2012 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2012, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
85
Total Launches
79
Successful Launches
6
Failed Launches
92.94%
Success Rate
22
Humans launched to space
Notable 2012 Achievements
How 2012 Compares to Previous Years
There were 79 successful launch attempts in 2012 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 2012
In 2012, companies and agencies from 8 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (28 launches), China (19 launches) and Russia (18 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2012
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2012
18 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2012, including CASC (19 launches), ULA (10 launches) and ROSCOSMOS (9 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2012 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2012
35 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2012. The top 3 were the Proton-M Briz-M Enhanced (8 launches), SpaceShipTwo (7 launches) and Ariane 5 (7 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2012 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2012
Rockets launched from 15 Launch Sites in 2012. The most active launch sites were Baikonur Cosmodrome (21 launches), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (10 launches) and Guiana Space Centre (10 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2012
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2012
In 2012, 22 humans from 6 nations were launched into space, including the United States (10 astronauts), Russia (6 astronauts) and China (3 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2012
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2012
We launched off to 4 different locations beyond earth in 2012 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (15 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (11 launches) and Suborbital (7 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 2012
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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