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SpaceX goes for a record 16th launch

October 30, 2017

By Chris Forrester

This evening (October 30th) SpaceX will launch KoreaSat 5A, its 16th launch of the year to date, and all executed with flawless precision from the launch pad to the floating barges when the Falcon 9’s 1st stages were due for recovery.

The launch window opens at 3.34pm (Florida time) from the Kennedy Space Centre. However, the year is far from over and it is likely that at least two and probably three launches will be squeezed into the final two months of the year. This would take the year’s total to at least 19 missions which is more than SpaceX managed in the combined 2014, 2015 and 2016 tally.

Moreover, SpaceX officials told the US Senate’s Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee on October 25th that it would start launching OneWeb’s initial demo-satellites into orbit within the next few months. These are ‘test and validation’ flights for the small Low Earth Orbiting craft. The real constellation won’t start launching until 2019.

Categories: Articles, DTH/Satellite