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1966 Rocket Launch Statistics

In 1966, there were 131 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 115 of them reached orbit. That is 7 more than in 1965, and the most of any year until then. By country, the United States launched 77 and the Soviet Union 49. Together they put 250 tonnes of payload in orbit.

Statistics summary

Rockets launched

1966

131

vs 124 in 1965

Per week

2.5

vs 2.4 in 1965

Payload to orbit

1966

250 t

vs 240 t in 1965

Per week

5 t

vs 5 t in 1965

Reached orbit

1966

88%

115 of 131; 13 failures, 3 partial

1965

88%

109 of 124; 12 failures, 3 partial

Who flew

Companies

12

vs 11 in 1965

Countries

5

vs 3 in 1965

Who flew in 1966

Company1966 launches1966Share
  1. Convair
    33vs 19
    25%
  2. RKK Energia
    30vs 34
    23%
  3. McDonnell Douglas
    24vs 33
    18%
  4. Yuzhmash
    11vs 16
    8%
  5. Vought
    8vs 5
    6%
  6. Progress RSC
    8vs 1
    6%

1966 against 1965. Drawings at one true scale.

Every company, as a table
Orbital launch attempts and payload delivered to orbit by company, 1966.
CompanyLaunchesSharePayload to orbitShare
Convair3325%42 t17%
RKK Energia3023%124 t50%
McDonnell Douglas2418%8 t3%
Yuzhmash118%7 t3%
Progress RSC86%18 t7%
Vought86%507 kg<1%
Lockheed Martin65%19 t8%
Martin54%17 t7%
Khrunichev22%12 t5%
Nissan22%–
Chrysler / Douglas11%2 t1%
SEREB11%19 kg<1%

Launches and payload by week

Orbital launch attempts per week, 1966

SpaceX, and the rest of the world by region.

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Orbital launch attempts per week by region, and payload delivered to orbit, 1966, newest week first.
Week ofSpaceXRest of USEuropeChinaRussiaIndiaRest of WorldAllPayload to orbit
25 Dec 1966–1–––––1600 kg
18 Dec 1966––––3–147 t
11 Dec 1966–3––2––54 t
4 Dec 1966–2–––––23 t
27 Nov 1966––––2––212 t
13 Nov 1966––––2––25 t
6 Nov 1966–4––1––510 t
30 Oct 1966–2––1––316 t
23 Oct 1966–3–––––3970 kg
16 Oct 1966––––3––310 t
9 Oct 1966–1––1––27 t
2 Oct 1966–2–––––22 t
25 Sep 1966–1––––122 t
18 Sep 1966–2–––––22 t
11 Sep 1966–4––2––69 t
21 Aug 1966–1––2––38 t
14 Aug 1966–4–––––43 t
7 Aug 1966–2––1––37 t
31 Jul 1966–1–––––177 kg
24 Jul 1966–1––1––28 t
17 Jul 1966–2––1––37 t
10 Jul 1966–2––1––37 t
3 Jul 1966–1––2––314 t
26 Jun 1966–1–––––194 kg
19 Jun 1966–2––1––32 t
12 Jun 1966–1––1––26 t
5 Jun 1966–3––1––46 t
29 May 1966–4–––––48 t
22 May 1966–2––1––31 t
15 May 1966–3––1––4465 kg
8 May 1966–1––1––24 t
1 May 1966–1––1––25 t
24 Apr 1966––––2––22 t
17 Apr 1966–2––1––37 t
3 Apr 1966–3––1––49 t
27 Mar 1966–2––2––43 t
20 Mar 1966–1––2––36 t
13 Mar 1966–3––1––411 t
6 Mar 1966–1–––––1640 kg
27 Feb 1966–1––1––2977 kg
20 Feb 1966––––2––25 t
13 Feb 1966–11–1––38 t
6 Feb 1966–1––2––36 t
30 Jan 1966–2––1––33 t
23 Jan 1966–1––1––2250 kg
16 Jan 1966–1––1––27 t
2 Jan 1966–1––1––25 t

Year against year

Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1963 to 1966

Added up through each year.

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Orbital launch attempts · payload delivered to orbit, added up by the end of each month, 1963 to 1966.
By the end of1963196419651966
January3 · 2 t7 · 10 t7 · 8 t7 · 14 t
February7 · 3 t12 · 14 t17 · 23 t18 · 34 t
March9 · 7 t19 · 17 t30 · 48 t31 · 54 t
April19 · 19 t28 · 35 t38 · 60 t40 · 73 t
May25 · 27 t31 · 50 t48 · 83 t52 · 83 t
June36 · 39 t42 · 62 t56 · 111 t64 · 105 t
July41 · 44 t51 · 77 t68 · 140 t76 · 142 t
August45 · 45 t62 · 90 t78 · 163 t87 · 160 t
September49 · 48 t69 · 110 t86 · 178 t97 · 173 t
October54 · 56 t82 · 134 t97 · 196 t107 · 193 t
November62 · 65 t90 · 139 t109 · 218 t118 · 230 t
December69 · 73 t100 · 146 t124 · 240 t131 · 250 t

Busiest rockets in 1966

Launches and payload by country in 1966

Orbital launch attempts by country, 1966

By the country of the rocket.

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Orbital launch attempts and payload delivered to orbit by the country of the rocket, 1966.
CountryLaunchesSharePayload to orbitShare
United States7759%89 t36%
Soviet Union4937%156 t62%
Japan22%–
Ukraine22%5 t2%
France11%19 kg<1%