“There is a unique niche in our rocket market,” Bruno said. There are people where you leave in Liu, and there are people where you leave in high orbit. You design your rocket differently for it. This does not mean that we can’t leave in Liu, it does not mean that it doesn’t mean. [SpaceX] Can’t leave in high energy orbit, but we are more efficient because we have designed for it. “
There is some truth in this argument. The upper phase of the Wilkin rocket, called Santor Wei, burns liquid hydrogen fuel with better fuel performance than the fuel of kerosene at the upper stage of Space X. And Space X should use more expensive Falcon heavy rockets for the most demanding missions, and the rocket’s main booster should spend more propellets to operate pay loads in orbit.
SpaceX has launched about 34 times more than the United Launch Alliance since the beginning of 2023, but the ULA has more experience with high energy missions, in which more complex plans are offered to keep military pay loads directly in the orbit, and sometimes the loads of geometrics are released in different places.
This is one of the most difficult mission profiles for any rocket, which requires the upper phase of a high endurance, such as Wilkin’s Sentor V, being able to travel in space for eight or more hours.
SpaceX has added a long -term version of its upper stage to several missions by adding an extended mission kit. This gives the rocket a custom band of longer battery life and thermal paint to ensure that its kerosene does not frose in a cold environment of space.
A Space X -Falcon Heavy Rocket Rolls Launch Pad in Florida in June 2024. The upper phase of the rocket plays a strip of gray thermal paint to keep the property at a suitable temperature for long -term cruise through space.
Credit: Space x
On the other hand, the overwhelming majority of SpaceX missions target the lower ground orbit, where Falcon 9 rocket star links deploy internet satellite, send staff and cargo to the International Space Station, and regularly launch multi -pay load -ridiculous missions. These launch booster maximize the utility of Falcon 9 with recovery and reuse. Space X is expert and viable with these missions, and launches them every two days. Launch, land, repeat.
“They are more effective in the Leo Drop off, I will be honest about it,” Bruno said. “This means that there is a competitive place in the middle, and then there is a type of last matter. Therefore, when we finish the path in our place, we will continue to win, when they end in their path, and then in the middle it is like a toss for any mission.”
The recent history supports Bruno’s assumption. Last year, Space X and ULA fought against nine specific launch contracts, or task orders in a different competition of the Space Force. The launches of national security planets will be placed in the orbit of the Earth, and SpaceX won nine of them. Since 2020, the ULA has won more space force task order than Space X for high -energy missions, though this year’s launch orders were true.