image: Olivier Heiligers
Sometimes the best way to follow a trend is to plot it on a chart. Here is a selection of noteworthy metrics that are worth keeping an eye on in 2024, from solar-cell technology to superhero movies. Some are merely fun—while others are potentially world-changing.
Will the cost of launching things into orbit fall further?
US
Russia
China
Other
Cost to low-Earth orbit per kg, 2021 prices
Log scale
$100,000
Space Shuttle
SpaceX
Soyuz
Falcon 1
10,000
Saturn V
Neutron*