1972 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1972, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
113
Total Launches
105
Successful Launches
8
Failed Launches
92.92%
Success Rate
6
Humans launched to space
Notable 1972 Achievements
How 1972 Compares to Previous Years
There were 105 successful launch attempts in 1972 and 8 failed launch attempts. These figures include test/development launches, which are more prone to failure.
Rocket Launches by Year
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Nation in 1972
In 1972, companies and agencies from 3 Nations attempted launches. These Nations were Russia (79 launches), the United States (32 launches) and Japan (1 launch).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1972
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1972
5 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1972, including Soviet Space Program (79 launches), United States Air Force (27 launches) and NASA (5 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1972 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1972
30 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1972. The top 3 were the Voskhod (29 launches), Kosmos-3M (11K65M) (14 launches) and Kosmos 11K63 (13 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1972 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1972
Rockets launched from 9 Launch Sites in 1972. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (55 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (22 launches) and Vandenberg SFB (21 launches).
Top Launch Sites in 1972
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1972
In 1972, humans from only 1 nation were launched into space. This nation was and the United States (6 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1972
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1972
We launched off to 6 different locations beyond earth in 1972 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (100 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (5 launches) and The Moon (3 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1972
By RocketLaunch.org
That's a wrap! 👏
Don't forget to share this recap with fellow space-enthusiasts! And if you want more, view our Space Age Timeline to access all our annual recaps.
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