Relativity Space and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will attempt to launch new boosters while SpaceX sends a resupply ship to the International Space Station (ISS) this week.
Relativity Space is set to launch Terran 1, the world’s first 3D printed rocket, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday, March 8. The new booster will not carry a payload during the flight test.
Launch Time: 1 p.m. EST (18:00 UTC)
Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/@RelativitySpace
Terran 1 stands 33.5 m (110 ft.) tall and is powered by nine first stage Aeon engines and one second stage Aeon engine that use liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas. The rocket has the following payload capacities:
- Low Earth orbit: 1,250 kg (2,756 lb) to 185 km (115 miles)
- Sun synchronous orbit: 900 kg (1,984 lb) to 500 km (311 miles)
- Sun synchronous orbit: 700 kg (1,534 lb) to 1,200 km (746 miles).
Relativity Space is advertising dedicated launches at $12 million apiece.
Upcoming Launches
March 6 – 12
| Date | Launcher – Organization | Payload – Organization | Purpose | Launch Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 6/7 | H3 – JAXA | ALOS-3 – JAXA | Earth observation | Tanegashima |
| March 8 | Terran 1 – Relativity Space | None | Flight test | Cape Canaveral |
| March 9 | Falcon 9 – SpaceX | 40 OneWeb – OneWeb | Communications | Cape Canaveral |
| March 9 | Long March 4C – CASC | TBA | TBA | Taiyuan |
| March 11/12 | Falcon 9 – SpaceX | Cargo Dragon – SpaceX | ISS Resupply + CubeSats (3) | Kennedy |
| March 12 | Proton – Roscosmos | Olymp-K No. 2 – Ministry of Defence/Gonets Satellite System | Communications | Baikonur |
JAXA will attempt to launch its new H3 rocket for the second time on March 7 after the booster suffered an abort on Feb. 17. The launcher will carry the ALOS-3 Earth observation satellite.
Launch Window: 8:37:55:55-8:44:15 p.m. EST on Monday, March 6 (01:37:55-01:44:15 UTC on Tuesday, March 7)
Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/@JAXA-PR
JAXA said the abort last month was caused by an abnormality in the power supply system of the first-stage engines. The flight control software shut down the engines after they began to fire and before signals were sent to two solid rocket boosters to fire.
H3 is designed to replace the H-IIA and already retired H-IIB boosters. The launch vehicle has a capacity of placing 4,000 kg (8,818 lb) into sun synchronous orbit (SSO) or 4,000–7,900 kg (8,818–17,417 lb) into geostationary transfer orbit.
SpaceX has two Falcon 9 launches scheduled this week. The first flight will launch 40 broadband satellites for OneWeb.
Launch Time: 2:05 p.m. EST (19:05 UTC) on Thursday, March 9
Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceX
SpaceX’s second launch will see a Falcon 9 launch a Cargo Dragon spacecraft to ISS.
Launch Time: 8:36 p.m. on Saturday, March 11 (01:36 UTC on Sunday, March 12)
Webcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceX
The launch will also include three CubeSats:
- ARKSat-1 – University of Arkansas – technology demonstration
- LightCube – Arizona State University – education
- SNoOPI – Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics – technology demonstration.
Russian and China also have launches scheduled this week.
Last Week in Launches
Last week belonged entirely to SpaceX as Elon Musk’s company launched a new crew to the International Space Station and 72 Starlink broadband satellites aboard three Falcon 9 rockets from different coasts.
Week in Launches
Feb. 27-March 5
| Date | Launcher – Organization | Payload – Organization | Purpose | Launch Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 27 | Falcon 9 – SpaceX | 21 Starlink V2 – SpaceX | Communications | Cape Canaveral |
| March 2 | Falcon 9 – SpaceX | Crew Dragon – SpaceX | ISS Crew | Kennedy |
| March 3 | Falcon 9 – SpaceX | 51 Starlink – SpaceX | Communications | Vandenberg |
SpaceX’s launch of the 21 Starlink V2 Minis represented a major advance for the company’s global broadband service.
