SpaceX Might Launch Rockets Almost Every Week In 2022
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is planning to launch 52 missions in 2022. This would break the company’s previous record of 31 missions in 2021. The announcement was made during a virtual meeting of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, or ASAP.
“NASA and SpaceX will have to be watchful during 2022 that they’re not victims of their success. There’s an ambitious 52-launch manifest for SpaceX over the course of the year. And that’s an incredible pace.”
Sandy Magnus, a former NASA astronaut and member of the ASAP panel
SpaceX and NASA
SpaceX is becoming more and more critical to NASA operations as time goes on. The commercial space company carries NASA astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station.
SpaceX is also working on its next-generation rocket system, called Starship (Crew Dragon spacecraft successor). NASA will use the Starship spacecraft to carry astronauts to the moon for its Artemis program.
Other than NASA, the company periodically launches satellites for different international companies and the Department of Defense. However, this year, most of SpaceX’s launches will be for themselves as they launch Starlink.
Starlink
Starlink is a massive satellite internet constellation with thousands of spacecraft in Earth’s low to medium orbit. It will provide satellite internet access coverage to most of the Earth. The company launches these satellites every couple of weeks in 50 to 60 vehicle batches.
Last year SpaceX CEO Elon Musk set a target of 48 launches in 2021 but only made it to 31. Therefore, there’s no guarantee that the company will meet its launch target of 52 launches.
