least a month or two to analyze data from the prior launch successful or not.
New Glenn is now only showing 1 launch and that in August, 3rd year in a row cancelling their late December debut launch again as I expected. The other 2024 launches no longer show up on the schedule I'm using.
I have seen one unsubstantiated claim that Blue Origin may buy ULA. If so and assuming that BE-4 and Vulcan work it would finally give them orbital capability but knowing Bezos he would start calling the history of ULA and all the companies that went into them as Blue Origin history. I hate it when companies do that.
2024 ought to be eventful in the Space industry especially if all the planned new vehicles become functional. Starship, Vulcan, New Glenn, Arianne 6 and several others in various stages as boosters. The Starliner capsule if it works and isn't cancelled as a white elephant. Dreamchaser for cargo to and from orbit and the ISS with the potential in the future to be manned. Who knows what the Chinese and Indians will do as well? There are some fairly novel things in the works.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! to all.
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