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Earth Intelligence

29 Apr 2024 — 4 min read

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CENTCOM Activity
SpaceX Launches

CENTCOM Activity:

On April 25th, an incident occurred in the Gulf of Aden involving the launch of an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) by Iranian-backed Houthi forces from Yemen. Fortunately, there were no reported damages or injuries. Later the same day, in response to this threat, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully neutralized an unmanned surface vessel (USV) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that were also under Houthi control.
These actions were part of defensive measures to ensure the safety of U.S., coalition, and commercial maritime operations in the region. The situation escalated on April 26th when Houthi rebels launched three more ASBMs into the Red Sea, targeting two commercial vessels, MV MAISHA and MV Andromeda Star. The latter sustained minor damage but was able to continue its voyage. Despite the aggression, there were no injuries reported from this incident.
On April 28th, CENTCOM, in collaboration with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, carried out a humanitarian mission in Northern Gaza. They airdropped over 25,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and more than 13,080 meal equivalents of Jordanian food to support civilians affected by ongoing conflicts in the area. This effort is part of a broader initiative aimed at providing ongoing humanitarian assistance to those in need. Plans for continued aid and support are set to be implemented as the situation develops.

SpaceX Launches:

On April 23rd, a Falcon 9 rocket launched 23 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida at 6:17 PM EST. This booster, used for the ninth time, had previously supported missions like Crew-6 and several other Starlink launches. A few days later, on April 27th at 8:34 PM EST, Falcon 9 launched from Launch Complex 39A for the European Commission’s Galileo L12 mission to medium Earth orbit. This booster, making its 20th flight, had previously deployed important payloads like GPS III-3 and Turksat 5A.
Then, on April 28th, at 6:08 PM EST, Falcon 9 launched another batch of 23 Starlink satellites from the same complex. The booster used in this launch, on its 13th flight, had been used for various missions including CRS-26 and Intelsat IS-40e. SpaceX's rideshare program is revolutionizing the way entities access space by offering competitively priced satellite launches. Starting at only $300,000, payloads up to 50 kg can be sent to Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO), with additional mass priced at $6,000 per kg. This initiative opens up space access to a broad range of participants, from small startups to large enterprises, facilitating a diverse array of space missions at a fraction of traditional costs.
For those requiring larger capacity, SpaceX provides various options tailored to different needs. The program accommodates up to 300 kg on their largest plate, allowing for significant flexibility in payload configuration. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, commonly used in their rideshare program, can carry much larger payloads depending on the destination orbit. For example, the Falcon 9 can deliver up to 22,800 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and up to 8,300 kg to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). This capacity allows it to accommodate larger payloads or a combination of multiple smaller payloads aggregated in a single launch.
For entities requiring even larger payload capacities, SpaceX offers the Falcon Heavy rocket, which can transport up to 63,800 kg to LEO and 26,700 kg to GTO. This makes it suitable for the most substantial payloads, including large national defense satellites, interplanetary missions, and large commercial communications satellites. Thus, while 300 kg might be suitable for many typical rideshare missions, SpaceX's capabilities extend significantly beyond this, offering solutions for virtually any size of satellite deployment.

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