SpaceX’s File Yr Included Personal ISS Mission, Launches to the Moon

SpaceX’s 61 profitable launches final yr tied a 42-year outdated report set by the Soviet Union in 1980 and propelled america to a world-leading 87 launch makes an attempt. The corporate accounted for 32.6 p.c of 186 launches worldwide.

SpaceX launched the primary absolutely non-public crewed mission to the Worldwide Area Station, 1,722 Starlink broadband satellites, 205 payloads on a trio of Transporter rideshare missions, and three spacecraft to the moon. Elon Musk’s firm set a brand new report by launching a Falcon 9 first stage for the fifteenth time.

Launches by Payload

SpaceX launched 2,022 payloads, or 94.2% of the two,147 payloads that U.S. launch suppliers despatched into house final yr. Falcon 9 was launched 60 occasions whereas the Falcon Heavy flew for the primary time in additional than three years.

Payloads Launched by SpaceX by Goal, 2022

Thirty-four of SpaceX’s launches had been devoted to launching the corporate’s Starlink constellation. SpaceX launched 91 Earth statement satellites, with 88 spacecraft carried on three Transporter rideshare missions.

The corporate’s rockets carried 71 communications satellites, together with 40 broadband spacecraft for Starlink-rival OneWeb. It was the primary of three Falcon 9 launches booked by OneWeb following the cancellation of flights aboard Soyuz boosters after Russia invaded Ukraine final February. OneWeb additionally booked a pair of Indian SLV Mk III flights.

ISS Missions

On April 8, former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria commanded Axiom Area’s Ax-1 mission with three paying clients: American Larry Connor, Canadian Mark Pathy and Israeli Eytan Stibbe. The three males reportedly paid $55 million apiece for his or her flights aboard the SpaceX crew Dragon.

The Ax-1 astronauts performed a collection of experiments and academic actions throughout their 17-day flight, which ended on April 25. The unique plan to spend 10 days aboard ISS was prolonged to 16 attributable to unhealthy climate within the restoration space.

SpaceX Missions to ISS, 2022

SpaceX launched the Crew-4 mission two days after the Ax-1 Crew Dragon automobile splashed down of the coast of Florida. NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins and ESA astronaut Samantha Christoferetti arrived on the station for a six-month mission. 

On Oct. 5, SpaceX launched the Crew-5 mission with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina.

SpaceX additionally launched two Cargo Dragon resupply missions to the house station.

Lunar Missions

SpaceX launched three spacecraft to the moon. On Aug. 4, a Falcon 9 launched South Korea’s first lunar orbiter Danuri, a.ok.a., Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter. The aims of the mission are to validate applied sciences for future lunar exploration, produce a topographic map of future touchdown websites, and survey lunar sources akin to water ice, aluminum, helium-3, silicon and uranium. Danuri entered lunar orbit in December.

NASA’s Lunar Flashlight orbiter was a secondary payload on the launch. The 6U CubeSat will seek for water ice deposits on the moon that may very well be utilized by astronauts exploring the lunar floor.

On Dec. 11, a Falcon 9 launched the Hakuto-R lunar lander mission for i-space of Japan. The privately-built spacecraft is carrying 30 kg (66 lb) of economic and authorities payloads, together with:

1. United Arab Emirates’ Rashid lunar rover
2. Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA) SORA-Q transformable lunar robotic
3. NGK Spark Plug Co. solid-state battery check module
4. Mission Management Area Providers Inc.’s synthetic intelligence (AI) flight laptop
5. A number of 360-degree cameras from Canadensys Aerospace
6. Music disc with the music “SORATO” carried out by Japanese rock band Sakanaction, an unique supporter of Group HAKUTO throughout Google Lunar XPRIZE
7. Panel engraved with the names of Group HAKUTO crowdfunding supporters throughout Google Lunar XPRIZE.

Hakuto-R will take about 4 months to achieve the moon utilizing a low-energy switch trajectory, with a touchdown scheduled for late April. Hakuto-R will land within the Atlas Crater within the northwest area of the moon. The affect crater is about 87 km (54 miles) throughout.

Launches by Spaceport

SpaceX performed 38 of the 57 orbital launches from Florida final yr. The flights had been cut up between Cape Canaveral Area Power Station (30) and NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle (18).

SpaceX Launches By Spaceport, 2022

SpaceX performed 13 of the 16 launches performed from Vandenberg Area Power Base in California.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has mentioned the corporate is aiming to surpass the full with 100 launches in 2023.