2016 in spaceflight

2016 in spaceflight
Highlights from spaceflight in 2016[a]
Orbital launches
First15 January
Last28 December
Total85
Successes82
Failures2
Partial failures1
Catalogued83
Rockets
Maiden flights
Retirements
Crewed flights
Orbital5
Total travellers14
EVAs4
2016 in spaceflight

Several new rockets and spaceports began operations in 2016.

Overview

Russia inaugurated the far-Eastern Vostochny Cosmodrome on 28 April 2016 with a traditional Soyuz-2.1a flight,[1] before expanding it for the Angara rocket family in the following years. The Chinese Long March 7 flew its maiden flight from the new Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island on 25 June, and the maiden flight of the Long March 5 took place on 3 November. Two years after its 2014 accident, the Antares rocket returned to flight on 17 October with its upgraded 230 version featuring the Russian RD-181 engine.

After many failed attempts, SpaceX began landing its Falcon 9 first stages on autonomous spaceport drone ships, edging closer to their long-stated goal of developing reusable launch vehicles. The company indicated that the recovered engines and structures did not suffer significant damage.[2] One of the landed boosters, B1021, launched in April 2016, was flown again in March 2017;[3] two others were converted to side boosters for the maiden flight of Falcon Heavy.[4]

The ExoMars mission, a collaboration between the European and Russian space agencies, was launched on 14 March and reached Mars on 19 October.[5] Dedicated to astrobiology investigations, this flight carried the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which reached Mars orbit, and the Schiaparelli EDM lander, which crashed upon landing. A subsequent flight scheduled for 2020 will carry the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover along with four static surface instruments.[6] Meanwhile, the Japanese space probe Akatsuki started its observations of Venus in May[7] after spending five months gradually adjusting its orbit. Planetary exploration activities took center stage with the orbit insertion of NASA's Juno probe at Jupiter on 4 July, followed by the launch of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid 101955 Bennu on 8 September. Finally, on 30 September, the Rosetta probe executed a slow crash-landing on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.[8][9]

Human spaceflights included the return of Scott Kelly and Mikhail Kornienko in March after a yearlong mission on the ISS, the longest-ever continuous stay by astronauts at the station. Kelly also set the record for the longest-duration stay of an American in orbit. Four ISS Expeditions numbered 47 to 50 were launched in 2016, the first one using the last Soyuz TMA-M spacecraft and the next three inaugurating the modernized Soyuz MS. Expedition 50 will continue into 2017. Several EVAs were performed to maintain the exterior of the ISS. The experimental BEAM inflatable habitat was attached to the ISS on 16 April and expanded on 28 May to begin two years of on-orbit tests. Meanwhile, China launched its new Tiangong-2 space laboratory in September, which was first visited by two astronauts for a month between 19 October and 17 November.

Orbital launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January

15 January
16:57:04 		Long March 3B/E Xichang LC-3 CASC
Belintersat 1 Belarus Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
17 January
18:42:18 		Falcon 9 v1.1 F9-021 Vandenberg SLC-4E SpaceX
Jason-3 NOAA / EUMETSAT Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
Final flight of the standard Falcon 9 v1.1, future flights will use the upgraded Falcon 9 Full Thrust. Falcon 9's first stage performed a soft landing on an autonomous spaceport drone ship in the Pacific Ocean, but the failure of one landing leg to lock into position caused it to fall over and break apart.[10]
20 January
04:01:00 		PSLV-XL C31 Satish Dhawan SLP ISRO
IRNSS-1E ISRO Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
27 January
23:20:48 		Ariane 5 ECA VA228 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
Intelsat 29e Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Spacecraft failure in 2019[11]
29 January
22:20:09 		Proton-M / Briz-M Baikonur Site 200/39 International Launch Services
Eutelsat 9B Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Carries the first laser communication node for the European Data Relay System

February

1 February
07:29:04 		Long March 3C/E / YZ-1 Xichang LC-3 CASC
BeiDou M3-S CNSA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
5 February
13:38:00 		Atlas V 401 AV-057 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
USA-266 (GPS-IIF 12/Betelgeuse) US Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Named after Star Betelgeuse.
7 February
00:21:07 		Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat Plesetsk Site 43/4 RVSN RF
Kosmos 2514 (GLONASS-M 751) VKS Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
7 February
00:30 		Unha-3 Sohae NADA
Kwangmyŏngsŏng-4[12] NADA Low Earth Earth observation 30 June 2023[13] Successful
10 February
11:40:32 		Delta IV M+ (5,2) Vandenberg SLC-6 United Launch Alliance
USA-267 / Topaz-4[14] NRO Retrograde LEO Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
NROL-45 mission. Spacecraft launched in a retrograde orbit.
16 February
17:57:40 		Rokot / Briz-KM Plesetsk Site 133/3 / Eurockot
Sentinel-3A ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
17 February
08:45:00 		H-IIA 202 F30 Tanegashima LA-Y1 MHI
Hitomi (ASTRO-H) JAXA / NASA Low Earth X-ray astronomy In orbit Spacecraft failure
ChubuSat-2 Nagoya University Low Earth Radiation / Amateur radio In orbit Operational
ChubuSat-3 MHI Low Earth Remote sensing / Space debris monitor In orbit Operational
Horyu-4 Kyushu Institute of Technology Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
Hitomi malfunctioned after initial checkouts, and is believed to have lost attitude control and snapped off its solar array. 28 April, JAXA has abandoned efforts to recover the spacecraft.[15][16]

