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Two Falcon 9 launches by SpaceX in six days exceed the previous record for pad turnaround.

Monday, September 26, 2022 | Chimniii Desk
In the process of completing its 43rd and 62nd Starlink launches, the company broke a launch pad turnaround record. The most important part of the Falcon 9 launch machine is the LC-40, which is the single most important part, increasing the significance of what might otherwise be just another broken record for a company that is famous for never settling. After several delays, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from LC-40 on Saturday, September 24th for the Starlink 4-35 mission.


The mission used an expendable second stage and a flight-proven Falcon 9 booster. There was a new batches of 52 Starlink V1 as usual. About 15 minutes after the liftoff, 5 satellites were deployed. A testament to the company's relentless pursuit of perfection, the Starlink missions have become routine, given how difficult it is to successfully launch a rocket once. Falcon 9 has successfully delivered every single Starlink satellite it has ever carried, losing only two boosters in the process. In the last two years, the company launched an average of 17 Falcon rockets per year. In 2020 and 2021, the annual cadence grew to 26 launches. 

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The SpaceX cadence is on track to achieve in 2022, and that progress pales in comparison to it. The company has launched 43 Falcon 9s in less than nine months. It could manage 60 launches this year if it keeps up its current pace. The Soviet R-7 is the only rocket family that has successfully completed more launches. The potentially record-breaking launch cadence it achieved as a new status quo will not be accepted by the company.




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Musk said that his company is targeting up to 100 launches in the next three years. It was still within the realm of possibility, even though it seems implausible at first glance. Just a few weeks later, Musk's 100 launch target has gone from barely within reach to a serious possibility thanks to the record breaking Starlink 4-35. The Starlink mission lifted off from LC-40.It was 97 days after Starlink 4-34 was launched that it broke its old record. 




Almost 25% of the time has been spent by 67 days. The new record means that one of the company's three pads can now singlehandedly support up to 60 Falcon 9 launches per year.It would be foolish to assume that any launch pad will be able to operate close to its record turn around time. The new record gives SpaceX new margins that it can use to increase LC-40's annual cadence in a more sustainable way.LC-40 has averaged 12 in the last four years.7 days per launch.
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It is on track to average about 10 in the third quarter.3 days per launch. There is evidence that shows that SpaceX did more than just manage a heroic one-time feat with Starlink 4-35.Confirmed by Next Spaceflight, Ben Cooper, and airspace restriction filings, SpaceX has tentative plans to launch Starlink 4-36 from LC-40 as early as 6:36 pm EDT on Friday, September 30th.Another Falcon 9 launch out of LC-40 could follow Starlink 4-36 as early as October 5th, although that mission is more likely to slip a day or two. There is a chance that Storm/Hurricane Ian will cause unacceptable weather conditions and cause the launch to be delayed.
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