{"sections":[{"id":"launches","question":"How many rockets go to orbit?","answer":{"verdict":"253 orbital launch attempts in 2026 up to October 23, against 250 by the same day of 2025","value":253,"unit":"launches","digits":0,"label":"Orbital and deep-space launch attempts, 2026 to October 23","lines":["330 in 2025, 12 of them failed","Busiest full year on record: 2025, with 330","Who launched most in 2025: SpaceX (170), Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CASC 1st Acad) (39), Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (CASC 8th Acad) (26)"]},"charts":[{"id":"space-launches","title":"Orbital launch attempts, every year since 1957","description":"330 attempts in 2025, against 3 in 1957 and 85 in 2000; 12 failed in 2025.","indicator":"Orbital and deep-space launch attempts per calendar year (GCAT launch codes O and D), and those that failed (a code other than S)","subtitle":"Launches that aimed for orbit or deep space; 2026 is to October 23 only","x":{"kind":"year"},"y":{"digits":0,"unit":""},"layers":[{"type":"bars","name":"Launch attempts","base":0,"points":[[1957,3,"s1"],[1958,28,"s1"],[1959,25,"s1"],[1960,38,"s1"],[1961,50,"s1"],[1962,81,"s1"],[1963,70,"s1"],[1964,100,"s1"],[1965,125,"s1"],[1966,132,"s1"],[1967,139,"s1"],[1968,129,"s1"],[1969,125,"s1"],[1970,124,"s1"],[1971,133,"s1"],[1972,113,"s1"],[1973,117,"s1"],[1974,113,"s1"],[1975,132,"s1"],[1976,131,"s1"],[1977,130,"s1"],[1978,128,"s1"],[1979,110,"s1"],[1980,109,"s1"],[1981,126,"s1"],[1982,129,"s1"],[1983,129,"s1"],[1984,130,"s1"],[1985,126,"s1"],[1986,110,"s1"],[1987,114,"s1"],[1988,121,"s1"],[1989,102,"s1"],[1990,121,"s1"],[1991,91,"s1"],[1992,97,"s1"],[1993,85,"s1"],[1994,94,"s1"],[1995,80,"s1"],[1996,77,"s1"],[1997,89,"s1"],[1998,82,"s1"],[1999,78,"s1"],[2000,85,"s1"],[2001,59,"s1"],[2002,65,"s1"],[2003,64,"s1"],[2004,54,"s1"],[2005,56,"s1"],[2006,66,"s1"],[2007,68,"s1"],[2008,69,"s1"],[2009,78,"s1"],[2010,74,"s1"],[2011,84,"s1"],[2012,78,"s1"],[2013,81,"s1"],[2014,92,"s1"],[2015,87,"s1"],[2016,86,"s1"],[2017,90,"s1"],[2018,114,"s1"],[2019,103,"s1"],[2020,114,"s1"],[2021,146,"s1"],[2022,186,"s1"],[2023,221,"s1"],[2024,262,"s1"],[2025,330,"s1"],[2026,253,"ctx"]],"legend":[{"label":"Launch attempts","cls":"s1"},{"label":"2026, to October 23","cls":"ctx"}]},{"type":"line","name":"Failures","cls":"s2","points":[[1957,1],[1958,20],[1959,12],[1960,19],[1961,18],[1962,14],[1963,18],[1964,15],[1965,15],[1966,17],[1967,14],[1968,11],[1969,18],[1970,11],[1971,15],[1972,8],[1973,8],[1974,8],[1975,7],[1976,5],[1977,7],[1978,5],[1979,5],[1980,6],[1981,4],[1982,10],[1983,2],[1984,4],[1985,6],[1986,8],[1987,6],[1988,6],[1989,1],[1990,7],[1991,5],[1992,3],[1993,8],[1994,5],[1995,7],[1996,6],[1997,4],[1998,6],[1999,8],[2000,4],[2001,2],[2002,4],[2003,3],[2004,3],[2005,4],[2006,4],[2007,3],[2008,3],[2009,4],[2010,4],[2011,6],[2012,5],[2013,3],[2014,3],[2015,5],[2016,3],[2017,6],[2018,2],[2019,6],[2020,10],[2021,11],[2022,7],[2023,10],[2024,6],[2025,12],[2026,8]],"gap":1}]}],"sources":[{"site":"satellitedata.dev","dataset":"launches","version":"2026-10-26.d59bbfbd54","name":"General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (GCAT), launch