March

4 March
23:35:00 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-022 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
SES-9 SES S.A. Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
High-velocity landing test ended with a hard landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You and destruction of the first stage.
9 March
05:20:07 		Ariane 5 ECA VA229 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
Eutelsat 65 West A Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
10 March
10:31:00 		PSLV-XL C32 Satish Dhawan SLP ISRO
IRNSS-1F ISRO Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
13 March
18:56:00 		Soyuz-2.1b Baikonur Site 31/6 Roscosmos
Resurs-P No.3 Roscosmos Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation 17 October 2023[17] Partial spacecraft failure[18]
The launch succeeded on its second attempt after a rare pad abort the day before.
14 March
09:31:42[6] 		Proton-M / Briz-M Baikonur Site 200/39 Khrunichev
/ ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter ESA Areocentric orbit Mars orbiter In orbit Operational
Schiaparelli EDM lander ESA TMI to Martian Surface Mars lander 19 October 2016 Landing failure
18 March
21:26:38 		Soyuz-FG Baikonur Site 1/5 Roscosmos
Soyuz TMA-20M Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 47/48 7 September 2016
01:13		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts. Final flight of the Soyuz TMA-M variant
23 March
03:05:52 		Atlas V 401 AV-064 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
Cygnus CRS OA-6
S.S. Rick Husband 		Orbital ATK / NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 22 June 2016
13:29		 Successful
Diwata-1 DOST / TU Low Earth Earth observation 6 April 2020[20] Successful
⚀ Flock-2e' × 20 Planet Labs Low Earth Earth observation First: 3 October 2017[21]
Last: 10 November 2018[22]		 Successful
⚀ Lemur-2 × 9 Spire Global Low Earth Earth observation First: 27 February 2017[23]
Last: 7 April 2017[24]		 8 successful, 1 failed to deploy
Anomaly in the mixture ratio control valve assembly, causing the Atlas V booster engine to cut off five seconds early, resulting in a longer-than-usual Centaur orbital insertion burn.[19]
Cubesats deployed from the ISS and the Cygnus spacecraft at a later date.
24 March
09:42:00 		Soyuz-2.1a Plesetsk Site 43/4 RVSN RF
Kosmos 2515 (Bars-M 2L) VKS Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
29 March
20:11:04 		Long March 3A Xichang LC-2 CASC
BeiDou IGSO-6 CNSA IGSO Navigation In orbit Operational
31 March
16:23:57 		Soyuz-2.1a Baikonur Site 31/6 Roscosmos
Progress MS-02 / 63P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 14 October 2016
13:39		 Successful
⚀ Tomsk-TPU-120 Tomsk Polytechnic University Low Earth Technology demonstration 20 October 2019[26] Successful
Tomsk-TPU-120 is a CubeSat deployed into orbit from ISS by Russian astronauts spacewalk on 17 August 2017.[25]

April

5 April
17:38:04 		Long March 2D Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
Shijian 10 CAS Low Earth Microgravity Science 18 April 2016
08:30		 Successful
8 April
20:43:31 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-023 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
SpaceX CRS-8 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 11 May 2016
18:31		 Successful
BEAM Bigelow Aerospace / NASA Low Earth (ISS) Technology demonstration / ISS Assembly In orbit Operational
First stage landed successfully on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You for the first time, the second successful landing overall
25 April
21:02:13 		Soyuz-STA / Fregat Kourou ELS Arianespace
Sentinel-1B ESA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Spacecraft failure[27]
MICROSCOPE CNES Low Earth (SSO) Astrophysics In orbit Operational
⚀ AAUSAT-4 Aalborg Low Earth (SSO) AIS ship tracking 8 September 2023[28] Successful
⚀ e-st@r-II Polytechnic University of Turin Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 9 May 2024[29] Successful
⚀ OUFTI-1 Liège Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 14 March 2024[30] Successful
28 April
02:01:21 		Soyuz-2.1a / Volga Vostochny Site 1S Roscosmos
Mikhailo Lomonosov MSU Low Earth (SSO) Gamma-ray astronomy 16 December 2023[31] Satellite malfunction
Aist-2D SSAU Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 15 April 2024[32] Successful
⚀ SamSat 218 SSAU Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 4 March 2022[33] Spacecraft failure
First orbital flight from Vostochny Cosmodrome.
28 April
07:20:00 		PSLV-XL C33 Satish Dhawan FLP ISRO
IRNSS-1G ISRO Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational

May

6 May
05:21:00 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-024 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
JCSAT-14 JSAT Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
First stage landed on Of Course I Still Love You drone ship, the third successful landing and the first landing with a payload to geostationary transfer orbit.
15 May
02:43 		Long March 2D Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
Yaogan 30 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
24 May
08:48:43 		Soyuz-STB / Fregat Kourou ELS Arianespace
Galileo FOC 10 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 11 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
27 May
21:39:00 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-025 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
Thaicom 8 Thaicom Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
First stage landed on Of Course I Still Love You drone ship, the fourth successful landing and the second landing with a payload to geostationary transfer orbit.
29 May
08:44:35 		Soyuz-2.1b / Fregat Plesetsk Site 43/4 RVSN RF
Kosmos 2516 (GLONASS-M 753) VKS Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Spacecraft failure
Kosmos 2516 experienced a depressurization event in November 2020, which permanently disabled the satellite after four years in operation. It was replaced by GLONASS-K 705.[34]
30 May
03:17:04 		Long March 4B Taiyuan LC-9 CASC
Ziyuan III-02 CNSA Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
ÑuSat-1/-2
(Aleph-1 constellation)[35] 		Satellogic Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational

