The Weekly Rocket Report
12/02/2024-12/08/2024
Ricky Whitmore
Space Writer
Hello all and welcome back to the Weekly Rocket Report! Another busy week, with some rockets we haven’t seen in awhile so let’s jump into the mix.
The launches got started on Tuesday with 2 launches out of China. The first of these was a Long March 3B/E carrying “TJSW-13”, a classified Chinese communication satellite.
The second of these launches was a Kuaizhou 1A, only the 4th flown this year. The rocket was carrying “Haishao-1”, an ocean observation satellite built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Kuaizhou 1A launches Haishao-1. Image Credit: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight
Early Wednesday saw the first of four launches for Wednesday. This first launch was a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink Group 6-70. These 24 satellites were deployed to orbit and the first stage booster landed back on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas”.
The second launch of the day came from Russia with a Soyuz 2.1b taking to the sky. The rocket was carrying “Cosmos 2580”, a Russian military satellite about which very little has been confirmed.
Next on the docket was another Falcon 9 launch, with another Starlink mission, this one being Starlink Group 9-14. The first stage touched down on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You”, and the second stage released the 20 Starlink satellites into orbit.
To close out the day a Long March 6A vaulted 18 LEO communication satellites into orbit, as part of China’s G60 constellation. This mission was officially called G60 Polar Group 03.
Thursday was another day with 4 launches. The first of these was an ISRO rocket, launching an ESA payload. PROBA 3, a twin pair of satellites designed to fly in formation so that one blocks out the light from the sun in relation to the other probe. The probes were launched by an Indian PSLV-XL rocket, the first launched this year. More on the PROBA 3 mission here: https://www.theweeklyspaceman.com/articles/isro-rocket-to-launch-esa-probe-proba-3
PSLV-XL launches PROBA 3. Image Credit: ISRO.
The second launch of the day was a Falcon 9 launch carrying SXM-9. The payload was a satellite for Sirius Radio, providing music and talk shows via satellite. The first stage booster of the Falcon 9 landed down range on the drone ship “Just Read The Instructions”.
Falcon 9 launches SXM-9. Image Credit: SpaceX.
Next is another rocket we haven't seen in some time, Vega C. Vega C hasn’t flown since December of 2022 when it experienced a launch failure. The payload for the return flight was “Sentinel-1C”, a radar imaging satellite. More on Sentinel-1C here: https://www.theweeklyspaceman.com/articles/vega-c-returns-to-flight-putting-sentinel-1c-into-orbit
Vega-C launches Sentinel-1C. Image Credit: ESA.
Final launch of the day was a surprise, and yet another uncommon rocket. This launch came from Iran, which is always very secretive with its launches. The Simorgh rocket, only the second flown this year, launched “Fakhr-1 & Saman-1”. The first of these is a cubesat to test locally produced components, a communication payload, and carrying capability. The second of these was a test of a solid fuel kick stage, for deploying payloads in higher orbits.
The last launch of the week is a return to Starlink. Starlink Group 12-5 saw a Falcon 9 launch 23 satellites, and the first stage landed back on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas”.
Well there you have it everyone, an exciting week of launches, with some variety of launchers. I have a few links to more detailed articles from our other great writers so check those out if you want more details on specific missions. With all of that being said, I will see you all back here next week for another installment of the Weekly Rocket Report!
As always feel free to write to me at rickyew2112@gmail.com, or find me on X @Rickyew2112
Sic Itur Ad Astra
(Thus They Journey to the Stars)