SpaceX Failed to Meet 2024 Launch Target, Shifts Focus to 2025 Schedule
In the wee hours of Dec 31, 2024, SpaceX sealed its year with a bang, blasting off another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. This marked SpaceX's 134th mission of the year, making it an eventful twelve months for the SpaceX team. If you count Starship test flights, the tally climbs to an impressive 138 missions.
Boasting a monumental launch count, SpaceX performed more than half of the worldwide space launches in 2024. Outpacing America's second most prolific launch company, Rocket Lab USA, and nearly doubling the number of launches by China, SpaceX's dominance in the space industry was undeniable. However, for the second year in a row, this rocket-firing powerhouse fell short of its 144-launch goal for 2024. Oops.
Shaking off the dust of the past year, SpaceX leaped into 2025 with its first launch on Jan 6. It followed this with another one just two days later. The space company is currently planning a third launch within a day (Jan 9), with a potential Starship test flight (Flight 7) on Jan 10. The accelerated pace of launches is expected to surpass 2024's count.
When asked about projected launch numbers for 2025, SpaceX's CEO, Gwynne Shotwell, stayed vague, only confirming a target of 175 to 180 Falcon launches. Some observers speculate that the privately held company might surpass this number, with up to 180 launches possible in 2025.
Interestingly, SpaceX showed a surprising focus on Starship launches, planning 25 times for the spacecraft in 2025. This emphasis hints at a long-term strategy shift for SpaceX. As the world's biggest rocket, the Starship, recently obtained Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for a five-fold increase in annual launches from five to twenty-five, it looks like Starship is telling the Falcon 9 it's time to retire.
Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder, believes that Starship launches will eventually cost below $10 million, making it an unbeatable choice for payload delivery. The improved Starship could transport 400% more cargo than a Falcon 9 and 25x more astronauts, making it an attractive option for space companies looking to save costs.
The growing dominance of SpaceX in the space industry poses tough challenges for competitors. With such competitive pricing, it seems that 2025 might see space as a much harder battleground to tread for companies other than SpaceX.
[1] SpaceX Twitter post: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1605222585238153216[2] Q1 2023 SpaceX investor presentation[3] SpaceX 2025 Launch Activity (confidential source)[4] SpaceX 2025 starship plans (confidential source)[5] SpaceX 2025 Starship Launches (confidential source)
Despite SpaceX's impressive launch count and strategic focus on Starship, the company is cautious about setting strict launch targets, as demonstrated by falling short of the 144-launch goal in 2024. However, with plans for 25 Starship launches in 2025 and potential improvements in cost efficiency, SpaceX is poised to maintain its dominance in the competitive world of space finance and investing, making smart investment in space technology a promising venture.
