2002 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2002, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
65
Total Launches
61
Successful Launches
4
Failed Launches
93.85%
Success Rate
39
Humans launched to space
How 2002 Compares to Previous Years
There were 61 successful launch attempts in 2002 and 4 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 2002
In 2002, companies and agencies from 7 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (24 launches), the United States (18 launches) and Europe (11 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2002
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2002
18 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2002, including Arianespace (11 launches), Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (9 launches) and Lockheed Martin (6 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2002 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2002
31 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2002. The top 3 were the Ariane 4 (8 launches), Proton-K/DM-2M (6 launches) and Soyuz U (5 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2002 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2002
Rockets launched from 12 Launch Sites in 2002. The most active launch sites were Baikonur Cosmodrome (15 launches), Guiana Space Centre (12 launches) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (10 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2002
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2002
In 2002, 39 humans from 6 nations were launched into space, including the United States (28 astronauts), Russia (7 astronauts) and Italy (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2002
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2002
We launched off to 3 different locations beyond earth in 2002 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (34 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (26 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (1 launch).
Top Launch Destinations in 2002
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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