June

4 June
14:00:13 		Rokot / Briz-KM Plesetsk Site 133/3 RVSN RF
Kosmos 2517 (Geo-IK-2 No.12) VKS Low Earth Geodesy In orbit Operational
9 June
07:10:00 		Proton-M / Briz-M Baikonur Site 81/24 International Launch Services
Intelsat 31 / DLA-2 Intelsat / DirecTV Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
11 June
17:51:00 		Delta IV Heavy Cape Canaveral SLC-37B United Launch Alliance
USA-268 (Orion 9) NRO Geosynchronous Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
NROL-37 mission.
12 June
15:30:04 		Long March 3C/E Xichang LC-3 CASC
BeiDou G7 CNSA Geosynchronous Navigation In orbit Operational
15 June
14:29:00 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-026 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
Eutelsat 117 West B Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
ABS-2A ABS Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
Satellites were successfully delivered to orbit, first stage landing on drone ship failed.
18 June
21:38:39 		Ariane 5 ECA VA230 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
EchoStar 18 EchoStar Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
BRIsat BRI Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
22 June
03:56:00 		PSLV-XL C34 Satish Dhawan SLP ISRO
Cartosat-2C ISRO Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
BIROS DLR Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
GHGSat-D (Claire) GHGSat Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
LAPAN-A3 LAPAN Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
M3MSat CSA Low Earth (SSO) Communications In orbit Operational
SkySat-C1 Terra Bella Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ BeeSat 4 TU Berlin Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ Flock-2p × 12 Planet Labs Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation First: 20 October 2022
Last: 28 March 2023[36]		 Successful
⚀ SathyabamaSat Sathyabama University Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ Swayam College of Engineering, Pune Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
24 June
14:30:00 		Atlas V 551 AV-063 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
MUOS-5 US Navy GSO Communications In orbit Operational in off-nominal but usable orbit[37]
25 June
12:00:07 		Long March 7 / YZ-1A Y1 Wenchang LC-2 CASC
Next-generation crew capsule scale model CMSA Low Earth Technology demonstration
Flight test		 26 June 2016
07:41		 Successful
⚀ Star of Aoxiang NPU Low Earth Technology demonstration 29 September 2016 Successful
Aolong-1 CALT Low Earth Technology demonstration 27 August 2016 Successful
Tiange-1 Low Earth Technology demonstration 27 August 2016 Successful
Tiange-2 Low Earth Technology demonstration 24 August 2016 Successful
Maiden flight of the Long March 7 rocket and the first launch from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center.[38]
29 June
03:21:04 		Long March 4B Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
Shijian 16-02 CNSA Low Earth Technology demonstration In orbit Operational

July

7 July
01:36:40 		Soyuz-FG Baikonur Site 1/5 Roscosmos
Soyuz MS-01 Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 48/49 30 October 2016
03:58		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts. Maiden flight of the modernized Soyuz MS spacecraft variant.
16 July
21:41:45 		Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 31/6 Roscosmos
Progress MS-03 / 64P Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 1 February 2017
18:24		 Successful
18 July
04:45:29 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-027 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
SpaceX CRS-9 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 26 August
15:47		 Successful
Delivering the IDA-2 segment of the NASA Docking System. Second successful return to launch site and vertical landing of a first stage, demonstrated as part of a controlled descent test.
28 July
12:37:00 		Atlas V 421 AV-065 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
USA-269 (Quasar NROL-61) NRO Geosynchronous[39] Communications In orbit Operational

August

5 August
16:22:04 		Long March 3B Xichang LC-3 CASC
Tiantong-1 01 CAST Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
9 August
22:55:25 		Long March 4C Taiyuan LC-9 CASC
Gaofen-3 CAST Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
14 August
05:26:00 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust F9-028 Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
JCSAT-16 JSAT Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
15 August
17:40:04 		Long March 2D Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
Quantum Experiments At Space Scale (QUESS)[40] CAS Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
Lixing-1 CAS Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 19 August 2016[41] Spacecraft failure
⚀ 3Cat 2 UPC Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 18 December 2023[42] Successful
19 August
04:52:00 		Delta IV M+ (4,2) Cape Canaveral SLC-37B United Launch Alliance
AFSPC 6 / USA-270 / GSSAP #3 US Air Force Geosynchronous Space surveillance In orbit Operational
AFSPC 6 / USA-271 / GSSAP #4 US Air Force Geosynchronous Space surveillance In orbit Operational
24 August
22:16:01 		Ariane 5 ECA VA232 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
Intelsat 33e Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational[43]
Intelsat 36 Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
31 August
18:50:00 		Long March 4C Taiyuan LC-9 CASC
Gaofen-10 CAST Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation 31 August 2016 Launch failure

