2003 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2003, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
63
Total Launches
60
Successful Launches
3
Failed Launches
95.24%
Success Rate
13
Humans launched to space
How 2003 Compares to Previous Years
There were 60 successful launch attempts in 2003 and 3 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 2003
In 2003, companies and agencies from 6 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (23 launches), Russia (22 launches) and China (7 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2003
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2003
15 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2003, including United States Air Force (13 launches), ROSCOSMOS (8 launches) and CASC (7 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2003 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2003
35 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2003. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (4 launches), Delta II 7925-9.5 (4 launches) and Soyuz FG (4 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2003 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2003
Rockets launched from 13 Launch Sites in 2003. The most active launch sites were Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (16 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (14 launches) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (7 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2003
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2003
In 2003, 13 humans from 5 nations were launched into space, including the United States (8 astronauts), Russia (2 astronauts) and China (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2003
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2003
We launched off to 6 different locations beyond earth in 2003 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (25 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (21 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (4 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 2003
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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