1996 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1996, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
77
Total Launches
71
Successful Launches
6
Failed Launches
92.21%
Success Rate
48
Humans launched to space
How 1996 Compares to Previous Years
There were 71 successful launch attempts in 1996 and 6 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 1996
In 1996, companies and agencies from 6 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (33 launches), Russia (27 launches) and Europe (11 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1996
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1996
15 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1996, including United States Air Force (14 launches), Arianespace (11 launches) and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (8 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 1996 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1996
32 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1996. The top 3 were the Ariane 4 (10 launches), Soyuz U (9 launches) and Delta II 7925 (7 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1996 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1996
Rockets launched from 11 Launch Sites in 1996. The most active launch sites were Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (17 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (16 launches) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (11 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1996
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1996
In 1996, 48 humans from 7 nations were launched into space, including the United States (36 astronauts), Russia (4 astronauts) and Canada (2 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1996
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1996
We launched off to 7 different locations beyond earth in 1996 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (33 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (28 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (3 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1996
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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