2006 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2006, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
67
Total Launches
63
Successful Launches
4
Failed Launches
94.03%
Success Rate
26
Humans launched to space
Notable 2006 Achievements
How 2006 Compares to Previous Years
There were 63 successful launch attempts in 2006 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 2006
In 2006, companies and agencies from 6 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (29 launches), the United States (19 launches) and Japan (6 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2006
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2006
19 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2006, including ROSCOSMOS (10 launches), United States Air Force (8 launches) and JAXA (6 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2006 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2006
39 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2006. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (6 launches), Zenit 3SL (5 launches) and Ariane 5 (5 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2006 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2006
Rockets launched from 17 Launch Sites in 2006. The most active launch sites were Baikonur Cosmodrome (17 launches), Vandenberg SFB (7 launches) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (7 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2006
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2006
In 2006, 26 humans from 7 nations were launched into space, including the United States (19 astronauts), Russia (2 astronauts) and Brazil (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2006
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2006
We launched off to 7 different locations beyond earth in 2006 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (31 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (23 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (5 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 2006
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.