CEO Elon Musk discussed SpaceX’s 2023 accomplishments and ambitions for the coming year at a recent all-hands meeting at Starbase in South Texas. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets made 96 successful missions last year, plus two Starship test flights. Musk predicted approximately 140 Falcon rocket launches and 10 Starship test flights in 2024.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Meeting Reveals 2024 Plans: More Launches, Starship Updates, and Starship Flight Mystery
A video of Musk’s hour-long meeting covered SpaceX’s achievements and plans. The meeting provided vital Starship and other program updates. Musk also revealed the company’s plans to increase Falcon 9’s reusable boosters’ lifespan to 40 flights and 150 missions this year.
The discussion discussed the Starship’s November 18 test flight, where the rocket outperformed expectations until a liquid oxygen vent broke it. Musk said the Super Heavy booster’s explosion during a boost-back burn hindered its controlled splashdown. The liquid oxygen leak late in the burn broke the Starship apart over the Gulf of Mexico.
Musk remains confident that SpaceX can achieve orbit with the Starship test flight in the coming weeks despite the setback. Musk was confident about the upcoming test flight, citing the company’s ongoing Starship design advancements. Details about the liquid oxygen vent were scant.
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SpaceX’s Next Starship Test: Musk Reveals Upgrades and Aims for Orbit
SpaceX wants to install a water deluge system at the launch pad, reconfigure stage separation, and replace hydraulic thrust vector controls with electrically operated engine steering. Flight 1 avoided pad damage, while Flight 2 exceeded staging but fell short of orbit, Musk said.
Musk ended the conference by predicting SpaceX’s next Starship test flight orbit. Expecting hardware ready this month, the business hopes to receive a commercial launch authorization from the FAA in February.
Despite SpaceX’s struggles with rocket development and modifications, the Starship test flight shows its resilience and dedication to space exploration.