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Revisiting the biggest moments in the aerospace market in 2024


We are at the dawn of a new space age. If you doubt it, just look back at last year: From SpaceX’s historic Super Heavy booster to the countless number of lunar missions, this year was full of history and ambitions and shows.

We’re taking a look back at the five most important trends or developments in the aerospace industry this year. Naysayers may think that SpaceX is a standout on this list, but this shows just how far ahead the behemoth is compared to its competitors.

Do not follow the order:

1. Boeing’s Starliner project has become a victory for SpaceX

NASA and Boeing no doubt had high hopes when the Starliner rocket took off for its first test in June. But list of technical difficulties occurred as the vehicle approached the International Space Station, which sparked a months-long investigation into the problem, with the main concern being whether the two astronauts would be able to use the Starliner to return home.

Out of caution, NASA officials confirmed that the two astronauts will stay in the ISS for more months than originally planned, and that they will return using the SpaceX Dragon capsule later in the year. This decision was very painful for Boeing, which has happened approximately $1.6 billion in ongoing costs to develop the Starliner, and may need to conduct another test flight before the vehicle can be certified for regular flight to NASA. (For what it’s worth, the capsule did a flawless hit.)

Boeing Starliner landed at the ISS
Image credit:NASA (opens in a new window)

2. SpaceX launches Super Heavy for the first time

SpaceX has made remarkable progress in its Starship test program, as the company launched four large rockets in 2024, bringing the number of launches to six. On the fifth mission in October, the Super Heavy booster flew again to the launch site, and was “caught” by two large arms coming out of the opening tower.

The space company also scored a milestone with its Falcon 9 rocket, with the company successfully recovering 367 boosters to date. These aids reach land or large ships at sea using four legs that are placed independently before impact. But using a similar method to restore the Super Heavy is not possible for several reasons – mainly its size – which led SpaceX engineers to develop a booster system.

Capturing the SpaceX Starship
Image credit:Images of SpaceX

In the most recent test in November, SpaceX decided to try a second kill, so there is work to be done to achieve the type of launch and recovery that the company wants. But the fish became a landmark day in space flight – not to mention, one of the greatest technological marvels of the century so far.

3. The crew of Polaris Dawn makes their first space flight

Jared Isaacman has been in the news recently because of his appointment as NASA administrator by President Donald Trump. But the billionaire founder of payments processing company Shift4 Payments made headlines again this year when he led the Polaris Dawn mission and made its first commercial flight.

Space travel is extremely dangerous: by leaving their vehicle, astronauts expose themselves to hazards such as micrometeoroids and radiation, not to mention relying on the integrity of their spacecraft to provide essentials such as air and cooling. However, the Polaris Dawn team, along with mission partners SpaceX, he tackled exactly these challenges and missions. Two of the four crew members, Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, took turns atop their vehicle, a specially equipped Dragon, for ten minutes each. The pair performed several tests on spacesuits made by SpaceX where they were connected to the vehicle via an umbilical cord.

Image credit:Polaris Dawn (opens in a new window)

4. Several companies look at the moon

This year, two private companies and two countries tried to touch the moon. Although the number of attempts is not record, the number of players is: Japan, China, and two American companies all did well.

machine naturally odysseus is descending
machine naturally odysseus is descendingImage credit:Intelligent Machines (opens in a new window)

The results were mixed. Astrobotic from Pittsburgh he had to abandon his landing attempt about ten days into the mission. The Intelligent Machines and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, meanwhile, both reached the surface but he failed to land in a straight position. China’s Chiang’e 6 mission, which landed and returned samples from the far reaches of the moon, appears to be the only direct success.

5. The Space Force is paying off

We would be remiss not to mention one of the largest customers of space – the Department of Defense – which prioritizes and spends money on the entire environment. This year, the Space Force awarded several large contracts to commercial vendors, indicating that they are willing to pay big dollars to commercial organizations that can provide them.

Other notable contracts include the $733 million, eight launch contractor for SpaceX; $515 million contract for 18 satellites to Rocket Lab; several contracts to activate Anduril protection for monitoring and other services; and small but well-known contracts for “quick response” capabilities True Anomaly, Impulse Space and Rocket Lab.



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