December 11, 2024 SpaceX conducted its 125th orbital launch of the year on Dec. 8, with 11 more missions possible by Dec. 31. Credit: SpaceX With less than three weeks left in the year, SpaceX has up to 11 launches remaining on its 2024 calendar, potentially pushing its annual orbital launch rate to 136 Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy flights—a 42% increase over its 2023 record. SpaceX achieved the milestone despite grounding the Falcon 9 fleet three times to address technical issues, one of which cost the company a batch of Starlink satellites that failed to reach their intended orbits. A decade ago, SpaceX launched six Falcon 9 rockets in a year. Next year, the company aims to launch Falcon rockets more than 150 times, according to founder, CEO and CTO Elon Musk. SpaceX in 2024 also launched its new Starship-Super Heavy vehicle four times. So far, all the flights have been suborbital, but that is expected to change early next year. In addition, the FAA in November cleared SpaceX to potentially conduct 25 Starship-Super Heavy launches from Boca Chica Beach, Texas, in 2025, compared to the current annual limit of five flights. SpaceX intends to kick off Starship Flight 7 as early as Jan. 11, pending FAA approval and technical readiness. The flight will feature the first second-generation Starship. The company set another record for reusing a Falcon first stage. Booster B1067 completed a 24th launch and landing on Dec. 4. Small-satellite launcher Rocket Lab is having a banner year, as well. The Long Beach, California-based company launched its Electron rocket 14 times so far in 2024, compared to 10 launches in 2023. Rocket Lab flies from two launchpads in New Zealand and one at Wallops Island, Virginia. In November, Rocket Lab demonstrated for the first time the ability to conduct two launches from two hemispheres within 24 hr. The medium-lift, partly reusable Neutron booster is expected to join the Rocket Lab fleet in 2025. Meanwhile, Blue Origin remains publicly committed to attempt to launch—and land—its first orbital rocket this year, though time is getting short. Ahead of New Glenn’s debut flight, known as NG-1, Blue Origin plans to conduct a static hot-fire of the booster’s reusable first stage. The test is pending, and Blue Origin has not commented about its schedule. The company did say a prototype Blue Ring platform, which will fly as part of the NG-1 mission, is ready to be integrated with the launcher after the hot-fire.