The Falcon 9 rocket has established a historical milestone, which is outstanding compared to the competition, but is SpaceX just getting started?
SpaceX’s Falcon rocket currently has the most consecutive flights in rocket history. After WWII, space rockets progressed from experimental to serious undertakings.
The United States and Russia then fought to create rockets by leveraging advances made by German scientists such as Wernher von Braun, recognized for his contributions to NASA and designs for Mars rocket vessels.
Some of the most significant and renowned space rockets are the Russian Sputnik, which launched the first satellite, the Mercury rocket, which sent the first Americans into space, the Titan II utilized in the Gemini Mission, and the Saturn V rocket, which transported humanity to the moon.
However, rockets have gone a long way, particularly in the last ten years, with launches happening virtually every day.
According to Arstechnica, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has completed 111 successful consecutive flights.
This marks the end of the era of the US Atlas rocket and the renowned “Kings of Rockets,” the Russian Soyuz and Proton rockets.
The Falcon launched 139 times and failed once in 2015 on a mission to the International Space Station, bringing its streak to 111 flights.
Since the late 1950s, Russian rockets have launched over 1,900 times.
However, over 100 spread-out failures fell their steady success rates short of the new Falcon 9 record.
According to estimates, the Falcon might fly 500 times during the next decade. Elon Musk, on the other hand, may have different ideas.
The Falcon’s Impressive Performance Is Not SpaceX’s Future
Today, NASA relies on the Falcon to restock the ISS and carry personnel. SpaceX also uses the Falcon 9 to launch commercial satellites, its army of Starlink satellites, and US military satellites, among other things.
However, SpaceX’s long-term goal is to replace the Falcon 9 with a fleet of Starships.
The Starship can carry more than 150 tonnes into orbit, land, refuel, and repeat the process in a single mission.
A Falcon 9, on the other hand, can only carry roughly 25 tonnes into orbit. This not only significantly reduces SpaceX’s expenses but also is a game-changer for the space industry, which is preoccupied with weight and size.
SpaceX does confront one major impediment to its aim. The Starship’s first flight launch tests concluded with a boom, exploding the craft numerous times.
Eventually, SpaceX made the Starship jump around 150 meters over the earth. They later accomplished a successful high-altitude launch and landing.
The orbital test for Starship is scheduled for early this year.
The spacecraft’s most remarkable accomplishment will be fulfilling its contract with NASA and landing people on the moon.
SpaceX recently deflected what Musk termed a potential “bankruptcy” as the business hurried to address difficulties with the Starship’s Raptor engines.
While the Falcon has had a fantastic career and will continue to operate for many years, it is not the company’s future. SpaceX’s future is the Starship. It will be make-or-break for SpaceX and Musk’s goals in the following months and years.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.