SpaceX Plans to Conduct 25 Starship Missions Next Year After a Slow 2024.
So far, in 2024, Starship has completed three launches.
Kathy Leuders, the general manager of SpaceX operations in Boca Chica, has announced that Elon Musk's company plans to launch its Starship rocket up to 25 times next year. During a conference at the National Congress of Space Activities of the Mexican Space Agency, Leuders mentioned that Musk's ambition is to increase launch frequency, with the goal of achieving two launches per day in the near future. According to her, Musk stated, "Kathy, I would love to launch a couple of times a day."
Next year, these launches are expected to include the use of the 'Mechazilla' tower to recover the first stage of the Starship, as well as in-orbit refueling of the rocket. This announcement came just days before the sixth flight test of Starship, scheduled for November 20 at 3:30 am IST.
Although these numbers might seem exaggerated, given the generally slow pace in the space industry, SpaceX has the potential to make a significant increase in its launches. However, Musk has openly criticized the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the restrictions imposed in the name of safety, especially under Joe Biden's administration.
The entrepreneur also took a defiant stance after the FAA fined SpaceX over $633,000 for alleged safety violations that the company claims did not occur. Additionally, Musk has recounted experiences of over-regulation, such as the need to conduct surveys to verify the safety of sharks and whales in case parts of the Starship fell into the ocean.
With Musk now at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), significant changes in regulations are anticipated that could reduce restrictions on SpaceX. One of DOGE's goals is to eliminate bureaucracy and cut government spending. In September, SpaceX stated that it was "stuck in a reality where the bureaucracy to license a launch takes longer than designing and building the actual hardware." Although Musk aimed to launch the Starship six times this year, only three launches have been conducted so far, with a fourth scheduled for this week.
