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| Why an encyclopedia on all spacecraft 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 spacecraft ever launched (successfully or not) sponsored by every governments, organizations and corporations since October 1957. With more than 7,000 spacecraft, 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 spacecraft launched in a given year are on the same web page. Additional informations are available by the web links presented at the bottom of 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 Spacecraft Were Launched? |
| | How Many Spacecraft Are Russian, American, European, Etc.? |
| | What Proportion of These Spacecraft Is Military and Which is Civilian? |
| | What Proportion of Spacecraft had Accomplished Their mission, and Which Had Failed? |
| | For What Purpose Spacecraft Are Launched? |
| | How Many Spacecraft 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 are launching an average of 132 spacecraft every year. In all, 7,120 spacecraft were launched between 1957 and 2011. They included satellite (in Earth orbit), piloted spaceship and planetary probe. The left graph shows the number of spacecraft launched every year. Color red represents spacecraft launched for Russia, blue represents spacecraft 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 spacecraft 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 (2002-2011). An average of 110 spacecraft were launched in recent years; 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 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 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 | Review. | 3 | 2 | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| 1958 | Review. | 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 | Review | 129 | 27 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 10 |
| 2011 | Review | 137 | 25 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 14 |
| 2012 | . | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> | >> |
| Total | . | 7,120 | 3,595 | 1,857 | 338 | 135 | 169 | 63 | 35 | 14 | 156 | 622 | 136 |
| . | . | 100% | 50.5% | 26.1% | 4.8% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 2.2% | 8.7% | 1.9% |
| . | . | 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, 2005-2011 |
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(as of 31 December 2009) |
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| Source:© Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2011 |
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| These two graphs traced the evolution of the number of military and civilian spacecraft launched from 1957 to 2011. The graph at left shows that the majority of military spacecraft 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, 2005-2011 |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2005-2011 |
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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, 2005-2011 |
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| Source: © Claude Lafleur's Spacecraft Encyclopedia, 2011 |
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 |
:
Tables on Piloted Spaceflight (in French)
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