September

3 September
07:00–09:00 (scheduled)[45] 		Falcon 9 Full Thrust Cape Canaveral SLC-40 SpaceX
AMOS-6 Spacecom Planned: Geosynchronous Communications N/A Destroyed prior to launch[44]
Launch pad explosion destroyed both the rocket and the satellite two days prior to scheduled launch, on 13:07, 1 September 2016 (UTC) (2016-09-01T13:07:00Z).[44]
8 September
11:20:00 		GSLV Mk II F05 Satish Dhawan SLP ISRO
INSAT-3DR ISRO Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
8 September
23:05:00 		Atlas V 411 AV-067 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
OSIRIS-REx (OSIRIS-APEX) NASA Heliocentric Asteroid sample return In orbit Operational
Reached asteroid Bennu in December 2018. Scheduled to return to Earth in September 2023.
13 September
14:38:00 		Shavit-2 Palmachim Israel Aerospace Industries
Ofeq 11 Israel Defense Forces Low Earth Reconnaissance In orbit Satellite malfunction[46]
15 September
14:04:12 		Long March 2F/G T2 Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-1 CNSA
Tiangong-2 CMSA Low Earth Space station 19 July 2019[47]
13:06		 Successful
BanXing 2 SAST Low Earth Technology demonstration 15 July 2019[48] Successful
Second Chinese space laboratory, BanXing 2 deployed 22 October
16 September
01:43:35 		Vega Kourou ELV Arianespace
PeruSat-1 Peruvian Armed Forces Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
SkySat × 4 Terra Bella Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
26 September
03:42:00 		PSLV-G C35 Satish Dhawan FLP ISRO
ScatSat-1 ISRO Low Earth (SSO) Meteorology In orbit Successful[49]
Alsat-1B Algerian Space Agency Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
Alsat-2B Algerian Space Agency Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
Blacksky Pathfinder-1 BlackSky Global Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
Pratham IIT Bombay Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
PISat PES University Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ Alsat-1N Algerian Space Agency Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ CanX-7 UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 21 April 2022[50] Successful
Final launch of the original Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-G configuration with S9 solid rocket motors.

October

5 October
20:30 		Ariane 5 ECA VA231 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
NBN-Co 1B / Sky Muster II NBN Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
GSAT-18 ISRO Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
16 October
23:30 		Long March 2F Y11 Jiuquan LA-4 / SLS-1 CASC
Shenzhou 11 CMSA Low Earth Docking with Tiangong-2 18 November 2016
06:15		 Successful
Crewed flight with two astronauts[51]
17 October
23:45 		Antares 230 MARS Pad 0A Orbital ATK
Cygnus CRS OA-5 NASA Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 27 November 2016
23:36		 Successful
⚀ Lemur-2 × 4 Spire Global Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
CubeSats were deployed from the ISS and Cygnus spacecraft at a later date.
19 October
08:05 		Soyuz-FG Baikonur Site 31/6 Roscosmos
Soyuz MS-02 Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 49/50 10 April 2017
11:20		 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts

November

2 November
06:20:00 		H-IIA 202 F31 Tanegashima LA-Y1 MHI
Himawari 9 JMA Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
3 November
12:42 		Long March 5 Wenchang LC-1 CASC
Shijian 17 CNSA Geosynchronous Technology demonstration / Space rendezvous In orbit Operational
Maiden flight of the Long March 5 rocket. Chinese state media claims Shijian-17 is a test of electric propulsion, though this is disputed by outside analysts tracking the satellite's unusual space rendezvous movements.[52][53]
9 November
23:42[54] 		Long March 11 Jiuquan LS-95A CASC
XPNAV 1[55] CAS Low Earth (SSO) X-ray pulsar-based navigation In orbit Operational
⚀ Xiaoxiang 1[56] Changsha Gaoxinqu Tianyi Research Institute Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ Lishui 1-01 Zhejiang LiTong Electronic Technology Co. Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
⚀ Pina-2 × 2 Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
11 November
18:30 		Atlas V 401 AV-062 Vandenberg SLC-3E United Launch Alliance
WorldView-4 DigitalGlobe Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation 30 November 2021
05:20[58]		 Spacecraft failure
⚀ CELTEE 1 M42 Technologies Low Earth (SSO) Calibration In orbit Operational
⚀ Prometheus-2 × 2 LANL Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ AeroCube 8 × 2 Aerospace Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration In orbit Operational
⚀ OptiCube 4 NASA Orbital Debris Program Office Low Earth (SSO) Calibration In orbit Operational
⚀ RAVAN JHU/APL Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration / Earth observation In orbit Operational
CubeSats deployed after WorldView-4 separation as part of NRO-sponsored ENTERPRISE mission. WorldView-4 experienced a failure in one of its control moment gyroscopes in January 2019, making the spacecraft unrecoverable.[57]
11 November
23:14 		Long March 2D Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
Yunhai-1 SAST Low Earth Earth observation In orbit Operational
17 November
13:06:48 		Ariane 5 ES VA233 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
Galileo FOC 7 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 12 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 13 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
Galileo FOC 14 ESA Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Operational
First Galileo launch with Ariane 5 (8th overall), carrying Antonianna, Lisa, Kimberley, and Tijmen.
17 November
20:20:14 		Soyuz-FG Baikonur Site 1/5 Roscosmos
Soyuz MS-03 Roscosmos Low Earth (ISS) Expedition 50/51/52 2 June 2017 Successful
Crewed flight with three cosmonauts. Peggy Whitson's mission was prolonged over Expedition 52 until September 2017.
19 November
23:42:00 		Atlas V 541 AV-069 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
GOES-R (GOES-16) NASA / NOAA Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
22 November
15:24:04 		Long March 3C/E Xichang LC-2 CASC
Tianlian I-04 CNSA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational

