> SpaceX has launched at a rate nearly 34 times higher than United Launch Alliance since the start of 2023, but ULA has more experience with high-energy missions, featuring more complex maneuvers to place military payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, and sometimes releasing multiple payloads at different locations in the geosynchronous belt.
> This is one of the most challenging mission profiles for any rocket, requiring a high-endurance upper stage, like Vulcan's Centaur V, capable of cruising through space for eight or more hours.
> SpaceX has flown a long-duration version of its upper stage on several missions by adding an extended mission kit. This gives the rocket longer battery life and a custom band of thermal paint to help ensure its kerosene fuel does not freeze in the cold environment of space.
The primary reason for SpaceX having such a high launch rate is Starlink/Starshield. These launches are largely identical to one another, and are targeting LEO altitudes. The above comments are factually correct.
Historically ULA has been the launch provider of choice for deep space missions.
Interesting comparison towards the end.
> SpaceX has launched at a rate nearly 34 times higher than United Launch Alliance since the start of 2023, but ULA has more experience with high-energy missions, featuring more complex maneuvers to place military payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, and sometimes releasing multiple payloads at different locations in the geosynchronous belt.
> This is one of the most challenging mission profiles for any rocket, requiring a high-endurance upper stage, like Vulcan's Centaur V, capable of cruising through space for eight or more hours.
> SpaceX has flown a long-duration version of its upper stage on several missions by adding an extended mission kit. This gives the rocket longer battery life and a custom band of thermal paint to help ensure its kerosene fuel does not freeze in the cold environment of space.
The primary reason for SpaceX having such a high launch rate is Starlink/Starshield. These launches are largely identical to one another, and are targeting LEO altitudes. The above comments are factually correct. Historically ULA has been the launch provider of choice for deep space missions.