Aside from whatever you think ULA's real flight rate will be, adding in the NRO Starshield flights should push SpaceX's national security total well above 11 anyway. I wonder what seven flights they're thinking will launch on SpaceX this year (how many Tranche 1 will actually be ready?).
SIDUS SPACE ANNOUNCES LIZZIESAT™ HAS ARRIVED AT VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE IN CALIFORNIA FOR LAUNCHMilestone positions LizzieSat™-3 for operational deployment in early 2025, bringing AI- powered advanced data services to critical industries2025 February 4CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.-- Sidus Space (NASDAQ: SIDU) (the "Company" or "Sidus"), an innovative, agile space mission enabler, today announced that LizzieSat™-3 has arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to begin spacecraft integration in preparation for its scheduled launch and deployment into low Earth orbit no earlier than the first quarter of 2025 as part of the Transporter-13 rideshare mission with SpaceX."With LizzieSat™-3 ready for launch, we are taking another significant step in expanding our on-orbit capabilities and delivering critical, near real-time data solutions to our customers," said Carol Craig, founder and CEO of Sidus Space. "This milestone demonstrates our commitment to providing scalable, cost-effective solutions tailored to diverse mission needs while showcasing the adaptability of our modular satellite platform."Equipped with an advanced payload suite, LizzieSat™-3 features an AIS sensor, a high-resolution visual spectrum sensor and the HEO Holmes Imager, which powers HEO Inspect for non-Earth imaging and space object characterization. The satellite also features the next generation of Sidus' proprietary artificial intelligence system, enabling on-orbit data processing that combines multiple sources of data to provide timely, actionable insights for applications such as environmental monitoring, border security and disaster response. Through use of its space-to-space data relay module, Sidus expects to be able to provide rapid direct-to-user data transfer capability and significantly reduce data latency.Following the successful launch of LizzieSat™-2 on December 21, 2024, which is currently in its commissioning phase, LizzieSat™-3 represents the next step in Sidus Space's commitment to delivering rapid response, flexible and cost-effective solutions tailored to the unique needs of government, defense, intelligence and commercial customers.Sidus Space
ROCKET LAB DELIVERS THIRD IN-ORBIT MANUFACTURING SPACECRAFT FOR VARDA SPACE INDUSTRIESLong Beach, Calif. February 12, 2024 – Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) (“Rocket Lab” or “the Company”), a global leader in launch services and space systems, today announced it has delivered another Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries, Inc. (“Varda”) to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. It’s Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft produced for Varda, and the second the Company has delivered for launch within a month.The spacecraft will support Varda’s next orbital processing and hypersonic reentry mission, W-3. Earlier this month, the Company’s second spacecraft for Varda, W-2, successfully launched and is currently operating on orbit. Carrying payloads from the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA’S Ames Research Center, W-2 will also conduct research to expand the capability and capacity of Varda’s pharmaceutical processing hardware in orbit before it’s hypersonic re-entry and recovery in South Australia.Like its predecessors, W-3 is based on Rocket Lab’s Pioneer spacecraft, leveraging vertically integrated spacecraft components and subsystems, including spacecraft propulsion, flight software, avionics, reaction wheels, star trackers, separation system, solar panels, radios, composite structures and tanks, and more. The spacecraft will provide power, communications, propulsion, and attitude control for Varda’s 120kg manufacturing capsule, which uses microgravity conditions to develop products that are difficult or impossible to create on Earth.Once on-orbit production is complete, Rocket Lab and Varda will conduct in-space operations, reentry positioning maneuvers to deorbit, land, and recover Varda’s capsule in Australia at the Koonibba Test Range, operated by Southern Launch.Sir Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, stated, "Delivering W-3 while W-2 is actively operating in orbit demonstrates our team’s exceptional ability to manage multiple complex missions in parallel. It really highlights the skill of our team and the strength of our integrated spacecraft technologies.""By increasing the cadence of manufacture, launch, and reentry, we are building the foundation for a thriving orbital economy," said Wendy Shimata, Varda Space Industries Vice President of Autonomous Systems. "Our goal is to decrease the time between missions until it's commonplace for capsules to bring products made in space back to people on Earth.W-3 is scheduled for launch no earlier than March from VSFB. The fourth and final spacecraft for Varda is currently undergoing final assembly at Rocket Lab’s Spacecraft Production Complex and Headquarters in Long Beach, California.
At this moment, before the launch of Starlink 12-21, the next eight launches have (provisional) dates and times.This may be a record.On the other hand, SpaceX’s launch pace has stalled for more than a month. While any other launch provider would love to be able to do 140 or so per year, SpaceX did set a much loftier target for 2025.
With these lessons in mind, SDA is altering its strategy for Tranche 1, which will see the launch of approximately 150 satellites beginning in late summer.
SpaceX will launch over 90% of all of Earth’s payload mass to orbit this year. China will be ~5% and rest of world, including rest of America, around 5%.When Starship is launching at high rate, SpaceX will probably carry >99% of Earth’s payload mass to orbit. This is necessary to make Mars a self-sustaining civilization.
The FAA has released a draft environmental assessment to increase Falcon 9 launches at SLC-40 from 50 to 120 and to build a new landing zone at SLC-40.
2 landing pads don't seem particularly busy so why a third?
The new LZ is needed because SLD 45 does not intend on renewing SpaceX’s license at LZ-1/2 after expiration in July 2025.SLD 45 has implemented a policy that phases out dedicated LZs to maximize opportunities for the number of commercial launch service providers, maximize the launch capacity of the Eastern Range, and minimize impacts that commercial launch service providers create for other users or government programs during operations. SLD 45 policy now requires commercial launch service providers to conduct landing operations at their existing launch sites.
Someone once told me that if you want to keep pushing the envelope, it will never get easier… you just “do hard better”The @SpaceX team embodies this philosophy. Awesome work by the Falcon/Dragon teams to flawlessly execute three launches in 13 hours including a record launch to launch turn at pad 40!!!
Falcon 9 completes three missions in ~13 hours, launching four astronauts to the @space_station, 74 rideshare payloads to orbit, and adding 23 @Starlink satellites to the constellation
Seems to be a record for launches in 13 hours as well as pad turnaround at SLC-40, yes.
