Americans 2 times ahead of Russia in the number of space launches

11

For the first six months of 2020, Americans were 2 times ahead of Russia in the number of space launches, writes the online publication Ars Technica from the United States.

The publication explains that over the specified time SpaceX carried out 11 launches, and the United Launch Alliance only 3 (14 launches in total). At the same time, Russia launched seven launch vehicles, while Europe and Japan generally did 2. each. Only the Chinese overtook the Americans. Beijing had 15 launches, of which 2 were unsuccessful.



SpaceX has already promised that in 2020 it will surpass its own record for the number of launches. In the second half of 2020, the company has planned 12 launches. Moreover, in 2018, SpaceX conducted 21 launches, and in 2019 carried out only 13.

Regarding the “half-year 2020 results,” the publication forgot to clarify that in Russia at that time 7 launches were planned. In the second half of this year, Russia plans to implement another 24.

Back in April 2020, Ars Technica noticed that the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which uses Merlin power plants (rocket engines), outperformed the ULA Atlas V launch vehicle, where the Russian RD-180 is used . However, the publication did not pay attention to the fact that ULA launches are carried out for the purposes of US national security and have no relation to commerce.
  • SpaceX
Our news channels

Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest news and the most important events of the day.

11 comments
Information
Dear reader, to leave comments on the publication, you must sign in.
  1. -10
    5 July 2020 18: 38
    What do you want? So here, I heard somewhere, the "liberals" who are especially unloved here: they crap in entrances, steal from the budget, make unrealizable promises, send money abroad, build mansions and apartments in foreign countries and the Russian Federation, "enemy" citizenships for themselves and receive children, etc. Got it already !!! How to raise the "space"?
    1. 123
      +4
      5 July 2020 19: 50
      Something I did not understand, who is spoiling your budget from abroad?
      1. -7
        5 July 2020 20: 37
        Maybe you?
        1. +5
          5 July 2020 22: 04
          Maybe you?

          Yes, the question is not simple. Your place of residence is not indicated. Are you shy about him?
  2. -4
    5 July 2020 22: 57
    Expected.
    The Americans have already overtaken us for launch for 2 years.
    However, it seems that Rogozin promised 40 launches this year. According to article 31.
    But in real life - nobody really answers for space. The more PR and projections, the more VIP top incomes ....

    Remember holes ...
    1. +1
      6 July 2020 13: 10
      What is expected? That OneWeb will go bankrupt and this will reduce the number of launches this year by 8?

      Launch statistics for 2019.
      In 2019, EKA completed 9 starts, including 1 emergency.
      Roscosmos -25 (all trouble-free).
      The USA has 21 (all trouble-free). Excluding ultralight Rocket Lab (New Zealand).
      China - 34 (2 emergency).
      Such is the effectiveness in comparison.
      The period without emergency launches of Roscosmos is 1 year and 10 months. In total - 35. This is a record for the entire post-Soviet period.
      If everything is so bad with us, then what terms should be used to evaluate the activities of EKA?
      1. 0
        6 July 2020 15: 05
        Expected anyway. China is overtaking everyone, Yusa is catching up.
        However, I was mistaken. Yusa still in 19 did not overtake.

        But bad, not bad - everything is relative. This is you pay attention.
      2. 0
        6 July 2020 19: 58
        It is strange, you count all launches of Russia, including launches of the light "Rokot", but you do not count the launches of "Electron".
        1. +2
          8 July 2020 14: 24
          It is incorrect to compare Electron with Rokot. 250 kg of payload versus 2300 (9 times Roar displays a large load!) The electron needs to be compared with weather balloons. But you can turn it on. Only in this case, the accident-free operation of American launches evaporates:
          New Zealand rocket launch fails in New Zealand

          https://vpk.name/news/416805_zapusk_rakety_electron_
          v_novoi_zelandii_zavershilsya_neudachei.html
          1. -1
            8 July 2020 14: 55
            It is incorrect to compare Electron with Rokot. 250 kg payload versus 2300 (9 times Rokot displays a large load!)

            Your commentary was about space launches in general, you said nothing about the load. So, according to your logic, the launches of "roars" cannot be taken into account, because the American Falcons and Atlases put a load ten times greater into orbit.

            You either talk about all launches at once, or in more detail about the launches of the launch vehicles of each class - one of two.

            An electron needs to be compared with weather balloons.

            Weather balloons bring payload into orbit? Since when?

            Only in this case, the accident-free operation of American launches evaporates:
            New Zealand rocket launch fails in New Zealand

            There was an unsuccessful launch this year; last year all 6 launches of Electron were successful.
  3. -2
    4 August 2020 15: 44
    Well, it's natural. The Russian Federation still traveled on the cheapness of its missile launches until 2014. Then the sanctions. This reduced launches from 36 under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation plus 2 with its participation to 20 in 2019. almost 2 times in 5 years. In the same period, the United States created its Falcon-9 rocket, at a price and weight of the output load comparable to the Proton-M, and they were also able to create in the same period a "trampoline" in the person of "Cru Dragon" for flights to the ISS and the cost of delivery of one astronaut will be 50 million versus 90 million for the Soyuz, and have created a replacement for the "world's best and unparalleled" RD-180 methane BE-4 for the new Vulcan rocket

    As a result, rockets have been created at an affordable price, a manned spacecraft has been tested in flight, an alternative to Russian rocket engines has been created. Also, the project of the Deep Space Gatway orbital station will soon be implemented. And they also have 3 new ships on their way - two manned spacecraft Starliner and Orion and an unmanned Dream Chaser, new Vulcan rockets. SLS, "Omega", "Starship" "Blue Orange". It will be good if during the same period the obsolete Angara-5, which has been under construction for twenty years, the Nauka module, flies with the satellite. smile