SpaceX to launch 300 missions over next five years: Elon Musk

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, said that in next five years, his company will launch about 300 missions into space. The number of flights, if realised, will easily make SpaceX the most successful space agency in the world.

Responding to a tweet which discussed how the reusable rocket technology would bring down the cost of space flights, Musk said, “SpaceX will probably build 30 to 40 rocket cores for ~300 missions over 5 years. Then BFR takes over & Falcon retires.”

“Goal of BFR is to enable anyone to move to the moon, Mars and eventually outer planets.”

SpaceX will prob build 30 to 40 rocket cores for ~300 missions over 5 years. Then BFR takes over & Falcon retires. Goal of BFR is to enable anyone to move to moon, Mars & eventually outer planets.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 13, 2018

BFR or Big Falcon Rocket is SpaceX’s heavy payload vehicle under development for interplanetary flights.

The goal proposed by Musk translates into around 60 missions per year. This is easily more than any agency or country launches in a year.

Just to put in perspective, there were in total 91 space missions in 2017, including 18 launches by SpaceX. Out of those 18, in five launches, Falcon 9 was reused.

The maximum space flights, country wise, was from the US. There were 29 launches from the US in 2017, which include SpaceX flights. China launched 18 flights, out of which 16 were successful. India launched five flights, out of which one was unsuccessful.

SpaceX has already launched total 9 flights this year which include one flight of Falcon Heavy.