Report: Comms dominate satellite launches
July 11, 2023
By Chris Forrester
A report from analysts at Bryce Technology says that launching communications satellites dominate the Q1 rocket activity. A total of 869 satellites were launched during Q1.
Most of that 869 overall launched were communications craft (81 per cent) and were handled by SpaceX which during Q1, managed 21 launches and 763 actual craft placed into orbit. This totalled some 233,114 kgs of satellites.
The breakdown of missions were:
- Communications 81 per cent
- Remote Sensing 12 per cent
- Technology Development 4 per cent
- Crew & cargo transport 0.5 per cent
- Scientific 0.2 per cent
- Misc. 2 per cent
Second in the amount lofted into space was China Aerospace (CASC) which orbited 23,965 kgs in 31 satellites spread over 12 actual launches.
However, India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) handled 39 satellites but of much smaller satellites in terms of their weight. The total placed into orbit was 5,466 kgs.
Russia’s Roscosmos managed six launches, and a total of 23,093 kgs placed into orbit. Japan’s Aerospace (JAXA) handled 3,500 kgs in two launches.