1997 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1997, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
89
Total Launches
83
Successful Launches
6
Failed Launches
93.26%
Success Rate
51
Humans launched to space
Notable 1997 Achievements
How 1997 Compares to Previous Years
There were 83 successful launch attempts in 1997 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 1997
In 1997, companies and agencies from 7 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (38 launches), Russia (29 launches) and Europe (12 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1997
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1997
19 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1997, including United States Air Force (15 launches), Arianespace (11 launches) and ROSCOSMOS (9 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 1997 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1997
36 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1997. The top 3 were the Ariane 4 (11 launches), Soyuz U (10 launches) and Space Shuttle (8 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1997 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1997
Rockets launched from 15 Launch Sites in 1997. The most active launch sites were Baikonur Cosmodrome (18 launches), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (16 launches) and Guiana Space Centre (12 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1997
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1997
In 1997, 51 humans from 7 nations were launched into space, including the United States (39 astronauts), Russia (6 astronauts) and France (2 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1997
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1997
We launched off to 7 different locations beyond earth in 1997 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (43 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (32 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (3 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1997
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.
🔔 Set up an email alert for upcoming launches
Get a weekly email containing all launches scheduled for the coming week.
🔔 Get a weekly email containing all launches scheduled for the coming week