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SpaceX’s 100-launch target is more realistic than it seems

(Richard Angle)

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SpaceX is less than a month into 2023, but CEO Elon Musk’s wildly ambitious goal of 100 launches in one year is already looking doable.

Announced last August, Musk’s 100-launch 2023 target followed goals of 52and then 60 – Falcon rocket launches in 2022. Both 2022 goals were incredibly ambitious, with 60 requiring SpaceX to almost double its previous annual launch record. But for the first time in its history, SpaceX not only met – but exceeded – its executives’ forecasts. The company launched 61 times in 2022, tying a four-decade-old Soviet record for the most launches of a single family of rockets in one year. Anywhere close to 100 Falcon launches in 2023 would crush that record.

Prior to 2022, however, SpaceX infamously struggled to hit the high bars set by its ever-optimistic executives.

SpaceX’s next launch will be its 14th in two months – an average of 84 launches per year if the company can sustain it. (Richard Angle)

High achievements; higher bars

In September 2017, Musk predicted [PDF] that SpaceX would launch 20 times in 2017 and 30 times in 2018. SpaceX eventually launched 18 times in 2017 and 21 times in 2018. In September 2019, COO Gwynne Shotwell predicted that SpaceX would launch up to 18 times by the end of the year. The company would only launch 13 Falcon rockets in 2019 – the only time in the last 12 years that SpaceX’s launch cadence has dropped year-over-year.

At the same conference, Shotwell – typically viewed as the adult in the room relative to Musk’s more chaotic management style – also estimated that SpaceX would launch up to 24 Starlink missions in 2020. SpaceX went on to launch 26 times total in 2020, 15 of which were for Starlink. Finally, in October 2020, CEO Elon Musk revealed a target of 48 SpaceX launches in 2021. Instead, SpaceX launched 31 Falcon rockets – an impressive accomplishment by any measure but still far from its internal target.

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Only in 2022 did all of the puzzle pieces finally click together. Representing the payoff from years of buildup, SpaceX doubled the production of Falcon rocket stages and Starlink satellites, dramatically increased the availability of its drone ships and launch pads, and launched once every six days without a single failure.

(6)0 to 100

Ever the glutton for self-punishment, Musk responded to SpaceX’s success by raising 2023’s bar two-thirds higher than 2022’s in August. Instead of jinxing the company, SpaceX somehow sustained its high cadence through the end of the year and slightly surpassed Musk’s 60-launch goal.

In fact, the pace of SpaceX launches accelerated throughout 2022. SpaceX launched 13 times in the first quarter of 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2022, SpaceX launched 18 times – an increase of almost 40%. The same trend is visible on a smaller scale. In December 2021, SpaceX launched five times in one month for the first time in its history. SpaceX launched seven times (also a first) in December 2022.

One exceptional month does not necessarily translate into an exceptional year. However, SpaceX is on track to launch seven times in January 2023, implying that it could be the company’s new normal. When SpaceX first launched five times in one month in December 2021, it seemed unlikely that that would become its new normal. But SpaceX ultimately averaged more than five launches per month throughout 2022.

Time will tell if SpaceX can do the seemingly impossible twice in a row. For now, the company is off to a great start.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Tesla launching in Saudi Arabia

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tesla-saudi-arabia-launch
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla is officially launching in Saudi Arabia. The electric vehicle manufacturer is arriving in Saudi Arabia with a launch event at the Bujairi Terrace on April 10, 2025.

“Explore our global bestselling lineup and step into a world powered by solar energy, sustained by batteries, and driven by electric vehicles.

“Experience the future of autonomous driving with Cybercab, and meet Optimus, our humanoid robot, as we showcase what’s next in AI and robotics. Our team will be on hand to answer any questions you have about Tesla ownership, home charging and more,” stated Tesla.

The event will start at 20:00 and end at 23:00. Slots for the event are limited. Anyone who wants to attend can sign up here.

