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| Why an encyclopedia on all spacecrafts ever
launched? Because, beyond all projects, plans, "what we will do..." and
"what we could have done if...", this is what Space exploration and operations
are all about.
This website tries to compile the most comprehensive list of all spacecrafts ever launched (successfully or not) sponsored by every governments, organizations and corporations since October 1957. With more than 6,800 spacecrafts, this encyclopedia represents a collossal endeavour which is only possible by starting with the works of such "giants" as Jonathan McDowell, Mark Wade, Asif Siddiqi, NASA Historians, NSSDC and many other sources. The basic data for each spacecraft are presented in an entry written in "plain english", trying to be as accurate and concise as possible. Entries are grouped by year of launch, that is: entries for all spacecrafts launched in a year are on the same web page. Additional informations are available in the web links presented below each entry. See also: Spacecraft stats and insights, an introductory essay published in Space Review on April 5, 2010. |
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| | How Many Spacecrafts Were Launched? |
| | How Many Spacecrafts Are Russian, American, European, Etc.? |
| | What Proportion of These Spacecrafts Is Military and Which is Civilian? |
| | What Proportion of Spacecrafts had Accomplished Their mission, and Which Had Failed? |
| | For What Purpose Spacecrafts Are Launched? |
| | How Many Spacecrafts Are Piloted? |
| | How Many Probes Were Launched To Explore Our Solar System? |
| | How Many Communications Satellites Were Launched? |
| | How Many Meteosats Were Launched? |
| | What About Launchers: How Many, Which Are the Most Frequently Used and the Bests? |
| | Whats the Cifference Between Spacecraft, Satellite, Spaceship and Probes? |
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| Since 1957, we launched an average of 132 spacecrafts a year. In all, 6,854 spacecrafts were launched between 1957 and 2009. They included satellites (in Earth orbit), piloted spaceships and planetary probes. The left graph shows the number of spacecrafts launched every year. Color red represents spacecrafts launched for Russia, blue represents spacecrafts launched for the United States, yellow represents other governments (Europe, Japan, China, India, Canada, Israel & Other governments) and green represents non-governmental spacecrafts (commercial and amateur/student). This graph shows that the majority of spacecrafts were launched for Russia, mainly in the 1970s and 1980s. The graph at right shows the number of spacecraft launched in the last ten years (2000-2009). An average of 106 spacecrafts were launched in recent years, with about a quarter each for Russia, United States, other governments and non-government. (Click on each graph to enlarge.) |
| Yearly Summary of Spacecrafts Launched |
| 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 |
| 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 |
| 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
| 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 |
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Spacecraft by Countries |
| Algeria | Arab Countries | Argentina | Australia | Belgium |
| Brazil | Canada | Chile | China | Czeck Repûblic |
| Denmark | Egypt | Europe (All) | European Agencies | France |
| Germany | India | Indonesia | Italy | Iran |
| Israel | Japan | Kazakhstan | Korea (South) | Malaysia |
| Mexico | Morocco | Netherlands | Nigeria | Norway |
| Pakistan | Russia
(Soviet Union) |
Spain | Sweden | Taiwan |
| Thailand | Turkey | Ukraine | United Kingdom | United States |
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The table below presents
the numbers of spacecraft launched every year. Il also gives access to
the main lists that formed this encyclopedia.
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| Year
Summary |
Year in
Review |
Total | U.S.S.R.
/Russia |
United
States |
Europe | Japan | China | India | Canada | Israel | Other
gov. |
Com-
mercial |
Amateur
/Student |
| 1957 | . | 3 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1958 | . | 28 | 5 | 23 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1959 | Review | 24 | 4 | 20 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1960 | Review | 44 | 9 | 35 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1961 | Review | 60 | 9 | 50 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 |
| 1962 | Review | 96 | 22 | 70 | 1 | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 1 |
| 1963 | . | 97 | 24 | 72 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . |
| 1964 | . | 127 | 43 | 82 | 2 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1965 | . | 180 | 71 | 103 | 2 | . | . | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | 2 |
| 1966 | . | 174 | 54 | 116 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | . |
| 1967 | . | 172 | 74 | 88 | 5 | 1 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 3 | . |
| 1968 | . | 166 | 85 | 75 | 4 | . | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | . |
| 1969 | . | 155 | 84 | 61 | 4 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 3 | . |
| 1970 | . | 142 | 95 | 33 | 7 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | . | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | . | 175 | 111 | 49 | 9 | 2 | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 2 | . |
| 1972 | . | 143 | 98 | 35 | 5 | 1 | . | . | 1 | . | . | 2 | 1 |
| 1973 | . | 146 | 114 | 26 | 3 | . | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 1 | . |
| 1974 | . | 136 | 101 | 18 | 10 | 1 | 2 | . | . | . | . | 3 | 1 |
| 1975 | . | 168 | 120 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | . | . | 4 | . |
| 1976 | . | 164 | 125 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 3 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 7 | . |
| 1977 | . | 147 | 113 | 21 | 6 | 4 | . | . | . | . | 1 | 2 | . |