list","url":"https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/web/launch/index.html","license":"CC-BY-4.0","raw":{"launch":"d046a4ebf99b807a6f64d2c6e091b53612105136fc78f79d7b907dcfe5051b18","orgs":"9984052c24b6d5ab9fd2f723ad807b2c94d28773246076c2a16ba0f653bbb606"},"api":"https://api.satellitedata.dev/v1/launches"}],"check":{"through":"2026-10-23","per_year":{"1957":3,"1958":28,"1959":25,"1960":38,"1961":50,"1962":81,"1963":70,"1964":100,"1965":125,"1966":132,"1967":139,"1968":129,"1969":125,"1970":124,"1971":133,"1972":113,"1973":117,"1974":113,"1975":132,"1976":131,"1977":130,"1978":128,"1979":110,"1980":109,"1981":126,"1982":129,"1983":129,"1984":130,"1985":126,"1986":110,"1987":114,"1988":121,"1989":102,"1990":121,"1991":91,"1992":97,"1993":85,"1994":94,"1995":80,"1996":77,"1997":89,"1998":82,"1999":78,"2000":85,"2001":59,"2002":65,"2003":64,"2004":54,"2005":56,"2006":66,"2007":68,"2008":69,"2009":78,"2010":74,"2011":84,"2012":78,"2013":81,"2014":92,"2015":87,"2016":86,"2017":90,"2018":114,"2019":103,"2020":114,"2021":146,"2022":186,"2023":221,"2024":262,"2025":330,"2026":253},"fails":{"1957":1,"1958":20,"1959":12,"1960":19,"1961":18,"1962":14,"1963":18,"1964":15,"1965":15,"1966":17,"1967":14,"1968":11,"1969":18,"1970":11,"1971":15,"1972":8,"1973":8,"1974":8,"1975":7,"1976":5,"1977":7,"1978":5,"1979":5,"1980":6,"1981":4,"1982":10,"1983":2,"1984":4,"1985":6,"1986":8,"1987":6,"1988":6,"1989":1,"1990":7,"1991":5,"1992":3,"1993":8,"1994":5,"1995":7,"1996":6,"1997":4,"1998":6,"1999":8,"2000":4,"2001":2,"2002":4,"2003":3,"2004":3,"2005":4,"2006":4,"2007":3,"2008":3,"2009":4,"2010":4,"2011":6,"2012":5,"2013":3,"2014":3,"2015":5,"2016":3,"2017":6,"2018":2,"2019":6,"2020":10,"2021":11,"2022":7,"2023":10,"2024":6,"2025":12,"2026":8},"ytd":253,"ytd_prev":250,"top":[["SpaceX",170],["Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CASC 1st Acad)",39],["Shanghai Academy of Space Technology (CASC 8th Acad)",26]]}},{"id":"orbit","question":"What is in orbit now?","answer":{"verdict":"36,056 catalogued objects in orbit, 16,946 of them working satellites","value":16946,"unit":"working satellites","digits":0,"label":"Working satellites in orbit, catalog to 2026-10-23","lines":["20,381 payloads, 10,687 pieces of debris, 2,870 components, 2,118 rocket stages","14,472 of the working satellites (85%) were launched in 2022–2026","Largest owners: SpaceX (Seattle) (11,156), One Web (Network Access Associates Ltd.) (523), Kuiper Systems LLC (392)"]},"charts":[{"id":"space-working","title":"Working satellites in orbit today, by the year they were launched","description":"14,472 of today's 16,946 working satellites went up in the last five years.","indicator":"Catalogued payloads in orbit and operating, counted by launch year (GCAT status in