SpaceX is launching nearly 80% of payloads to orbit, Elon Musk gives update on going to Mars

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a graph to his personal X account showcasing how far ahead SpaceX is compared to its competition on how much mass it has launched into orbit.

The graph was created by Bryce Tech, a mission-focused SETA contractor that applies analytics and engineering expertise to program management, and specifically, in this case, how much weight in kilograms has been launched to orbit and by whom. The graph shows SpaceX leading the pack by a country mile with 381,278 kg to orbit, or "upmass", with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) coming in second with 24,560 kg, Roscosmos with 17,475 kg and Northrop Grumman Space Systems with 8,051 kg.

The graph illustrates what Musk wrote in his caption on the initial X post, "SpaceX is tracking to launch over 80% of all Earth payload to orbit this year". Furthermore, the graph showcases that SpaceX is the global leader in transporting mass to orbit, and with bigger and better rockets on the way, such as the recently tested Starship launch vehicle, capable of launching 100 tons to orbit, the competition will find it very difficult to catch up.

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As for Starship, the 394-foot rocket is designed to land on the moon and create a lunar base with a single trip; the same goes for Mars. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk replied to a question by X user Brian Krassenstein, who was asking if there was a chart showing expected global payload to space over the next 10 years. "What would these figures be in say 2033?"

"We need to be on Mars by 2033," replied Elon Musk