“V2 minis include key technologies—such as more powerful phased array antennas and the use of E-band for backhaul—which will allow Starlink to provide ~4x more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations,” SpaceX tweeted. “This means Starlink can provide more bandwidth with increased reliability and connect millions of more people around the world with high-speed internet.”
V2 minis also include Hall thrusters powered by argon.
“Developed by SpaceX engineers, they have 2.4x the thrust and 1.5x the specific impulse of our first gen thrusters,” the company tweeted. “This will also be the first time ever that argon Hall thrusters are operated in space.”
The launch of the V2 minis raised the number of Starlink satellites over 4,000. The company has launched 4,052
Orbital Launch Stats
U.S. companies have launched 18 times this year. SpaceX accounts for 15 of the 16 successful launches. Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket has the only other success. ABL Space Systems and Virgin Galactic each suffered a failure.
Orbital Launches by Nation
Through March 5
| Nation | Successes | Failures | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 16 | 2 | 18 | 60.0 |
| China | 7 | 0 | 7 | 23.33 |
| Russia | 3 | 0 | 3 | 10.0 |
| India | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.33 |
| Japan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.33 |
| Total | 28 | 2 | 30 | 100 |
China is in second place with seven launches. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched six times times, with Galactic Energy conducting one flight of its Ceres-1 small satellite booster.
Russia has launched three times. India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) succeeded on its second launch after failing on its first last year. Japan launched the H-IIA booster once. Europe is not yet on the board.
Launches by Company/Agency
Through March 5
| Company | Successes | Failures | Total | Satellites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 15 | 0 | 15 | 547 |
| CASC* | 6 | 0 | 6 | 21 |
| Roscosmos | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Galactic Energy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| ISRO | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Rocket Lab | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| ABL Space Systems | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Virgin Orbit | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 28 | 2 | 30 | 583 |
SpaceX once again leads the world with 15 launches, followed by CASC with six. Roscosmos has launched three times, while six other providers have one launch apiece under their belts.
SpaceX has launched the majority of satellites in 2023. Eight Falcon 9s orbited 387 Starlink satellites plus two spacecraft from other companies. The Transporter-7 rideshare mission launched 114 satellites in January.
Launches by Booster
Through March 5
| Launch Vehicle | Company/Agency | Successes | Failures | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Long March 2C, D | CASC | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Soyuz-2.1a | Roscosmos | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Ceres-1 | Galactic Energy | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Electron | Rocket Lab | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Falcon Heavy | SpaceX | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| H-IIA | MHI | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Long March 7A | CASC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Long March 3B/E | CASC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Proton | Roscosmos | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| SSLV | ISRO | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| LauncherOne | Virgin Orbit | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| RS1 | ABL Space Systems | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 28 | 2 | 30 |
SpaceX launched Falcon 9 rockets 14 times and the Falcon Heavy once. China’s Long March 2C and 2D rockets launched a combined four times.
Launches by Location
Through March 5
| Location | Nation | Successes | Failures | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Canaveral | USA | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Vandenberg | USA | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Kennedy | USA | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Baikonur | Russia | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Jiuquan | China | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Xichang | USA | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport | USA | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Satish Dhawan | India | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Taiyuan | China | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tanegashima | Japan | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wenchang | China | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cornwall | UK | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| PSC – Alaska | USA | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 28 | 2 | 30 |
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station remains the busiest spaceport in the world with eight launches. Vandenberg is in second place with four launches, followed by Baikonur, Kennedy and Jiuquan with three each.
Suborbital Launches
NASA conducted two sounding rocket launches from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Feb 16. The purpose of the flights was to test a new capability to support science research in the mesosphere.
Suborbital Launches
Excludes Ballistic Missile Tests
| Date | Launcher – Organization | Payload – Organization | Purpose | Launch Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 16 | Improved Orion – NASA | MesOrion – NASA | Tech demo | Wallops |
| Feb. 16 | Improved Orion – NASA | MesOrion – NASA | Tech demo | Wallops |
