1997 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 1997, there were 89 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 83 of them reached orbit. That is 12 more than in 1996. By country, the United States launched 38 and Russia 26. Together they put 416 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
1997
416 t
vs 344 t in 1996
Per week
8 t
vs 7 t in 1996
Reached orbit
1997
93%
83 of 89; 3 failures, 3 partial
1996
92%
71 of 77; 4 failures, 2 partial
Who flew in 1997
Company1997 launches1997Share
Progress RSC13vs 1215%
Lockheed Martin13vs 1015%
Aérospatiale11vs 1012%- ULA10vs 811%
- Khrunichev9vs 810%
- Rockwell / Martin Marietta / Thiokol8vs 79%
1997 against 1996. Drawings at one true scale.
Country1997 launches1997Share
1997 against 1996. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | 13 | 15% | 43 t | 10% |
| Progress RSC | 13 | 15% | 85 t | 20% |
| Aérospatiale | 11 | 12% | 42 t | 10% |
| ULA | 10 | 11% | 25 t | 6% |
| Khrunichev | 9 | 10% | 42 t | 10% |
| Rockwell / Martin Marietta / Thiokol | 8 | 9% | 138 t | 33% |
| CASC | 6 | 7% | 15 t | 4% |
| Orbital Sciences | 5 | 6% | 1 t | <1% |
| Yuzhmash | 3 | 3% | 5 t | 1% |
| Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology | 2 | 2% | 371 kg | <1% |
| Polyot | 2 | 2% | 2 t | <1% |
| ArianeGroup | 1 | 1% | 5 t | 1% |
| Centro Técnico Aeroespacial | 1 | 1% | – | |
| General Dynamics | 1 | 1% | 2 t | 1% |
| IHI Aerospace | 1 | 1% | 956 kg | <1% |
| ISRO | 1 | 1% | 1 t | <1% |
| McDonnell Douglas | 1 | 1% | 785 kg | <1% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 1 | 1% | 7 t | 2% |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 1997
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Dec 1997 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 8 t |
| 14 Dec 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 19 t |
| 7 Dec 1997 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 9 t |
| 30 Nov 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 7 t |
| 23 Nov 1997 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 7 t |
| 16 Nov 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 21 t |
| 9 Nov 1997 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 11 t |
| 2 Nov 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 5 t |
| 26 Oct 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 t |
| 19 Oct 1997 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 11 t |
| 12 Oct 1997 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 9 t |
| 5 Oct 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 20 t |
| 28 Sep 1997 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 t |
| 21 Sep 1997 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 5 | 25 t |
| 14 Sep 1997 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 31 Aug 1997 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 9 t |
| 24 Aug 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 17 Aug 1997 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | 7 t |
| 10 Aug 1997 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 2 t |
| 3 Aug 1997 | – | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 26 t |
| 27 Jul 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 3 t |
| 20 Jul 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 t |
| 6 Jul 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 t |
| 29 Jun 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 37 t |
| 22 Jun 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 t |
| 15 Jun 1997 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 8 Jun 1997 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 t |
| 1 Jun 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 12 t |
| 18 May 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 6 t |
| 11 May 1997 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 4 | 27 t |
| 4 May 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 t |
| 20 Apr 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 t |
| 13 Apr 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 5 t |
| 6 Apr 1997 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 11 t |
| 30 Mar 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 29 t |
| 2 Mar 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 4 t |
| 23 Feb 1997 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 16 Feb 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 t |
| 9 Feb 1997 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 4 | 20 t |
| 26 Jan 1997 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 t |
| 12 Jan 1997 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 12 t |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1994 to 1997
Added up through each year.
Show as table
| By the end of | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6 · 23 t | 5 · 8 t | 5 · 18 t | 3 · 17 t |
| February | 14 · 50 t | 8 · 35 t | 14 · 50 t | 9 · 42 t |
| March | 20 · 84 t | 19 · 81 t | 20 · 76 t | 12 · 49 t |
| April | 26 · 112 t | 24 · 96 t | 28 · 114 t | 20 · 96 t |
| May | 33 · 126 t | 30 · 134 t | 36 · 155 t | 28 · 133 t |
| June | 38 · 146 t | 35 · 159 t | 40 · 181 t | 33 · 155 t |
| July | 47 · 191 t | 42 · 206 t | 47 · 211 t | 38 · 201 t |
| August | 60 · 246 t | 51 · 226 t | 54 · 232 t | 49 · 242 t |
| September | 65 · 276 t | 56 · 265 t | 62 · 265 t | 59 · 283 t |
| October | 72 · 300 t | 64 · 302 t | 64 · 270 t | 68 · 328 t |
| November | 83 · 345 t | 70 · 333 t | 71 · 317 t | 77 · 372 t |
| December | 93 · 366 t | 80 · 388 t | 77 · 344 t | 89 · 416 t |
Busiest rockets in 1997
Launches and payload by country in 1997
Orbital launch attempts by country, 1997
By the country of the rocket.