1969 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 1969, there were 125 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 106 of them reached orbit. That is 3 fewer than in 1968. By country, the Soviet Union launched 78 and the United States 41. Together they put 463 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
1969
463 t
vs 408 t in 1968
Per week
9 t
vs 8 t in 1968
Reached orbit
1969
85%
106 of 125; 15 failures, 4 partial
1968
91%
117 of 128; 9 failures, 2 partial
Who flew in 1969
Company1969 launches1969Share
RKK Energia37vs 3130%
McDonnell Douglas22vs 2118%- Yuzhmash19vs 2615%
- Khrunichev10vs 58%
- Progress RSC9vs 117%
- Lockheed Martin8vs 106%
1969 against 1968. Drawings at one true scale.
Country1969 launches1969Share
1969 against 1968. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKK Energia | 37 | 30% | 177 t | 38% |
| McDonnell Douglas | 22 | 18% | 10 t | 2% |
| Yuzhmash | 19 | 15% | 12 t | 3% |
| Khrunichev | 10 | 8% | 23 t | 5% |
| Progress RSC | 9 | 7% | 40 t | 9% |
| Lockheed Martin | 8 | 6% | 18 t | 4% |
| Polyot | 7 | 6% | 4 t | 1% |
| Convair | 5 | 4% | 3 t | 1% |
| Boeing / North American / Douglas | 4 | 3% | 175 t | 38% |
| Vought | 2 | 2% | 163 kg | <1% |
| ELDO | 1 | 1% | – | |
| Nissan | 1 | 1% | – |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 1969
SpaceX, and the rest of the world by region.
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| Week of | SpaceX | Rest of US | Europe | China | Russia | India | Rest of World | All | Payload to orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Dec 1969 | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | 4 | 10 t |
| 14 Dec 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 434 kg |
| 7 Dec 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 200 kg |
| 30 Nov 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 23 Nov 1969 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 1 t |
| 16 Nov 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 243 kg |
| 9 Nov 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 56 t |
| 2 Nov 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 278 kg |
| 19 Oct 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | – | – | 5 | 15 t |
| 12 Oct 1969 | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 5 | 19 t |
| 5 Oct 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 8 t |
| 28 Sep 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 696 kg |
| 21 Sep 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | 11 t |
| 14 Sep 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 10 t |
| 31 Aug 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 24 Aug 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 17 Aug 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 9 t |
| 10 Aug 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 3 Aug 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 27 Jul 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 975 kg |
| 20 Jul 1969 | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 6 | 8 t |
| 13 Jul 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 51 t |
| 6 Jul 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 29 Jun 1969 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 697 kg |
| 22 Jun 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 10 t |
| 15 Jun 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 8 Jun 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – |
| 1 Jun 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 3 t |
| 25 May 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 18 May 1969 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | 49 t |
| 11 May 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 5 t |
| 27 Apr 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 720 kg |
| 20 Apr 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 13 Apr 1969 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | 9 t |
| 6 Apr 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 7 t |
| 30 Mar 1969 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 6 t |
| 23 Mar 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | – | – | 5 | 8 t |
| 16 Mar 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 7 t |
| 9 Mar 1969 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 2 Mar 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 5 | 51 t |
| 23 Feb 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 11 t |
| 16 Feb 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – |
| 9 Feb 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 721 kg |
| 2 Feb 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 1 t |
| 26 Jan 1969 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 236 kg |
| 19 Jan 1969 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 5 | 9 t |
| 12 Jan 1969 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 18 t |
| 5 Jan 1969 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 3 t |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1966 to 1969
Added up through each year.
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| By the end of | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 · 14 t | 7 · 10 t | 8 · 25 t | 11 · 30 t |
| February | 18 · 34 t | 19 · 34 t | 12 · 32 t | 22 · 43 t |
| March | 31 · 54 t | 31 · 53 t | 25 · 63 t | 37 · 115 t |
| April | 40 · 73 t | 44 · 81 t | 41 · 155 t | 47 · 143 t |
| May | 52 · 83 t | 58 · 104 t | 48 · 157 t | 55 · 203 t |
| June | 64 · 105 t | 72 · 124 t | 60 · 190 t | 64 · 224 t |
| July | 76 · 142 t | 82 · 140 t | 68 · 210 t | 76 · 289 t |
| August | 87 · 160 t | 90 · 156 t | 79 · 234 t | 87 · 319 t |
| September | 97 · 173 t | 105 · 184 t | 89 · 265 t | 95 · 346 t |
| October | 107 · 193 t | 119 · 225 t | 104 · 320 t | 108 · 389 t |
| November | 118 · 230 t | 130 · 263 t | 115 · 364 t | 117 · 446 t |
| December | 131 · 250 t | 139 · 281 t | 128 · 408 t | 125 · 463 t |
Busiest rockets in 1969
Launches and payload by country in 1969
Orbital launch attempts by country, 1969
By the country of the rocket.
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| Country | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union | 78 | 62% | 247 t | 53% |
| United States | 41 | 33% | 206 t | 45% |
| Ukraine | 4 | 3% | 9 t | 2% |
| France | 1 | 1% | – | |
| Japan | 1 | 1% | – |