2018 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 2018, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
124
Total Launches
119
Successful Launches
5
Failed Launches
95.97%
Success Rate
15
Humans launched to space
Notable 2018 Achievements
How 2018 Compares to Previous Years
There were 119 successful launch attempts in 2018 and 5 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 2018
In 2018, companies and agencies from 7 Nations attempted launches, including the United States (42 launches), China (39 launches) and Russia (16 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 2018
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 2018
21 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 2018, including CASC (37 launches), SpaceX (21 launches) and Arianespace (11 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 2018 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 2018
40 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 2018. The top 3 were the Falcon 9 (20 launches), Long March 3B (11 launches) and Long March 2D (8 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 2018 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 2018
Rockets launched from 20 Launch Sites in 2018. The most active launch sites were Xichang Satellite Launch Center (17 launches), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (17 launches) and Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (16 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 2018
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2018
In 2018, 15 humans from 5 nations were launched into space, including the United States (8 astronauts), Russia (4 astronauts) and Germany (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 2018
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 2018
We launched off to 10 different locations beyond earth in 2018 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (65 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (26 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (13 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 2018
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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