Interactive Tables and Charts
Data Infrastructure
EO-RS Payload Shares, 2022
Satellites deployed with EO/RS payloads in 2022 (265) exceeded EO/RS satellite deployments in 2021 (191). More than half of the EO/RS payloads (149) involved optical imagery collection system. Other EO/RS satellites hosted payloads that detect radio waves emanating from the Earth. Satellites with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payloads made up about 11% (24) of EO/RS satellite deployments in 2022,
Shares of Major Communications Payload, 2022
U.S. company SpaceX Starlink deployed 1,689 satellites, a 71% increase from the 989 satellites it deployed in 2021. On the other hand, OneWeb, a U.K. company, deployed 110 satellites, less than half the number it deployed the previous year (284). Also falling under the communications category were satellites with Internet of Things (IoT) payloads. Operators deployed 84 IoT satellites in 2022. Also under the communications category were the 27 satellites hosting ship-tracking payloads deployed in 2022.
Spacecraft Payload Share, 2022
The 2,354 spacecraft deployed during 2022 each contained at least one payload to fulfill mission requirements. The Space Report separates those payloads into four categories: communications; EO/RS; position, navigation, and timing (PNT); and space transportation.
Spacecraft Mission Segment Shares by Nation, 2022
Compared with 2021’s 90% commercial spacecraft deployment share, 2022’s increased to 91%, even as spacecraft deployed in 2022 grew by 36% over the previous year. Spacecraft with civil government mission payloads accounted for 107 (4.5%) of all spacecraft deployed in 2022, slightly higher than 2021’s 99 civil government spacecraft deployments. Military missions comprised the remaining 3.5% (80) of the world’s deployed spacecraft in 2022, higher than the 69 military spacecraft deployments in 2021.
Lunar Missions by Type
Historically, orbiters have been the most common lunar mission type (35%). Planned lunar space stations such as Gateway could expand capabilities in lunar orbit. However, most planned missions over the next decade are for lunar landers.
Lunar Missions by Result, 1959-2022
Eight nations have launched lunar missions, but only three have landed on the Moon. In 2022, four missions were partially or fully successful, a tempo last seen in 1969 — the year the first humans stepped foot on the lunar surface.
2022 Payload by Orbit
Spacecraft operators worldwide deployed 2,354 spacecraft in 2022, a 36% increase from 2021. Of these payloads, 91% were commercial, the majority coming from broadband mega-constellations like Starlink and OneWeb.
Launch Attempts by Country and Mission Type, 2022
While the U.S. typically leads commercial satellite launches, China almost doubled its private missions in 2022—commercial payloads were 27% of the nation’s launches compared to 16% in 2021. Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. launched five batches of high-resolution imagery satellites for its Jilin-1 constellation and has deployed approximately half of its planned 138 satellites.
Orbital Launch Attempts by Result, 2013-2022
For the second consecutive year, space launches set all-time records as operators sent a historic number of 179 successful missions into orbit in 2022. With 41 more attempts than 2021, the year also set a new record for the sheer volume increase of launches year over year.
Launch Attempts of New, Select U.S. Launch Companies, 2013-2022
But startups increasingly have brought a new wave of innovation to the market. Of the five recent U.S. companies launching new vehicles, SpaceX has moved from innovator to market leader. Rocket Lab, which attempted launch for the first time in 2017, made headway toward reusability by twice attempting to recover the rocket’s first stage using a helicopter in 2022. Firefly completed its first successful flight last year, and Virgin Orbit and Astra succeeded in 2021.