December

1 December
14:52 		Soyuz-U Baikonur Site 1/5 Roscosmos
Progress MS-04 / 65P Roscosmos Planned: Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 1 December Launch failure
5 December
13:51:44 		Vega Kourou ELV Arianespace
Göktürk-1 Turkish Armed Forces Low Earth (SSO) Reconnaissance In orbit Operational
7 December
04:54 		PSLV-XL C36 Satish Dhawan FLP ISRO
Resourcesat-2A ISRO Low Earth (SSO) Remote sensing In orbit Operational
7 December
23:53 		Delta IV M+ (5,4) Cape Canaveral SLC-37B United Launch Alliance
USA-272 / WGS-8 US Air Force Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
9 December
13:26:47 		H-IIB F6 Tanegashima LA-Y2 MHI
HTV-6 JAXA Low Earth (ISS) ISS logistics 5 February 2017
15:06		 Successful
⚀ EGG UTokyo Low Earth Technology demonstration / Re-entry Demonstration 15 May 2017[64] Successful
⚀ TuPOD GAUSS Srl Low Earth TubeSat Deployment / Amateur radio 8 September 2017[65] Successful
⚀ / AOBA-VELOX 3 NTU / Kyutech Low Earth Technology demonstration 1 November 2018[66] Successful
⚀ STARS C Kagawa University Low Earth Technology demonstration 3 March 2018[67] Successful
⚀ FREEDOM Nakashimada Engineering Works / Tohoku University Low Earth Technology demonstration 5 February 2017[68] Successful
⚀ ITF-2 University of Tsukuba Low Earth Technology demonstration 3 January 2019[69] Successful
⚀ Waseda-SAT 3 Waseda University Low Earth Technology demonstration 6 October 2018[70] Successful
OSNSAT Open Space Network Low Earth Technology demonstration 11 January 2018[71] Successful
Tancredo-1 Escola Municipal Presidente Tancredo de Almeida Neves/INPE Low Earth Technology demonstration 18 October 2017[72] Successful
⚀ TechEdSat 5 SJSU/UI Low Earth Technology demonstration 29 July 2017[73] Successful
⚀ Lemur-2 × 4 Spire Global Low Earth AIS First: 15 April 2018[74]
Last: 5 December 2018[75]		 Successful
CubeSats to be deployed at a later date. Tancredo-1 and OSNSAT are carried inside TuPOD and to be deployed from it. STARS-C was deployed on 19 December 2016. ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, FREEDOM, EGG, AOBA-Velox III, and TuPOD were deployed on 16 January 2017.[59] Tancredo-1 and OSNSAT were released from TuPOD on 19 January 2017.[60] Lemur-2 and TechEdSat-5 were deployed on 6–7 March 2017.[61][62][63]
10 December
16:11:00 		Long March 3B Xichang LC-3 CASC
Fengyun 4A CMA Geosynchronous Meteorology In orbit Operational
15 December
13:37:21 		Pegasus-XL Stargazer, Cape Canaveral Orbital ATK
CYGNSS × 8 NASA Low Earth Meteorology In orbit Operational
18 December
19:13 		Atlas V 431 AV-071 Cape Canaveral SLC-41 United Launch Alliance
EchoStar 19 HughesNet Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
20 December
11:00 		Epsilon Epsilon-2[76] Uchinoura JAXA
Arase (ERG) JAXA Medium Earth (elliptical) Magnetospherics In orbit Operational
21 December
19:22 		Long March 2D Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-2 CASC
TanSat[77] CAS Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
Spark × 2 CAS Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Operational
21 December
20:30 		Ariane 5 ECA VA234 Kourou ELA-3 Arianespace
Star One D1 Star One Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
JCSAT-15 JSAT Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Operational
28 December
03:23:56 		Long March 2D Taiyuan CASC
SuperView / Gaojing-1 01 Beijing Space View Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Partial launch failure;
Operational
SuperView / Gaojing-1 02 Beijing Space View Technology Low Earth (SSO) Earth observation In orbit Partial launch failure;
Operational
⚀ Bayi Kepu 1 China Association for Science and Technology Low Earth (SSO) Technology demonstration 18 February 2017[79] Partial launch failure;
Successful
Launch vehicle problem deployed satellites in a lower than planned orbit. SuperView satellites raising their own orbits, but CubeSats cannot so may have short lifespan.[78]

