2024 in Space: Records and the Transition Towards the Future of Orbital Activities

Never before have there been so many launches in 12 months (thanks especially to SpaceX). The Iac was held in Milan, a success and a showcase for Italy, which is securing contracts and working on passing a law on the space economy. The design of future space architectures is taking shape, with private stations, mega-constellations for connectivity, and new ambitions, with the Moon on the horizon, even if it feels a bit further away.

BY EMILIO COZZI

Even more than the previous year, 2024 set numerous records for space activities.
Some figures are certain, while others, particularly the economic ones, will need to be consolidated and analyzed in the months to come. In the meantime, the bare facts confirm that a global record was broken with 261 orbital launches, averaging more than one launch every day and a half. The previous year saw 223 launches.

The year witnessed the debut of several new launch vehicles and numerous successes, mostly American but also European and Asian, including in lunar exploration.

The space sector has become a truly global context, evolving at an increasingly rapid pace, and the past year reflected this trend. It could be described as a “transition year,” given the foundations being laid to support the architecture of a new approach to the industry: increasingly privatized while simultaneously bolstered by strategic architectures crucial for Earth.

The Year of Records (Mostly Thanks to SpaceX)

SpaceX successfully completed 134 launches in 2024 (including two with Falcon Heavy). That’s more than one every three days, representing over half of all planetary lift-offs.
The company founded by Elon Musk shattered the 2023 record, increasing it by nearly 40%, which had previously been set at 98 (including Starlink test launches). The only blemish, in what would otherwise have been a perfect record, was the failure on July 11, when a malfunction of the Falcon 9’s second stage caused the loss of a batch of 20 Starlink satellites, which were released into an orbit that was too low.

Behind the United States, which collectively launched 165 times, is China, an increasingly solid space power but still second by a wide margin, with just under 70 lift-offs. On the podium is Russia, with 17 launches despite facing critical and open fronts, followed by all others, including Europe, which managed only three launches, one of which was highly anticipated but failed to succeed completely: the debut of the new heavy-lift launcher Ariane 6.

Starship Amazes, Many Debuts on the Launch Pad

The most spectacular result of 2024 concerns the development of Starship, the most powerful space transportation system ever conceived: after two tests in 2023, SpaceX managed to conduct four launches in the just-concluded calendar year. The second successfully tested the re-entry and splashdown phase, including the thermal shield’s durability. The third left the world in awe when the Super Heavy booster made its return and was caught mid-air by the “chopsticks,” the mechanical arms of the giant Mechazilla tower. In the future, this operation will enable the almost immediate reuse of the space vehicle.
Moreover, the spacecraft – Starship itself – managed to execute an orbital re-entry maneuver and a “soft landing” at a predetermined location, where it was awaited by buoys equipped with cameras that recorded the arrival of what, in Musk’s hopes, will be the first interplanetary vessel to land on Mars. It is worth mentioning that Starship will also serve as the lunar lander, essential for the Artemis program, and will facilitate the delivery of large payloads into orbit. For this reason, it is reasonable to believe that it could reshape the future of the terrestrial space economy.

The debut of the Vulcan Centaur by United Launch Alliance (Ula) marked the start of the space year. The heavy-lift vehicle of the joint venture formed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin launched from Cape Canaveral on January 8 to provide the necessary thrust for the Peregrine lander, heading toward the Moon (a mission that later failed). A few days later, Gravity-1, a Chinese solid-fuel launcher built by commercial company Orienspace, also made its debut, lifting off from a naval platform in the Yellow Sea. It is the most powerful Chinese private vehicle, as well as the most efficient solid-fuel rocket today. In November, an upgraded version of the Zhuque-2E from Landspace launched two satellites into orbit from the Jiuquan base. Two other Chinese rockets had their space debut in 2024: Luna Marcia 6 and Long March 12. It is interesting to note that, among the four new vehicles, two are the work of commercial companies – although the definition requires some distinction in the Chinese context.

Ariane 6, the Return of Vega C

Among the debutants, the most anticipated European launch was Ariane 6. The successor to the illustrious Ariane 5, built by the French company Arianegroup, took to the skies with the powerful thrust of P120c engines provided by the Italian company Avio. The mission could not be considered a full success because, although the final stage accurately delivered the payload to the expected orbit, the final ignition failed, preventing the deorbiting phase. With some reservations, the European Space Agency can now still rely on a new “heavy” launcher, after about a year of stagnation and significant delays and cost overruns. For the European Union, 2025 should confirm the full regaining of strategic autonomy in space access.

