SpaceX successfully launches three Falcon 9 rockets in 34 hours
Three Falcon 9 rockets were successfully launched less than 34 hours apart, leaving the company only one mission shy of CEO Elon Musk's ambitious target of 60 launches in 2022. The period was even more intense, with two launches just minutes apart and all three of them set to launch in less than 10 hours. The more conservative approach allowed the company to break its own world record for the fastest time to complete three launches of the same rocket.
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Congrats to SpaceX Team on 3 perfect orbital launches within 36 hours!!!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022
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The Starlink mission, a scientific Earth observation satellite, and a commercial communications satellite were all launched in 36 hours and 18 minutes. The successful launches of another Earth observation satellite, a pair of commercial communications satellites, and 54 Starlink satellites in 33 hours and 46 minutes has shaved more than two hours off of its own feat. On December 16th, the joint US- French Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The launch was delayed from December 12th to December 15th.
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Falcon 9 launches the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to orbit; first stage booster returns to Earth pic.twitter.com/VOoFXucRrT
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 16, 2022
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It will be possible to analyze virtually every inch of exposed water on Earth with a 2-ton radar satellite. It should be easier for scientists to study and understand Earth's water cycle because of that unprecedented capability. The first two Boeing-built O3b mPOWER satellites were carried into space by a second Falcon 9 rocket. SES CEO Steve Collar said that the workhorse rocket did its job perfectly, even managing to exceed its contracted parameters. The amount of time and propellant will be reduced by Falcon 9. The mPOWER satellite needs to reach its operational orbit to ensure a quicker path to revenue generation and longer useful lifespans. All of the initial mPOWER satellites are going to be launched by SpaceX.
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The two O3b mPOWER satellites have been cataloged in a 2778 x 6994 km x 9.6 deg transfer orbit, along with the Falcon 9 second stage. The satellites will raise their orbit to an 8000 km circular one using electric propulsion.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) December 17, 2022
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As Boeing completes them, the next nine satellites will head to space. Less than a day after O3b mPOWER 1&2, a third Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the NASA Kennedy Space Center LC-39A pad. 5 satellites. The December 18th launch of Starlink 4-37 will leave the company just 14 satellites away from finishing the second of two shells of 1584 satellites. All told, Starlink 4-37 was the 65th operational Starlink launch since November and the company likely has just 20 launches to go to complete its first satellite constellation, which is already the largest in history by an order of magnitude. The launches took less than a day and a half to complete.
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After supporting their respective launches, each Falcon 9 booster successfully landed, ensuring that they will all be able to support more launches in the near future. The 15th mission for the Falcon 9 booster, B1058, was Starlink 4-37, breaking the internal reuse record. It's not clear if the company will push beyond 15 flights. After 15 flights, the Falcon boosters will be retired, a big change from previous statements that there was nothing preventing each booster from launching more than 100 times. Starlink 4-37 was the 59th successful launch of the year. The annual target of 52 launches was raised by Musk in March. 60 launches in one year was almost unthinkable at the time.
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The all-time record for a family of rockets is 61 successful launches in one year. Despite all odds, the company has launched an average of one launch every six days for more than a year. Multiple sources say that there will be two more Falcon 9 launches this year, one on December 28th and the other on December 29th. The all-time record of 61 R-7 family launches was set by the entire Soviet Union at the peak of its national launch cadence.
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