- Space exploration will reach new heights in 2024, with SpaceX planning to launch 124 rockets, surpassing its previous record.
- Both the US and China are competing for dominance in space, with plans to establish permanent lunar bases and the looming 21st century space race.
- Countries such as India and Japan are making significant progress in their space programs.
2024 is shaping up to be an important year for space exploration. SpaceX plans to launch 124 rockets in 2024, more than the 98 rockets it sent into space last year. Other than Space X, no other organization has managed more than 63 rockets in a single year.
Meanwhile, NASA plans to fly a crewed spacecraft around the Moon. This mission aims to pave the way for the agency to launch a crewed trip to the south of the Moon next year. However, tensions between the USA and China may cause these two superpowers to compete with each other in space.
An Asian space race is also expected to intensify, with Japan and India aiming to achieve major milestones in their space programs.
SpaceX’s dominance continues even as rivals emerge
Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to expand its Starlink satellite constellation and make progress on Starship, the largest rocket ever built. There has been no successful launch yet, but the company is expected to test for the third time in the coming months.
Amazon will begin competing directly with Starlink when it launches a satellite broadband network later this year. While Amazon’s rival product can’t keep up with Starlink’s network of more than 5,000 satellites, an alternative to Musk’s firm would be good news for US national security after it was revealed that Musk had rejected a request to use its technology in Russian-occupied Crimea. Wrote.
The race to the moon between the USA and China is heating up
The US and China plan to establish permanent bases on the Moon before launching crewed missions to Mars in the 2030s. Both Washington DC and Beijing hope to set the rules of the road for lunar mining and property rights in space. China is developing technology to prepare for wars in space, such as anti-satellite weapons and space nuclear weapons, according to Politico. Although U.S. officials have been tight-lipped about what type of space weapons they might have, a Space Command official said the United States is “ready for war in space tonight if necessary.”
India and Japan hope to develop domestic space industries
Space activities in 2024 will not be limited to just the USA and China. At the end of last year, India laid out an ambitious plan to build space stations by 2035 and is poised for at least 12 space missions this year. “India sees its space program as part of developing its high-tech industries and can use its satellite systems to support humanitarian missions and monitor China’s military movements,” said Kari A. Bingen of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. he stated.
Japan will test its first new launch vehicle, called H3, for the third time in February after more than 20 years.
Compiled by: Eliz Canyurt