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Initial reactions to Tesla’s arrival in Saudi Arabia seem to be positive. In the company’s announcement on X, a few responders commented that they’ve been asking Tesla to come to Saudi Arabia for years. Early reactions hint that Tesla’s brand name is not tarnished in all countries.

Excitement for Tesla in Saudi Arabia contrasts reactions to the brand in the United States, some parts of Canada, and select European cities. Tesla vehicles, stores, and Superchargers have been a target for arson as Elon Musk’s public image continues to gather hate. The Tesla attacks have led to the FBI forming a task force to address the incidents.

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Tesla attacks get FBI task force to squash the acts of ‘domestic terrorism’

The FBI has launched a task force with the ATF to stop violent Tesla attacks & investigate a March 29 anti-Tesla protest.

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Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

An FBI task force has been assigned to crackdown on Tesla attacks, which have been targeting the company’s stores, Supercharger stalls, and vehicles.

“Can confirm: The FBI has launched a Task Force in conjunction with ATF to coordinate investigative activity and crack down on violent Tesla attacks. More to come,” noted the FBI’s Assistant Director to Public Affairs, Ben Williamson, on X.

The FBI task force assigned to end attacks on Tesla is working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Most Tesla attacks involve setting a store, Supercharger, or vehicle on fire, usually by throwing a Molotov cocktail. The task force will also be working with the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division.

“The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response. This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel on X.

The FBI is looking into two active anti-Tesla sites and the “Tesla Takedown” protest scheduled for March 29. One of the sites is Dogeque.st, which has been doxxing Tesla employees and locations across the United States. The website is also doxxing Tesla owners, resulting in safety concerns for civilians.

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The anti-Tesla attacks have resulted in at least four arrests thus far. Three people were arrested for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Tesla stores, Superchargers, and vehicles. One person was arrested for driving into a crowd of protesters in front of a Tesla store. Fortunately, none of the attacks–on either side–have resulted in injuries or fatalities.

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Multiple explosives found at Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas

The disturbing incident follows a series of vandalism and arson cases linked to Tesla facilities and vehicles.

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Credit: Tesla

Multiple incendiary devices were discovered inside a Tesla showroom in Austin, Texas on Monday morning, police have stated. The disturbing incident follows a series of vandalism and arson cases linked to Tesla facilities and vehicles, which have since prompted federal and local investigations.

Devices Found After Anonymous Tip

Austin Police Department officers responded to the Tesla showroom following an anonymous call about alleged bombs inside the building. Upon arrival at the location, authorities found several “suspicious devices,” which were later identified as incendiary by the Austin Police Department Bomb Squad. 

The bomb squad was able to remove the incendiary devices without incident. Citing the police department, the Daily Mail has noted that the devices were designed to cause “large-scale explosive violence.” No arrests have been made in relation to the incident as of writing, though an investigation is ongoing.

The Austin PD’s Statement

A release from the Austin Police Department’s Public Information Office described the details of the incident:

“On Monday, March 24, 2025, at approximately 8:04 a.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to a Found/Abandoned Hazardous call at the Tesla dealership located at 12845 N. US 183 Hwy SVRD NB. When officers arrived on scene, they located suspicious devices, and called the APD Bomb Squad to investigate. The devices, which were determined to be incendiary, were taken into police custody without incident. This is an open and ongoing investigation, and there is no further information available for release at this time,” the Austin PD wrote.

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Attacks Linked to Musk’s Government Role

The apparent Tesla Austin attempted bombing comes amid escalating violence against Tesla properties, which seemed to be attributed in no small part to Elon Musk’s leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration initiative slashing federal spending. Musk, during a conversation with Sean Hannity of FOX News, claimed that the aggressive attacks stem from his efforts to curb waste.

“It turns out when you take away people’s, you know, the money that they’re receiving fraudulently, they get very upset. And they basically want kill me because I’m stopping their fraud and they want to hurt Tesla because we’re stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government. And, well, I guess they’re bad people. Bad people do bad things,” Musk noted.

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