Suborbital flights

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload
(⚀ = CubeSat) 		Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
15 January
03:00:00 		S-310 Uchinoura JAXA
TPU / Tohoku University / Tokai University / KU / JAXA Suborbital Ionospheric research 15 January Successful
Apogee: 161 kilometres (100 mi)[80]
22 January New Shepard Corn Ranch Blue Origin
New Shepard crew capsule Blue Origin Suborbital Test flight 22 January Successful
Apogee: 101.7 kilometres (63.2 mi)[81]
23 January
08:30 		VSB-30 Esrange EuroLaunch
/ TEXUS-53 DLR / ESA Suborbital Microgravity 23 January Successful
Apogee: 252 kilometres (157 mi)
28 January SRALT? C-17, Pacific Ocean MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM target 28 January Successful
Apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi), CTV-02+ target
28 January Ground Based Interceptor Vandenberg LF-23 MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM test 28 January Successful
CTV-02+, successful test flight, the CE-II kill vehicle performed scripted maneuvers to demonstrate performance of alternate divert thrusters. Upon entering terminal phase, the kill vehicle initiated a planned burn sequence to evaluate the alternate divert thrusters until fuel was exhausted, intentionally precluding an intercept.
2 February
21:09 		VS-30 Esrange SSC
SPIDER/LEEWAVES SSC Suborbital Technology 2 February Successful
Apogee: 138 kilometres (86 mi)
21 February
07:34 		LGM-30G Minuteman III Vandenberg LF-09 US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 21 February Successful
GT217GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
22 February
04:15 		Black Brant IX White Sands NASA
CHESS-2 LASP Suborbital Astronomy 22 February Successful
Apogee: 309 kilometres (192 mi)
26 February
07:01 		LGM-30G Minuteman III Vandenberg LF-10 US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 26 February Successful
GT218GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
1 March
14:50 		Terrier Malemute Wallops Island NASA
MUSIC West Virginia University Suborbital Technology experiments 1 March Successful
Apogee: ~185 kilometers (115 mi)[82]
7 March
12:05 		Terrier Orion Wallops Island NASA
SOAREX-9 NASA Ames Suborbital Technology experiment 7 March Successful
RadPC Montana State University Suborbital Technology experiment 7 March Successful
VIP Controlled Dynamics Suborbital Technology experiment 7 March Successful
Apogee: ~159 kilometers (99 mi)
7 March K-4 Visakhapatnam Indian Navy
Indian Navy Suborbital Missile test 7 March Successful
Apogee: 500 km?
8 March Shahab-3 Iran IRGC
IRGC Suborbital Missile test 8 March Successful
Apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)
14 March Agni-I Integrated Test Range IDRDL
IDRDL Suborbital Missile test 14 March Successful
Apogee: ~500 kilometres (310 mi)?
14 March UGM-133 Trident II D5 Submarine, ETR US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 14 March Successful
Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 52
15 March UGM-133 Trident II D5 Submarine, ETR US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 15 March Successful
Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 52
16 March UGM-133 Trident II D5 Submarine, ETR US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 16 March Successful
Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 52
31 March K-4 INS Arihant Indian Navy
Indian Navy Suborbital Missile test 31 March Successful
First K-4 launch from a submarine[83]
2 April
15:18 		New Shepard Corn Ranch Blue Origin
New Shepard crew capsule Blue Origin Suborbital Test flight 2 April Successful
BORE Southwest Research Institute Suborbital Microgravity experiment 2 April Successful
COLLIDE University of Central Florida Suborbital Microgravity experiment 2 April Successful
Apogee: 103.8 kilometers (64.5 mi). Third successful booster landing of the same rocket.[84]
19 April
06:41 		UR-100NU Yasniy RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 19 April Successful
Yu-71 Hypersonic Vehicle Test, Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)?
26 April
17:00 		Tianying 3F Hainan CNSA
Kunpeng-1B CSSAR Suborbital Environment monitoring 26 April Successful
Apogee: 316 kilometres (196 mi)
18 May
00:45 		VS-30/Improved Orion Woomera Test Range DSTO
HiFire-5B DSTO Suborbital Technology 18 May Successful
Apogee: 278 kilometres (173 mi)
18 May
07:02 		MRBM-T3 Kauai MDA
MDA Suborbital Radar target 18 May Successful
Medium Range Ballistic Missile Target, Aegis radar target FTX-21, apogee: 300 kilometres (190 mi)?
25 May RIM-161 Standard Missile 3-IB USS Hopper, Kauai US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Test flight 25 May Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)?
26 May RIM-161 Standard Missile 3-IB USS Hopper, Kauai US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Test flight 26 May Successful
Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi)?
1 June
19:00 		Black Brant IX White Sands NASA
EVE CU Boulder Suborbital SDO calibration 1 June Successful
Apogee: 290 kilometres (180 mi)
19 June
14:35 		New Shepard Corn Ranch Blue Origin
New Shepard crew capsule Blue Origin Suborbital Test flight 19 June Successful
Capillary Flow Experiment Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Suborbital Microgravity experiment 19 June Successful
EITIC Louisiana State University Suborbital Microgravity experiment 19 June Successful
MEDEA Braunschweig University of Technology Suborbital Microgravity experiment 19 June Successful
Apogee: 101 kilometers (62.8 mi). Fourth successful booster landing of the same rocket.
21 June[85]
23:03 		Hwasong-10 Wonsan Airport Korean People's Army Strategic Force
Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 21 June Successful
Apogee: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi).
24 June
10:06 		Terrier Improved Orion Wallops Island NASA
RockOn/RockSat-C CU Boulder Suborbital Student experiments 24 June Successful
Apogee: ~119 kilometres (74 mi)
30 June
09:43 		Improved Malemute Andøya Andøya
MaxiDusty 1 Oslo/Andøya Suborbital Atmospheric Science 30 June Successful
Apogee: 115 kilometres (71 mi)
? June UGM-133 Trident II D5 HMS Vengeance Royal Navy
Royal Navy Suborbital Missile test ? June Launch failure
–
1 July
07:18 		M51 Le Triomphant, Audierne Bay DGA/Marine nationale
DGA/Marine nationale Suborbital Test flight 1 July Successful
Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)?
8 July
13:01 		Improved Malemute Andøya Andøya
MaxiDusty 1b Oslo/Andøya Suborbital Atmospheric Science 8 July Successful
Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi)
11 July Khorramshahr Semnan AFIRI
AFIRI Suborbital Missile test 11 July Launch failure
19 July
04:05 		Terrier Improved Orion Esrange DLR
ROTEX-T DLR Suborbital Technology 19 July Successful
Apogee: 182 kilometres (113 mi)
27 July
18:26 		Black Brant IX White Sands NASA
Hi-C NASA/MSFC Suborbital Solar research 27 July Spacecraft failure
Apogee: 250 kilometres (160 mi)
17 August
11:33 		Terrier-Improved Malemute Wallops Island NASA
Rocksat-X University of Colorado Boulder Suborbital Student Research 17 August Successful
Apogee: ~153 kilometres (95 mi)
23 August[85]
20:29 		Pukguksong-1 Sinpo Shipyard Korean People's Army Strategic Force
Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 23 August Successful
Apogee: about 550 kilometres (340 mi), according to South Korean military.
25 August RS-24 Yars? Plesetsk RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 25 August Launch failure
31 August UGM-133 Trident II D5 USS Maryland, ETR US Navy
US Navy Suborbital Missile test 31 August Successful
5 September[85]
03:13 		Hwasong-9 (Scud-ER) Hwangju Korean People's Army Strategic Force
Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 5 September Successful
Apogee: about 200 kilometres (120 mi).[86] 1 of 3.
5 September[85]
03:13 		Hwasong-9 (Scud-ER) Hwangju Korean People's Army Strategic Force
Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 5 September Successful
Apogee: about 200 kilometres (120 mi).[86] 2 of 3.
5 September[85]
03:13 		Hwasong-9 (Scud-ER) Hwangju Korean People's Army Strategic Force
Korean People's Army Strategic Force Suborbital Missile test 5 September Successful
Apogee: about 200 kilometres (120 mi).[86] 3 of 3.
5 September
09:10 		LGM-30G Minuteman III Vandenberg LF-04 US Air Force
US Air Force Suborbital Test flight 5 September Successful
GT219GM, Apogee: ~1,300 kilometres (810 mi) ?
9 September RS-12M Topol Plesetsk RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 9 September Successful
27 September RSM-56 Bulava K-535 Yury Dolgorukiy, White Sea VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 27 September Successful
27 September RSM-56 Bulava K-535 Yury Dolgorukiy, White Sea VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 27 September Launch failure?
The second missile self destroyed "after completing the first phase of the flight", maybe intentional. It appears to be a normal practice in salvo launches. The missile probably carried mockups instead of working upper stages and warheads to save money.
5 October
15:37 		New Shepard Corn Ranch Blue Origin
New Shepard crew capsule Blue Origin Suborbital Test flight 5 October Successful
In-flight escape test 45 seconds after launch. Booster unexpectedly survived and reached an apogee of 93.7 kilometres (58.2 mi) before completing its fifth successful landing.
12 October R-29R Volna K-433 Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets, Sea of Okhotsk VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 12 October Successful
12 October R-29RMU Sineva K-407 Novomoskovsk, Barents Sea VMF
VMF Suborbital Missile test 12 October Successful
12 October RS-12M Topol Plesetsk RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 12 October Successful
25 October
08:58 		UR-100NU Yasniy RVSN
RVSN Suborbital Missile test 25 October Successful
Yu-71 Hypersonic Vehicle Test, Apogee: 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)?
22 November Agni-I Integrated Test Range IDRDL
IDRDL Suborbital Missile test 22 November Successful
Apogee: ~500 kilometres (310 mi)?
6 December Shahab-3 Iran IRGC
IRGC Suborbital Missile test 6 December Successful
Apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi)
8 December B-611? Shuangchengzi PLA
PLA Suborbital ABM target 8 December Successful
Target
8 December SC-19 Korla PLA
PLA Suborbital ABM test 8 December Successful
Interceptor
15 December MRBM FTM-27 Kauai MDA
MDA Suborbital ABM target 15 December Successful
FTM-27 target, successfully intercepted by two SM-6 missiles in low altitude
15 December
16:15 		Zombie (ATACMS) Zombie Pathfinder White Sands NASA
US Army Suborbital Test flight 15 December Successful
Apogee: 80 kilometres (50 mi)?
26 December
05:35 		Agni V Integrated Test Range Launch Complex IV DRDO
DRDO Suborbital Missile test 26 December Successful
Apogee: ~800 kilometres (500 mi)

