1962 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 1962, there were 81 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 67 of them reached orbit. That is 31 more than in 1961, and the most of any year until then. By country, the United States launched 59 and the Soviet Union 22. Together they put 68 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
1962
68 t
vs 35 t in 1961
Per week
1 t
vs 683 kg in 1961
Reached orbit
1962
83%
67 of 81; 9 failures, 5 partial
1961
60%
30 of 50; 15 failures, 5 partial
Who flew in 1962
Company1962 launches1962Share
1962 against 1961. Drawings at one true scale.
Country1962 launches1962Share
1962 against 1961. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas | 38 | 47% | 9 t | 14% |
| Convair | 16 | 20% | 16 t | 23% |
| RKK Energia | 14 | 17% | 41 t | 61% |
| Yuzhmash | 8 | 10% | 1 t | 2% |
| Vought | 5 | 6% | 185 kg | <1% |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 1962
SpaceX, and the rest of the world by region.
Show as table
| Week of | SpaceX | Rest of US | Europe | China | Russia | India | Rest of World | All | Payload to orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 1962 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | 5 t |
| 9 Dec 1962 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 572 kg |
| 2 Dec 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 376 kg |
| 18 Nov 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 396 kg |
| 11 Nov 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 t |
| 4 Nov 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 2 t |
| 28 Oct 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 2 t |
| 21 Oct 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 2 t |
| 14 Oct 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 7 Oct 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 297 kg |
| 30 Sep 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 t |
| 23 Sep 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 16 Sep 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 476 kg |
| 9 Sep 1962 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 t |
| 26 Aug 1962 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | 2 t |
| 19 Aug 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 t |
| 12 Aug 1962 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 5 t |
| 5 Aug 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 29 Jul 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 330 kg |
| 22 Jul 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 15 Jul 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 t |
| 8 Jul 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 77 kg |
| 24 Jun 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 590 kg |
| 17 Jun 1962 | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | 2 t |
| 27 May 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 943 kg |
| 20 May 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 t |
| 13 May 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 324 kg |
| 6 May 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| 29 Apr 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 346 kg |
| 22 Apr 1962 | – | 4 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 6 | 6 t |
| 15 Apr 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 327 kg |
| 8 Apr 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 t |
| 1 Apr 1962 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 224 kg |
| 11 Mar 1962 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 47 kg |
| 4 Mar 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 t |
| 25 Feb 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 347 kg |
| 18 Feb 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 t |
| 4 Feb 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 131 kg |
| 21 Jan 1962 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 336 kg |
| 7 Jan 1962 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1959 to 1962
Added up through each year.
Show as table
| By the end of | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1 · 205 kg | 0 · 0 t | 1 · 1 t | 3 · 336 kg |
| February | 3 · 215 kg | 3 · 0 t | 8 · 4 t | 7 · 2 t |
| March | 4 · 222 kg | 5 · 43 kg | 12 · 14 t | 10 · 6 t |
| April | 6 · 420 kg | 10 · 481 kg | 16 · 19 t | 20 · 15 t |
| May | 6 · 420 kg | 13 · 9 t | 17 · 19 t | 26 · 17 t |
| June | 10 · 420 kg | 15 · 9 t | 21 · 19 t | 34 · 20 t |
| July | 11 · 420 kg | 16 · 9 t | 25 · 21 t | 40 · 27 t |
| August | 15 · 962 kg | 21 · 14 t | 31 · 27 t | 49 · 40 t |
| September | 18 · 1 t | 23 · 14 t | 35 · 29 t | 57 · 48 t |
| October | 20 · 2 t | 28 · 15 t | 39 · 31 t | 68 · 57 t |
| November | 23 · 2 t | 32 · 15 t | 46 · 33 t | 73 · 62 t |
| December | 23 · 2 t | 38 · 20 t | 50 · 35 t | 81 · 68 t |
Busiest rockets in 1962
Launches and payload by country in 1962
Orbital launch attempts by country, 1962
By the country of the rocket.
Show as table
| Country | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 59 | 73% | 25 t | 37% |
| Soviet Union | 22 | 27% | 42 t | 63% |