Orbital Payload Launch
U.S. Payload Launches
2017 – U.S. Payload Launch – Snapshot
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2016 – U.S. Payload Launch – Snapshot
U.S. launch activities constituted ##% of global orbital launch activity, matched only by China during 2016. The country’s ## successful launches for 2016 exceeded its 2015 efforts by ##.
2015 – U.S. Launch, Payload
U.S. launch activities took slightly more than##% of the global orbital launch market in 2015, helping the country remain behind only Russia for launch attempts in the world. Of the ## SLVs launched from within the United States in 2015, ## successfully reached orbit. ## launch failures affected the U.S. SLV launch rate in 2015, preventing it from reaching the previous year’s total of ## attempted launches. Launch failures accounted for ##% of attempted U.S. launches in 2015, though a fairer industry comparison of slightly more than ##% could be assumed. The 2014 launch failure rate for U.S. SLVs was slightly above ##%.
2007 – U.S. Launch, Payload
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 2008 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies, and Spaceports report notes that a variety of orbital vehicles, shown in Exhibit 3f, are currently in development. Vehicles are classified by type either as expendable launch vehicles (ELV) or reusable launch vehicles (RLV). Please note that the FAA lists the Falcon 1 as developmental, even though it has been declared operational by its manufacturer. The vehicles in the upper portion of the exhibit have initial launch dates under contract.
U.S. Payload Launches
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2014 – U.S. Launch, Payload
The United States attempted to launch ## rockets in 2014, all but ## of which were successful. United Launch Alliance (ULA) provided the majority of U.S. orbital launches in 2014. ULA launches deployed payloads for the military and civil government. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) awarded ULA three contracts in 2013, in which ULA would provide ## launch vehicle booster cores from 2013 through 2017.
2013 – U.S. Launch, Payload
The United States had a relatively busy year in 2013, with a total of ## orbital launches, all of which successfully placed their payloads into orbit. This was consistent with the U.S. average annual rate of ## to ## launches per year over the past decade. The United States was the world’s second-most prolific launch country in 2013, a place it has historically occupied behind Russia, but one that it lost to China in 2011 and 2012. A slower Chinese launch tempo, combined with the ramping up of ISS resupply flights by the Falcon 9 and Antares rockets, were the main drivers behind the decrease in Chinese launch rates and increase in U.S. launch rates.
2012 – U.S. Launch, Payload
The United States made ## orbital launch attempts in 2012, all of which were successful. This total placed it third, behind Russia and China for the number of orbital launches performed in 2012. Among the 2012 U.S. launches were several noteworthy missions. The year saw the successful commercial debut of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, the first privately developed spacecraft to berth with the ISS.
2008 – U.S. Launch, Payload
Five U.S. launch vehicles performed orbital missions in 2008: the Atlas V, Delta II, Falcon 1, Pegasus XL, and the Space Shuttle. All but the Falcon 1 have been in service for at least six years, with extensive operational histories including at least a dozen successful orbital launches.
2011 – U.S. Launch, Payload Snapshot
The United States continued to operate the world’s most diverse fleet of orbital launch vehicles in 2011. While its total of ## successful launches was not the world’s highest, it led in terms of diversity, with ## different types of orbital rockets launched throughout the year. In addition, 2011 saw progress toward the introduction of a new rocket system, the Antares (known prior to December 2011 as the Taurus II) and the announcement of three new launch systems, the Falcon Heavy, the Space Launch System, and the as-yet unnamed vehicle under development by Stratolaunch Systems.