This autonomy is also guaranteed by the return to service of another European launcher: Vega C made its comeback on December 5, 2024, after a failure two years prior. The long-awaited return to the launch pad carried the Sentinel 1C satellite of the Copernicus constellation into space, re-establishing the pair of Earth observation probes with synthetic aperture radar instruments.
2024 also marked the “retirement” of its predecessor, Vega. On September 5, with its twenty-second and final mission, Avio’s launch system placed another Copernicus family satellite, Sentinel 2C, into orbit.

The year just passed also saw the beginning of the commercialization of Avio’s launches: the company has distanced itself from Arianespace, which had been selling orbital transport services with Vega. This is another step, strongly supported by the Italian government and the Italian Space Agency, towards the independent management and economic access to the country’s space infrastructure.

Europe, Moving Toward a New Course

Within Europe, there are significant highlights both for the orbital economy and space exploration. Starting with the latter, the “mission of the year” took off on October 7 from Cape Canaveral: a Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Hera probe of the European Space Agency toward the Didymos binary asteroid system, which had been struck two years earlier by Nasa’s Dart. This mission, the first planetary defense mission, will help us understand how to defend ourselves if a celestial body threatens to collide with our planet.
Another Falcon 9, on May 28, launched the Esa’s EarthCare satellite, which is designed to study clouds, aerosols, and solar and infrared radiation.
Two pairs of satellites for the Galileo positioning network were launched from Cape Canaveral in April and September. This was yet another European contract for SpaceX, resulting from the launchers crisis, which it is hoped has now been resolved.

Five new astronauts joined the European team: Sophie Adenot, Pablo Álvarez Fernández, Rosemary Coogan, Raphaël Liégeois, and Marco Alain Sieber completed their training in April. In October, the reserve astronauts selected in 2022 will begin their training, including two Italians: Andrea Patassa and Anthea Comellini.

Among the major developments in the continental space economy, Iris2 stands out: a telecommunications constellation of 292 satellites designed to provide European governments and institutions with secure and reliable internet and communication access. This is a strategic asset, and the European Union is relying on a consortium of companies led by Eutelsat, Ses, and Hispasat. The first units are scheduled for launch in 2029, with full operational capacity expected between 2030 and 2031, a decade behind Starlink, which dominates the sector. Recently, there have been reports about the Italian government negotiating with SpaceX (or a competitor, in the case of a public tender) for providing space connectivity to institutional clients, including the Italian government and defense.

Meanwhile, a national constellation with the same goal is being studied. It is also mentioned in the Space Bill (Ddl spazio), Italy’s first law to regulate the sector, which is currently in the final approval phase. The law includes a system for accrediting and authorizing companies to launch satellites and constellations, with a fee and monitoring responsibilities under the Italian Space Agency. Additionally, it sets guidelines to favor small and medium enterprises for public sector contracts and investments, with a portion of contracts designated for subcontractors.
As previously mentioned, the bill also addresses the topic of satellite constellations for connectivity, necessary infrastructure for handling emergencies and crises, but also – a no less important issue – for bringing broadband where fiber cannot reach.
There is also a need to harmonize frequencies with terrestrial operators (such as the unresolved Starlink-Tim and other telco disputes), an urgent matter within Europe, with regulation under development since the previous legislative term.

Iac, Milan: Space Capital, Contracts, and Innovation

In October, for five days, Milan became the global capital of space during what will be remembered as a record edition of the International Astronautical Conference (Iac). Almost all of space’s key players were present, from the signatories of the Artemis Accords (for lunar exploration governance) to private industry giants and small and medium-sized enterprises. Official data reports 500 exhibitors from 46 countries, over 11,000 delegates, 7,000 scientific abstracts presented by 2,300 organizations from 120 different nations.

The Iac hosted the signing of the Moonlight program, a partnership between Esa and an industrial consortium led by Telespazio, supported by the British and Italian space agencies. This involves studying a satellite constellation around the Moon for positioning, navigation, and communication.
At the IAC, new contracts for Italy’s Iride Earth observation constellation were signed with Thales Alenia Space and Argotec, funded by the Pnrr (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and managed by Esa. This initiative returns contracts to Italian companies under the coordination of Asi. Noteworthy contracts include the Ramses mission, where Ohb Italia, on behalf of Esa, will begin phase 1 (worth 63 million euros) of another futuristic planetary defense mission, and an agreement worth nearly 120 million euros with D-Orbit, also with Esa, for developing orbital servicing missions and space sustainability.

