On Friday, SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket manufacturing company, successfully completed its 375th launch mission, a significant milestone for the company. The launch, designated Transporter 11, was SpaceX’s eleventh dedicated smallsat rideshare program mission, sending 116 spacecraft into orbit.
The payloads included a diverse range of satellites, from Earth observation satellites to in-space manufacturing and robotics components. Additionally, the launch carried student research projects, technology demonstrations for human spaceflight, and more.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched the mission at 11:56 a.m. PT from California. The company celebrated this achievement on X (formerly Twitter), sharing pictures from the historic launch and stating, “Falcon 9 launches 116 spacecraft to orbit, completing our 375th mission!”
The Transporter 11 mission marks a significant achievement for SpaceX, demonstrating its commitment to providing affordable and reliable access to space for various entities. The company has launched over 1,000 small satellites for over 130 customers through its rideshare program.
SpaceX’s journey has been marked by remarkable growth since its founding in 2002. The company faced initial setbacks with its first launch attempt in 2006 failing. However, it persevered, achieving its first successful launch in the latter half of 2008 after further attempts.
SpaceX’s launch cadence has been steadily increasing in recent years. In 2020, the company completed 26 launches, followed by 31 in 2021, and 61 in 2022. In 2023, SpaceX achieved an impressive 96 launches, a 57% year-on-year increase. This includes two Starship test flights.
Looking ahead, SpaceX plans to launch 144 times in 2024, averaging twelve launches per month. This ambitious plan highlights the company’s continuous pursuit of expanding its role in the space industry.
