2023: A Year of Space Milestones for Australia and SpaceX
J. C. Wanja NJUE
Aeronautical Engineer - QantasLink BEng Flight Vehicle Design & Eng., MSc Thermal Power - Gas Turbine Technology
Space, space technologies and space data are becoming increasingly important to the functioning of the modern economy [5].
The Space Report examined spending by 51 governments worldwide based on actual, not projected, budgets and evaluated 11 subsectors of the commercial space industry to ascertain the global value of the space economy [1].
The global space economy reached a new high of USD $546 billion in 2022, an increase of 8% from a revised 2021 figure of USD $506 billion [2].
Australia has a strong and dynamic space sector, with high ambitions and great potential [5]. Australia’s space sector turnover reached A$4.5billion in 2021 [3]. Although Australia contributes approximately 1% to the global space sector, it is currently expected to grow at 7.1% per annum over the next five years [4].?
The Australian Space Agency, a key player in this trajectory, achieved remarkable milestones, including
The?Australian Space Agency?is the Australian Government’s body dedicated to developing and coordinating commercial space industry and facilitating international engagement [7].
The Agency’s own Katherine Bennell-Pegg made in history in 2023 as she became the first person to be trained as an astronaut under the Australian flag [6]. She is inspiring more young Australians - particularly young women – into careers in STEM and space [6].
SpIRIT represents a “first-in-space” for all key Australian stakeholders: The Australian Space Agency funded construction in 2020 as its first mission [13]
The SpIRIT lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 2 December 2023 [7].
Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond [10].
Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class reusable rocket [10]. Reusability allows SpaceX to refly the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn drives down the cost of space access [10].
SpaceX capped off 2023 with not one but two rocket launches on the same day, bringing its total number of blast-offs to 98 in 2023 [8].
The 98 SpaceX launches in 2023 including 91 Falcon 9 blast-offs, 5 Falcon Heavy launches, and 2 lift-offs for the company's Starship launch system [11].?
SpaceX carried out 61 launches in 2022 including 60 for Falcon 9 rockets and just 1 Falcon Heavy launch and achieved 31 launches in 2021 and 26 in 2020, all of which were Falcon 9 rockets [11].?
SpaceX expects to continue increasing its launch cadence into 2024. In testimony to a Senate space subcommittee Oct. 18, Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, said the company was planning to conduct 144 launches — 12 per month — in 2024 [9].
The year 2023 proved to be a pivotal moment for Australia's space sector, marked by historic achievements and a burgeoning commitment to space exploration.
The Australian Space Agency made headlines with the groundbreaking training of Katherine Bennell-Pegg as the first astronaut under the national flag and the successful launch of the SpIRIT among other achievements.
Meanwhile, SpaceX dominated the global space scene with an unprecedented 98 launches.
This collaborative narrative underscores the evolving landscape of space endeavors, emphasizing Australia's growing ambitions and great potential and SpaceX's relentless pursuit of innovation and accessibility in space exploration.
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