Deep space rendezvous

Wikinews has related news:
Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
14 January Mars Express Flyby of Phobos Closest approach: 53 kilometres (33 mi).[87]
15 January[88] Cassini 116th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 3,817 kilometres (2,372 mi).
31 January Cassini 117th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi).
16 February Cassini 118th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,018 kilometres (633 mi).
4 April Cassini 119th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 990 kilometres (615 mi).
6 May Cassini 120th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 971 kilometres (603 mi).
7 June Cassini 121st flyby of Titan Closest approach: 975 kilometres (606 mi).
4 July[89] Juno Orbit injection around Jupiter (jovicentric) First solar-powered Jovian probe, second orbiter.
4 July Mars Express Flyby of Phobos Closest approach: 350 kilometres (220 mi).
25 July Cassini 122nd flyby of Titan Closest approach: 976 kilometres (606 mi).
10 August Cassini 123rd flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,599 kilometres (994 mi).
27 August Juno 1st perijove of Jupiter Closest approach: 2,600 kilometres (1,600 mi).[90]
26 September Cassini 124th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,737 kilometres (1,079 mi).
30 September Rosetta Landing on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko Probe was programmed to deactivate its thrusters and radio transmissions after landing.
19 October Trace Gas Orbiter (ExoMars 2016) Orbit injection around Mars (areocentric)
19 October Schiaparelli (ExoMars 2016) Landing on Mars, Meridiani Planum Probe entered Martian atmosphere intact, but contact was lost 50 seconds before expected landing.[91] NASA's MRO later identified the Schiaparelli crash site at coordinates 2°03′S 6°14′W / 2.05°S 6.24°W / -2.05; -6.24, confirming the loss of the lander.[92]
19 October Juno 2nd perijove Period Reduction Maneuver[93] originally planned, but delayed due to valve issues.[94] The maneuver was later cancelled entirely in favor of remaining in a 53-day orbit.[95]
13 November Cassini 125th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 1,582 kilometres (983 mi).
16 November Mars Express Flyby of Phobos Closest approach: 127 kilometres (79 mi).
29 November Cassini 126th flyby of Titan Closest approach: 3,223 kilometres (2,003 mi).
11 December Juno 3rd perijove

Extra-vehicular activities (EVAs)