| 1978 | . | 174 | 125 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 1 | . | 1 | . | . | 3 | 1 |
| 1979 | . | 134 | 108 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | . | . | . | 2 | . |
| 1980 | . | 144 | 111 | 21 | 6 | 2 | . | 1 | . | . | . | 2 | 1 |
| 1981 | . | 160 | 125 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | . | . | . | 5 | 1 |
| 1982 | . | 160 | 134 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | 7 | . |
| 1983 | . | 162 | 118 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | . | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| 1984 | . | 169 | 117 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 3 | . | 1 | . | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| 1985 | . | 172 | 121 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 1 | . | 1 | . | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| 1986 | . | 151 | 123 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | . | . | . | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987 | . | 141 | 118 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | . | . | 2 | . | . |
| 1988 | . | 155 | 115 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 | . | 1 | . | 6 | 1 |
| 1989 | . | 139 | 100 | 25 | 5 | 2 | . | . | . | . | . | 7 | . |
| 1990 | . | 173 | 100 | 31 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | . | 1 | 3 | 11 | 7 |
| 1991 | . | 143 | 85 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | 7 | 3 |
| 1992 | . | 135 | 80 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | . | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 1993 | . | 118 | 60 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | . | . | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| 1994 | . | 130 | 65 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | . | 6 | 12 | . | |
| 1995 | . | 113 | 39 | 30 | 10 | 3 | . | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 4 |
| 1996 | . | 112 | 34 | 37 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 2 |
| 1997 | . | 158 | 28 | 26 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | . | . | 4 | 81 | 1 |
| 1998 | . | 174 | 28 | 23 | 12 | 2 | 1 | . | . | 1 | 8 | 95 | 4 |
| 1999 | . | 133 | 17 | 24 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | . | 8 | 66 | 2 |
| 2000 | . | 131 | 32 | 35 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | . | 5 | 28 | 4 |
| 2001 | . | 93 | 29 | 31 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | . | 3 | 13 | |
| 2002 | . | 101 | 21 | 18 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 2 | .1 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 4 |
| 2003 | . | 98 | 22 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| 2004 | . | 77 | 21 | 10 | 13 | . | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 3 |
| 2005 | Review | 78 | 21 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | . | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| 2006 | Review | 116 | 15 | 29 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 1 | . | 1 | 16 | 10 | 19 |
| 2007 | Review | 123 | 18 | 32 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 20 | 9 |
| 2008 | Review | 111 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 7 |
| 2009 | Review | 129 | 29 | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | . | 9 | 17 | 13 |
| 2010 | . | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> |
| Total | . | 6,854 | 3,543 | 1,811 | 318 | 125 | 131 | 55 | 34 | 12 | 133 | 580 | 112 |
| . | . | 100% | 51.7% | 26.4% | 4.6% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 1.9% | 8.5% | 1.6% |
| . | . | Total | U.S.S.R.
/Russia |
United
States |
Europe | Japan | China | India | Canada | Israel | Other
gov. |
Com-
mercial |
Amateur
/Student |
| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2010 |
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(as of 31 December 2009) |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2010 |
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| These two graphs traced the evolution of the number of military and civilian spacracfts launched from 1957 to 2009. The graph at left shows that the majority of military spacecrafts were launched by the Soviet Union during the 1970s and 1980s (red), and a net decrease during the last fifteen years. About 30 military spacecrafts were launched in recent years. The graph at right shows civilian spacecraft launched; in general, the numbers are relatively constant throughout the last 50 years (about 75 a year), except for a "surge" in commercial spacecrafts launched at the end of the 1990s (green). (Click on each graph to enlarge.) |
| Other tables
Table 3 - Spacecraft Sponsors Table 4 - Civilian vs. Military Spacecrafts Table 5 - The Four Main Spacecraft Sources Table 6 - Success and Failure Ratio Table 7 - Spacecrafts Failure Modes Table 8 - Civilian Families Statistics Table 9 - Military Families Statistics |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2010 |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2010 |
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| These graphs show the launch rate of all launchers. The graph at left shows the 12 launchers which had been launched more than 100 times. The central graph shows the 14 launchers which had been launched between 10 and 99 times. The graph at right shows the 21 launchers which had been launched less than 10 times. (Click on each graph to enlarge.) |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2010 |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2010 |
50 Years of Space Exploration it Two Graphs
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| These two graphs summarized the first 50 years of space exploration by answering two questions: who launched spacechips and for what purpose? Click on each graph to view the answer. |
| Some Interesting Spacecraft Families |
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Tables on Piloted Spaceflight (in French)
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