Space shuttle launches were a big deal in the 1980s. For many youngsters like me, being a NASA astronaut was the ultimate dream. The space exhibitions at the Science Museum in London captivated me. Watching the 1986 space shuttle Challenger launch on television and witnessing its tragic explosion was an indelible moment.

In 2002, Elon Musk founded SpaceX, embarking on a journey of hiring and development. At the time, it seemed like no big deal.

Fast forward to 2004, and then-President George W. Bush announced the retirement of the space shuttle program. Only a few missions crucial to the ISS and Hubble were left. For many of us, who once dreamt of space as children and had since grown up, it felt like an end to our cosmic aspirations.

2005 brought another heartbreak when the Columbia capsule disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. It was agonising to think how the crew was tantalisingly close to home, yet so tragically far.

Between 2006 and 2008, with a mix of anticipation and disappointment, SpaceX experienced three catastrophic launch failures with their Falcon rockets. Was this the end of the(ir) space dream?

What many might not recall is that NASA had 88 successful missions between the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. The shuttle program, spanning 30 years and costing $196 billion, successfully executed 135 missions before concluding in 2011. My younger self must've been in awe.

In 2008, just 57 days after their third failed attempt, SpaceX achieved a monumental milestone by successfully launching the Falcon 1 rocket. I recall watching the live streams of their initial launches, each time feeling a resurgence of that childhood wonder.

Fast forward nearly 15 years, and SpaceX launches have become routine. While I'm certain they continue to live stream these events, I, and many others, have lost track. Massive, reusable rockets launching into space have become the norm. Consider this post from Elon:

 

For both the '80s kid in me and the me of this moment, these numbers are staggeringly impressive.

There's a possibility that SpaceX, this year alone, could match or even surpass NASA's number of launches in the seventeen years between the Challenger and Columbia events.

Next year, they aim to exceed the total launches of NASA's entire 30-year space shuttle program. In one year.

If SpaceX achieves 12 launches per month in 2024, that's roughly one launch every 2.5 days. Weather and other variables will skew this frequency, but 30 years ago the very idea was unfathomable. Fifteen years ago, many doubted Elon's capability to successfully launch once. Today, what was once deemed science fiction is undeniably science fact.

No matter where one stands on Elon's personality, the necessity for Mars colonisation, or his Twitter antics, SpaceX stands as a testament to what humans can do when we put our minds to it.

Let's dream a bit bigger when it comes to making our business great for the world.

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