2021 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 2021, there were 146 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 135 of them reached orbit. That is 32 more than in 2020, and the most of any year until then. SpaceX flew 31 of them (21%); by country, China launched 56 and the United States 51. Together they put 835 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
2021
835 t
vs 601 t in 2020
Per week
16 t
vs 12 t in 2020
Reached orbit
2021
92%
135 of 146; 10 failures, 1 partial
2020
91%
104 of 114; 10 failures
Who flew in 2021
Company2021 launches2021Share
CASC49vs 3434%
SpaceX31vs 2521%
Progress RSC22vs 1515%- Rocket Lab6vs 74%
- ULA5vs 63%
- Northrop Grumman4vs 33%
2021 against 2020. Drawings at one true scale.
Country2021 launches2021Share
2021 against 2020. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASC | 49 | 34% | 199 t | 24% |
| SpaceX | 31 | 21% | 389 t | 47% |
| Progress RSC | 22 | 15% | 121 t | 14% |
| Rocket Lab | 6 | 4% | 483 kg | <1% |
| ULA | 5 | 3% | 31 t | 4% |
| ExPace | 4 | 3% | 660 kg | <1% |
| ArianeGroup | 3 | 2% | 27 t | 3% |
| Avio | 3 | 2% | 4 t | <1% |
| Khrunichev | 3 | 2% | 28 t | 3% |
| Astra | 2 | 1% | 1 kg | <1% |
| i-Space | 2 | 1% | – | |
| Iranian Space Agency | 2 | 1% | – | |
| ISRO | 2 | 1% | 657 kg | <1% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 2 | 1% | 9 t | 1% |
| Northrop Grumman | 2 | 1% | 24 t | 3% |
| Orbital Sciences | 2 | 1% | 700 kg | <1% |
| Virgin Orbit | 2 | 1% | 66 kg | <1% |
| Firefly | 1 | 1% | – | |
| Galactic Energy | 1 | 1% | 330 kg | <1% |
| IHI Aerospace | 1 | 1% | 553 kg | <1% |
| KAI / Hanwha Aerospace | 1 | 1% | – |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 2021
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Dec 2021 | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | – | 1 | 6 | 16 t |
| 19 Dec 2021 | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 5 | 40 t |
| 12 Dec 2021 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 4 | 26 t |
| 5 Dec 2021 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | 7 | 12 t |
| 28 Nov 2021 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 14 t |
| 21 Nov 2021 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 2 | – | – | 6 | 17 t |
| 14 Nov 2021 | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 | 5 t |
| 7 Nov 2021 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 29 t |
| 31 Oct 2021 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | 3 | 3 t |
| 24 Oct 2021 | – | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | 30 t |
| 17 Oct 2021 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – |
| 10 Oct 2021 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 4 | 18 t |
| 3 Oct 2021 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 7 t |
| 26 Sep 2021 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 19 Sep 2021 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 19 t |
| 12 Sep 2021 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 34 t |
| 5 Sep 2021 | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 29 Aug 2021 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 17 t |
| 22 Aug 2021 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 15 Aug 2021 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 8 Aug 2021 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | 12 t |
| 1 Aug 2021 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 25 Jul 2021 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | 4 | 12 t |
| 18 Jul 2021 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 22 t |
| 4 Jul 2021 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – | 3 | 5 t |
| 27 Jun 2021 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 5 | 20 t |
| 20 Jun 2021 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 7 t |
| 13 Jun 2021 | 1 | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 5 | 17 t |
| 6 Jun 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 3 | 10 t |
| 30 May 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 24 t |
| 23 May 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 40 t |
| 16 May 2021 | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 9 May 2021 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 30 t |
| 2 May 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 18 t |
| 25 Apr 2021 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | – | – | 7 | 73 t |
| 18 Apr 2021 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 13 t |
| 4 Apr 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 25 t |
| 28 Mar 2021 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 3 t |
| 21 Mar 2021 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 23 t |
| 14 Mar 2021 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 16 t |
| 7 Mar 2021 | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | 3 | 23 t |
| 28 Feb 2021 | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | 19 t |
| 21 Feb 2021 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 2 t |
| 14 Feb 2021 | 1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 38 t |
| 31 Jan 2021 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 4 | 27 t |
| 24 Jan 2021 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | 7 t |
| 17 Jan 2021 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 4 | 21 t |
| 3 Jan 2021 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 t |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 2018 to 2021
Added up through each year.
Show as table
| By the end of | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13 · 41 t | 7 · 35 t | 7 · 45 t | 7 · 31 t |
| February | 21 · 59 t | 12 · 52 t | 16 · 94 t | 17 · 100 t |
| March | 31 · 99 t | 20 · 90 t | 24 · 139 t | 27 · 180 t |
| April | 40 · 134 t | 27 · 126 t | 29 · 172 t | 38 · 291 t |
| May | 47 · 163 t | 35 · 162 t | 38 · 237 t | 48 · 385 t |
| June | 55 · 194 t | 41 · 183 t | 45 · 279 t | 62 · 456 t |
| July | 63 · 231 t | 52 · 229 t | 59 · 322 t | 73 · 502 t |
| August | 67 · 241 t | 63 · 273 t | 66 · 369 t | 85 · 549 t |
| September | 75 · 283 t | 70 · 308 t | 76 · 402 t | 96 · 618 t |
| October | 86 · 312 t | 75 · 321 t | 85 · 477 t | 107 · 673 t |
| November | 99 · 353 t | 87 · 373 t | 98 · 537 t | 123 · 727 t |
| December | 114 · 413 t | 102 · 438 t | 114 · 601 t | 146 · 835 t |
Busiest rockets in 2021
Launches and payload by country in 2021
Orbital launch attempts by country, 2021
By the country of the rocket.
Show as table
| Country | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 56 | 38% | 200 t | 24% |
| United States | 51 | 35% | 445 t | 53% |
| Russia | 25 | 17% | 149 t | 18% |
| France | 3 | 2% | 27 t | 3% |
| Italy | 3 | 2% | 4 t | <1% |
| Japan | 3 | 2% | 10 t | 1% |
| India | 2 | 1% | 657 kg | <1% |
| Iran | 2 | 1% | – | |
| South Korea | 1 | 1% | – |