SpaceX, the space company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, will launch two rockets for the European Space Agency (ESA). That’s because the agency completely severed ties with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Why is this important?
SpaceX is playing an increasing role in the new space race. The company already launches more rockets than any space agency or company on Earth. In fact, NASA is almost entirely dependent on Musk. That Europe needs it now is a sign that SpaceX’s relentless march forward is far from over.the essence
Josef Schbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, confirmed Thursday that the space agency will conduct two launches with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets. They will go to space in 2023 and 2024, according to reports Reuters.
- During its first launch, the Euclides Space Telescope will orbit the Sun. In the coming years, this will map the architecture of the universe and investigate the nature of dark matter and energy. The telescope will be located 1.5 million kilometers from Earth near James Webb.
- Next, the Hera probe, the successor to the DART mission, will be launched in 2024. In the coming years, it will fly to the asteroids Demorphos and Didymos, two space rocks orbiting each other. NASA changed the orbit of Demorphos in late September after it crashed a probe into the asteroid at very high speed.
- The first mission was originally to be carried out by a Russian missile. But since the European Space Agency decided in February to stop working with its Russian counterpart Roscosmos, there has been some uncertainty about how Euclid will launch. This was originally supposed to happen in 2022.
Why SpaceX?
- The European Space Agency has its own heavy launch rocket, the Ariane 5. He nevertheless chose Falcon 9 from SpaceX, all related to the fact that these missiles are smaller. After all, it would be ineffective to launch small payloads into space with his largest rocket.
- Before the war in Ukraine, the Russian Soyuz system was used for smaller launches. However, because the cooperation is now over, the ESA was forced to look elsewhere.
- Outside of SpaceX, the European Space Agency has also been said to have approached Japan and India for the launches. In the end, Musk won the race. Aschbacher already announced in 2021 financial times The world’s richest man is “setting the rules” in the new space race. he is warned at the rest of the world Not doing enough to challenge SpaceX.
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