SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said that the commercial space flight company would account for approximately 95% of Earth’s total orbital payload.
Starship Would Play A Key Role
Responding to a post by user Steve Jurvetson on social media platform X on Sunday, which hailed SpaceX’s progress in the commercial spaceflight sector as the company had reportedly launched 88.5% of the global satellites in Q2, Musk shared that the company’s flagship rocket, Starship, would help boost SpaceX’s orbital deliveries.
“Once Starship is flying frequently with real payloads next year, then SpaceX will probably deliver >95% of total Earth payload to orbit,” Musk said in his response, adding that SpaceX could surpass competitors, including China, despite growth. “In 2027, maybe as high as 98%,” Musk concluded.
Starship V3 and V4, SpaceX’s Space Force Launch
The news comes as Musk recently shared updates on the Starship V3 and V4 rockets, which boast a bigger size than the V2 and offer more payload capacity, with the V4 promising payloads up to 200 tons. Musk also said that the V3 was targeting a test launch by the end of the year.
SpaceX also recently put 21 satellites with missile tracking technology in orbit for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Architecture. The satellites would also aid in military communications.
Starlink’s Direct To Phone Technology
Meanwhile, SpaceX’s satellite-based internet provider Starlink is reportedly partnering with chipmakers around the world to develop technology that would make it possible for smartphones to directly access the company’s internet service.
Starlink also signed a $17 billion deal with EchoStar Corp SATS to acquire the company’s AWS-4 and H-Block Spectrum licenses, which could boost the company’s credentials to take on traditional telcos.
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