SpaceX has broken another record for orbital launches, with a total of 259 attempts in 2024. This represents a 17% increase from the previous year’s record of 221 launches. The company’s dominance in launch activity is driven largely by its own Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
According to SpaceNews analysis, SpaceX performed 134 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches in 2024, accounting for more than half of all orbital launches globally. The company’s share of launches from the Eastern Range in Florida was a staggering 88 out of 93 attempts, while its share from the Western Range in California was 46 out of 47.
Other countries, including China, Russia, Japan, India, and North Korea, also contributed to the total number of orbital launches. However, SpaceX’s performance remains unmatched, with only one failure among its launch attempts.
Despite this success, SpaceX still fell short of its internal goal for 2024, launching 134 rockets instead of aiming for 148. The company plans to increase its launch rate in 2025, targeting 175-180 Falcon launches and ramping up Starship launches, including the first truly orbital missions.
CEO Gwynne Shotwell has expressed ambitions to reach a launch rate of 1,000 per year, with Starship playing a key role in achieving this goal.
Source: https://spacenews.com/spacex-launch-surge-helps-set-new-global-launch-record-in-2024