Start date/time Duration End time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
15 January
13:48 		4 hours 43 minutes 18:31 Expedition 46
ISS Quest
Replaced a failed voltage regulator responsible for shutting down one of the station's eight power channels in November 2015, and routed cables in support of the installation of the International Docking Adaptor. EVA terminated two hours early due to water leakage in Kopra's helmet, but the primary task was accomplished.[96]
3 February
12:55 		4 hours 45 minutes 17:40 Expedition 46
ISS Pirs
Deployed a commemorative flash drive, took samples of module exteriors, installed handrails for use in future EVAs, retrieved an astrobiology experiment, deployed a materials science experiment, and tested a tool for applying coatings to module exteriors.[97]
19 August
12:04 		5 hours 58 minutes 18:02 Expedition 48
ISS Quest
The astronauts installed the International Docking Adapter (IDA) which was delivered by Dragon CRS-9, allowing future commercial crew spacecraft to dock with the station. This first IDA was attached to Harmony's forward port, over the existing Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA).[98][99] The EVA terminated after completing the primary objective, without completing the secondary objectives, due to a malfunction of the right earphone of Jeff Williams.
1 September
11:53 		6 hours 48 minutes 18:41 Expedition 48
ISS Quest
The crew retracted a thermal radiator which is a backup, and then installed the first pair of several high-definition cameras to monitor the traffic around the station. Then they have performed some maintenance operations.[100]

Space debris events

Date/Time (UTC) Source object Event type Pieces tracked Remarks
26 March 01:42[101] Hitomi Satellite breakup 10[102] JAXA lost communications with the freshly launched telescope during its early commissioning phase. Meanwhile, JspOC observed 5 then 10 pieces of debris diverging from the satellite, one of them comparably sized to the main spacecraft by radar signature.[103]

Hitomi itself went into a tumble and sent short intermittent communications. The tumble was caused by a failure of the inertial reference unit mistakenly reporting the spacecraft to be spinning. As the attitude control system attempted to correct the non-existent spin, the unnecessary correction itself is believed to have caused the subsuqent failures, ultimately leading to the loss of the spacecraft, 28 April. [104][105][16]

In a twist of fate, one of the secondary payloads traveling with Hitomi was ChubuSat-3, a microsatellite dedicated to monitoring global warming effects and space debris.[106]

1 June 09:20 [107] SL-12 R/B (#33473) Booster breakup 20+ [107] An ullage motor, part of a Russian Proton-M rocket that was launched in December 2008, exploded for unknown reasons.[108]

Orbital launch statistics

By country

For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.

Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures
 China 22 20 1 1
 France 7 7 0 0
 India 7 7 0 0
 Israel 1 1 0 0
 Italy 2 2 0 0
 Japan 4 4 0 0
 North Korea 1 1 0 0
 Russia 19[b] 18 1 0
 United States 22[c] 22 0 0
World 85 82 2 0

By rocket

By family

By type

By configuration

By spaceport

5
10
15
20
25
30
China
France
India
Israel
Japan
Kazakhstan
North Korea
Russia
United States
Site Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures Remarks
Baikonur  Kazakhstan 11 10 1 0
Cape Canaveral  United States 18 18 0 0 1 Pre-launch failure
Jiuquan  China 9 9 0 0
Kourou  France 11 11 0 0
MARS  United States 1 1 0 0
Palmachim  Israel 1 1 0 0
Plesetsk  Russia 5 5 0 0
Satish Dhawan  India 7 7 0 0
Sohae  North Korea 1 1 0 0
Taiyuan  China 4 2 1 1
Tanegashima  Japan 3 3 0 0
Uchinoura  Japan 1 1 0 0
Vandenberg  United States 3 3 0 0
Vostochny  Russia 1 1 0 0 First launch
Wenchang  China 2 2 0 0 First launch
Xichang  China 7 7 0 0
Total 85 82 2 1

By orbit

  •   Transatmospheric
  •   Low Earth
  •   Low Earth (ISS)
  •   Low Earth (SSO)
  •   Low Earth (retrograde)
  •   Medium Earth
  •   Geosychronous
    (transfer)
  •   Inclined GSO
  •   High Earth
  •   Heliocentric
Orbital regime Launches Achieved Not achieved Accidentally
achieved 		Remarks
Transatmospheric 0 0 0 0
Low Earth 43 42 2 0 Including 11 to ISS (+1 failed), 1 to Tiangong-2
Geosynchronous / transfer 32 32 0 0
Medium Earth 8 8 0 0
High Earth 0 0 0 0
Heliocentric orbit 2 2 0 0 Including planetary transfer orbits
Total 85 83 2 0

References

  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
  • Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
  • Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
  • Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
  • Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
  • Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
  • Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
  • "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
  • "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Generic references:
Spaceflight portal

Notes

  1. ^ Clockwise from top:
    • The first ever landing of a Falcon 9 Full Thrust first stage on an autonomous spaceport drone ship, during Falcon 9 Flight 23 in April.
    • The impact site of Schiaparelli on Meridiani Planum, viewed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in October. The lander's retro-rockets failed during descent, and accidentally impacted Mars at an estimated speed of 540 kilometres per hour (340 mph).
    • Juno observes Jupiter's southern aurora during its first science orbit in August, seven weeks after its partially successful orbital insertion around the planet. Following an engine failure in its second orbit, the spacecraft remained in a larger orbit than intended for its prime mission.
    • Image of Tiangong-2, China's 2nd space laboratory, undergoing ground testing.
    • Maiden flight of Long March 5, the first Heavy-lift launch vehicle rocket launched in Asia
  2. ^ Includes two European Soyuz launches from Kourou, French Guiana by Arianespace
  3. ^ +1 pre-launch failure (AMOS 6 / Falcon 9)

Citations

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