India is gearing up for the highly anticipated launch of its most advanced broadband communications satellite, GSAT-20, also known as GSAT N-2. This marks India’s first collaboration with SpaceX, as the Falcon 9 rocket, manufactured by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, will carry the satellite into orbit next week. This is a significant milestone for India, but it raises the question: How reliable is this American-made rocket, and could India have used a different launch vehicle?
Falcon 9’s Reliability: A Proven Track Record
The Falcon 9, a partially reusable rocket, has been a game-changer in space exploration. Since its first flight in 2018, it has participated in 393 launches, achieving a success rate of 99%, with only four failures. This impressive performance has made it one of the most reliable rockets globally. The cost for a dedicated Falcon 9 launch typically averages around $70 million, a price that has been considered quite competitive by experts.
“We got a good deal on this maiden launch with SpaceX,” said Radhakrishnan Durairaj, Chairman and Managing Director of New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He added that Falcon 9 was the only commercial rocket available within the specific timeframe India required for the GSAT-20 launch.
Specifications of the Falcon 9 Rocket
Standing at a towering height of 70 meters and weighing 549 tons at lift-off, the Falcon 9 is designed as a two-stage rocket capable of carrying significant payloads into orbit. It can lift up to 8,300 kilograms into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) and 22,800 kilograms into low Earth orbit (LEO), making it suitable for a wide range of space missions. For this launch, Falcon 9 will carry the GSAT N-2 satellite, which weighs 4,700 kilograms. Notably, there will be no co-passenger satellites on this mission, making it a dedicated launch.
The Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket, designed to optimize costs by allowing the most expensive parts of the rocket to be re-flown multiple times. This reusability feature has been one of SpaceX’s major breakthroughs, helping reduce the cost of space access. To date, Falcon 9 has completed 324 re-flights, and its first stage has successfully landed 349 times, with the maximum reuse of a stage being 23 times.
A World Leader in Launches and Records
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has set numerous records in the space industry. In 2021, it launched 143 satellites in a single mission, breaking India’s 2017 record of launching 104 satellites using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This year alone, SpaceX has already completed 106 Falcon 9 launches, with an ambitious target of 148 by year’s end, a record for any single rocket.
To put this in perspective, India’s ISRO has conducted 95 launches over the past 45 years. SpaceX’s ambitious pace in 2024, with four Falcon 9 launches scheduled within a single week, demonstrates the rocket’s increasing role in global space missions.
Beyond Communication: Falcon 9’s Other Milestones
In addition to satellite launches, Falcon 9 is also widely used for critical missions such as cargo supply and transporting astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket has supported SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft on 20 missions to the ISS, with the highly publicized Crew Dragon mission in 2024 being one of the highlights. This mission will bring back astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the ISS in early 2025.
The successful launch of GSAT-20 aboard the Falcon 9 rocket will not only mark a new chapter for India’s space ambitions but will also showcase the growing role of private companies like SpaceX in facilitating space exploration for nations across the globe.
(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)
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