Elon Musk's SpaceX has set a record for orbital rocket launches in 2023, carrying out 96 successful missions this year as it continues to dominate the US satellite market.
The California-based company carried out 91 launches with its heavy-duty Falcon 9 rocket and an additional five with the Falcon Heavy, enabling it to easily smash its previous record of 61 launches in 2022.
SpaceX began to top off the record on Thursday night by launching the Falcon Heavy, carrying the US military's X-37B spaceplane from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center at 1.07am GMT. Just under three hours later, the Falcon 9 was launched, carrying 23 Starlink internet satellites.
That also set a new SpaceX record for the shortest time between orbital launches, which is also the lowest time between launches in Florida since the Nasa Gemini 11 mission back in 1966.
The 96 launches are just under Mr Musk's goal of 100, which he first pitched as a “thought experiment”, said Jon Edwards, vice president of Falcon launch vehicles at SpaceX.
Mr Musk “intended to unlock our thinking as to how we might accelerate Falcon across all levels of production and launch”, he wrote on X.
“Only a few years later and here we are. I’m so incredibly proud to work with the best team on earth, and so excited to see what we achieve next year.”
Mr Musk has yet to publicly comment on SpaceX's achievement.
SpaceX's Starlink is a low-Earth orbit satellite constellation service that provides internet access using satellites that orbit the planet at between heights of 200km and 2,000km.
For perspective, the International Space Station is at 408km, while Hubble Space Telescope is at 547km.
The service provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet. Within each coverage area, orders are fulfilled on a first-come first-served basis.
Satellite internet is a viable option compared to regular internet services. For instance, to have access to the internet using a 5G or any broadband connection, a device must be within range of a cell tower.
The closer a user is to the cell tower, the better and faster the connection should be. With a satellite, a user can gain access to the internet even in the remotest of places.
The Starlink mega constellation is currently comprised of more than 5,200 operational satellites. The company plans to deploy as many as 12,000 satellites, with hopes of ramping this up to as many as 42,000.
The global low-Earth orbit satellite market is projected to surpass $34 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of nearly 17 per cent, latest data from Verified Market Research shows.
SpaceX is also Mr Musk's vehicle for space exploration. One of the company's ultimate goals is to colonise Mars. The company is going head-to-head with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin.
Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce company founded by Mr Bezos, has also already started challenging SpaceX by launching its first satellites in October.
SpaceX is also one of three companies that are hectocorns, or start-ups with a valuation of $100 billion or more. The other two are China-based online fashion retailer Shein and ByteDance, the parent of popular social media platform TikTok.
The valuation of SpaceX hit around $180 billion in early December, CNBC had reported.
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
West Indies won by 381 runs
Second Test at Antigua
West Indies won by 10 wickets
Third Test at St Lucia
February 9-13
Honeymoonish
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
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Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
