This Week in Launches: Silence from everyone but SpaceX

We have a pair of SpaceX launches scheduled for this week, accompanied by a Chinese launch of an undisclosed payload earlier today. While more launches are anticipated in the weeks to come, the spotlight remains on SpaceX this week, still showing they are king with their weekly launch rhythm.

This Week’s Launches:

• August 14
  • CASIC Kuaizhou 1A Unknown Payload, 1:35 A.M. ET
    • Mobile Launcher Pad, Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China
• August 16
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink Group 6-10, 8:00 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
• August 17
  • SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink Group 7-1, 1:00 A.M PT
    • SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

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SpaceX continuing slow march towards 100 launches

During the initial half of this year, SpaceX’s launch tempo was rather irregular. However, the latter half has witnessed a remarkable shift toward a more consistent, weekly launch schedule. Progress toward SpaceX’s ambitious goal of achieving 100 launches is steadily materializing, as the company now reliably conducts a minimum of two launches per week. This incremental increase places their launch frequency at nearly once every four days.

The current week sustains this pattern, as SpaceX is geared up to execute two Starlink missions, within hours of each other, from opposite coasts. Both batches will ferry the V2 mini Starlink satellites, an upgraded iteration boasting enhanced bandwidth and throughput compared to their predecessors.

With orbits collectively populated by over 4,000 Starlink satellites, SpaceX has evolved beyond just a launch provider, firmly establishing itself as the top satellite operator. Not to overlook SpaceX’s role in satellite production, an aspect in which their capabilities are undeniably impressive. Competition is on the horizon, as Amazon’s inaugural Kuiper satellites are anticipated to launch next month on an Atlas V rocket.