During the Iac, another important event for the national industrial ecosystem took place: the inauguration of Argotec’s new headquarters, a “spaceship” in the former Burgo paper mill in San Mauro Torinese, where the company founded by David Avino will develop and produce its smallsats.
The most attention-grabbing presentation was that of the new lunar exploration suits: developed by Axiom in collaboration with Prada, they will be the “spacesuits” future pioneers will wear when stepping onto the Moon’s surface (at least during the third Artemis mission).

Destination Moon

On the lunar front, unfortunately, 2025 doesn’t seem to hold any major surprises: Nasa has announced yet another delay for the milestones that will lead to the next human landing on the Moon.
Initially planned for September this year, Artemis II will return four astronauts to orbit around the Moon but won’t launch until spring 2026. The subsequent mission, for the new lunar landing, will launch no earlier than mid-2027. The delivery timing of the vehicle for the descent, SpaceX’s Starship, will particularly affect this timeline.

However, Italy’s involvement in lunar affairs remains notable. In addition to the contracts for the Gateway space station, already acquired by Thales Alenia Space, Torino’s facilities will be home to the first “habitat” for lunar pioneers: the Multi-Purpose Habitation Module, a pressurized habitable environment developed for the Italian Space Agency (Asi) and already selected by Nasa as a key component for future human exploration.

Despite difficulties and delays, lunar ambitions have not waned. In January 2024, Japan’s Slim mission achieved a soft lunar landing, making Japan the fifth country to accomplish this feat, following the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and India. February saw another significant milestone: with the IM-1 mission, Intuitive Machines became the first private company to land on the Moon, and the first U.S. probe to do so since Apollo 17, 52 years ago.

China also achieved a spectacular goal: Chang’e 5 became the first mission in history to bring lunar soil samples back to Earth from the Moon’s far side. This operation was made more complex by the need to use a radio relay in orbit to communicate with Earth, as direct communication was not possible.

Orbital Traffic

Significant space events also took place in low Earth orbit. Starting with the compelling story of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were forced to extend their stay aboard the International Space Station (Iss) from ten days to nearly ten months. Their capsule, Boeing’s Starliner (in testing), returned empty due to propulsion issues. The two veterans, who arrived at the ISS in June, will have to wait for the Crew-10 mission, scheduled no earlier than late March, to return to Earth. This delay is a setback for the new crew capsule, which was supposed to complement SpaceX’s four-year operational service.

Private companies are steadily becoming familiar with activities once reserved for professionals. The second mission of the Polaris Program, “Polaris Dawn,” marked a significant milestone. It was the second orbital flight of entrepreneur and philanthropist Jared Isaacman, who, along with three engineers, flew aboard Crew Dragon. This mission was more significant than the previous one, Inspiration4, as it featured the first “commercial Eva” (spacewalk) by non-professional astronauts. It’s clear that new research and business opportunities beyond Earth are on the horizon. Notably, Isaacman is set to become Nasa’s next administrator if confirmed by the Senate.

In low Earth orbit, SpaceX also completed the first operational deployment of Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell technology, enabling connection to mobile devices, including smartphones, without the need for an external antenna. This solution is attracting interest from operators and telecom companies worldwide.

China is also developing its satellite communication architecture, with two mega-constellations, Spacesail (Qianfan) and Guowang, taking shape. Together, they aim to deploy 27,000 satellites, highlighting the growing value of such infrastructures.

At the year’s close, India launched two technology demonstrators for orbital rendezvous, marking the first steps toward building a national space station.
These space stations will change the space landscape, primarily replacing the ISS, which has been continuously inhabited for 25 years. Nasa has announced that by 2029, the vehicle tasked with deorbiting the ISS will dock with it, and between 2030 and 2031, the station will be deorbited in the Pacific. This means space must be freed, and Axiom’s private station, which will initially dock with the ISS before becoming independent, will need to speed up its timeline. Axiom Space has decided to build a new habitation module, with the contract going to Thales Alenia Space, which will produce it in its Torino facilities. For decades, it’s been a tradition that Italy shapes the space of the future.