2016 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2016, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
96
Total Launches
90
Successful Launches
6
Failed Launches
93.75%
Success Rate
16
Humans launched to space
Notable 2016 Achievements
How 2016 Compares to Previous Years
There were 90 successful launch attempts in 2016 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 2016
In 2016, companies and agencies from 8 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (35 launches), China (22 launches) and Russia (14 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2016
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2016
17 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2016, including CASC (22 launches), ULA (12 launches) and Arianespace (11 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2016 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2016
37 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2016. The top 3 were the Falcon 9 (9 launches), Ariane 5 (7 launches) and Long March 2D (6 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2016 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2016
Rockets launched from 18 Launch Sites in 2016. The most active launch sites were Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (19 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (11 launches) and Guiana Space Centre (11 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2016
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2016
In 2016, 16 humans from 6 nations were launched into space, including Russia (6 astronauts), the United States (5 astronauts) and China (2 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2016
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2016
We launched off to 6 different locations beyond earth in 2016 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (43 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (32 launches) and Suborbital (10 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 2016
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.