Global Orbital Launches by Country: Attempts, Successes and Failures, 1957–2025
The dataset tracks orbital launches by country and launch-provider entity from 1957 to 2025, covering the period from the beginning of the Space Age through the rapid expansion of modern commercial space activity. It includes annual orbital launch attempts, successful launches, failed launches, success rates and yearly rankings, allowing users to compare how national and international launch capabilities have evolved over nearly seven decades.
The orbital launches by country dataset preserves historically distinct entities such as the Soviet Union, Russia, the European Launcher Development Organisation and the European Space Agency so that the original historical record remains accurate. An optional harmonized country field can be used to combine Soviet-era launches with modern Russia for long-term continuity analysis. Successful launches are derived by subtracting failed launches from total orbital launch attempts, while success rates are calculated only for years in which at least one attempt occurred.
The dataset can be used to analyse long-term changes in orbital launches by country, compare launch success rates, identify shifts in global launch leadership and study the rise of newer spacefaring nations and commercial launch providers. It is based primarily on Jonathan McDowell’s GCAT / Jonathan’s Space Report and counts launch attempts rather than the number of satellites or payloads carried on each mission.