orbit, active)","subtitle":"Payloads GCAT lists as in orbit and operating","x":{"kind":"year"},"y":{"digits":0,"unit":""},"layers":[{"type":"bars","name":"Working satellites","base":0,"points":[[1964,1,"s1"],[1965,5,"s1"],[1966,3,"s1"],[1967,0,"s1"],[1968,0,"s1"],[1969,2,"s1"],[1970,0,"s1"],[1971,3,"s1"],[1972,1,"s1"],[1973,0,"s1"],[1974,1,"s1"],[1975,0,"s1"],[1976,0,"s1"],[1977,0,"s1"],[1978,2,"s1"],[1979,0,"s1"],[1980,0,"s1"],[1981,0,"s1"],[1982,0,"s1"],[1983,1,"s1"],[1984,2,"s1"],[1985,1,"s1"],[1986,0,"s1"],[1987,0,"s1"],[1988,1,"s1"],[1989,2,"s1"],[1990,2,"s1"],[1991,2,"s1"],[1992,0,"s1"],[1993,5,"s1"],[1994,3,"s1"],[1995,5,"s1"],[1996,2,"s1"],[1997,11,"s1"],[1998,12,"s1"],[1999,10,"s1"],[2000,6,"s1"],[2001,6,"s1"],[2002,8,"s1"],[2003,17,"s1"],[2004,9,"s1"],[2005,12,"s1"],[2006,16,"s1"],[2007,27,"s1"],[2008,25,"s1"],[2009,38,"s1"],[2010,38,"s1"],[2011,53,"s1"],[2012,54,"s1"],[2013,75,"s1"],[2014,79,"s1"],[2015,86,"s1"],[2016,81,"s1"],[2017,127,"s1"],[2018,175,"s1"],[2019,126,"s1"],[2020,354,"s1"],[2021,985,"s1"],[2022,1724,"s1"],[2023,2261,"s1"],[2024,2511,"s1"],[2025,4390,"s1"],[2026,3586,"s1"]]}]}],"table":{"title":"Working satellites by owner's country","columns":["Country","Working satellites","Share"],"rows":[["United States of America","13,077","77.2%"],["China, People's Republic of","1,456","8.6%"],["United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland","722","4.3%"],["Russian Federation","364","2.1%"],["Japan (Nippon), State of","137","0.8%"],["French Republic","95","0.6%"],["Italian Republic","90","0.5%"],["Germany, Federal Republic of","82","0.5%"]]},"sources":[{"site":"satellitedata.dev","dataset":"satellite-catalog","version":"2026-10-26.0fef69ac70","name":"General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (GCAT), object catalogs and currentcat","url":"https://planet4589.org/space/gcat/","license":"CC-BY-4.0","raw":{"auxcat":"42113ba526c1ce1f491bac0e6bd3d30325b5f7944335ccedc554c440b49c6022","currentcat":"55212369f5c357310ccda65a3609d745250893250dd7b201c3c7abb055b515b5","ecat":"2c497bf7f74a3ecd1a83c6649a03d105ca0f462001fd3e12522a59463e7c030e","ftocat":"3b8bb00393c4c498db94cc4d97a033ac3e2b1321bc369ca8ef4b2ae873617b16","orgs":"9984052c24b6d5ab9fd2f723ad807b2c94d28773246076c2a16ba0f653bbb606","satcat":"3faae397abc0d8ffc443dd3984be5c27619a31ffaafb6e52526851196a0de578","satcat100k":"e2772b0329409593e23afb83928699f9893d3a063503e1b50d781fabda51bf1d","satcat270k":"a261bb8b8945036401a7524b61b901b247229437d48b98c81d3d13e69de91416","tmpcat":"dbc51dcb7ddf312ca383444db705278ecf15735c60357eacbe63b069e6d6b812"},"api":"https://api.satellitedata.dev/v1/satellite-catalog"}],"check":{"as_of":"2026-10-23","in_orbit":36056,"types":{"rocket-stage":2118,"component":2870,"payload":20381,"debris":10687},"working":16946,"by_year":{"1964":1,"1965":5,"1966":3,"1967":0,"1968":0,"1969":2,"1970":0,"1971":3,"1972":1,"1973":0,"1974":1,"1975":0,"1976":0,"1977":0,"1978":2,"1979":0,"1980":0,"1981":0,"1982":0,"1983":1,"1984":2,"1985":1,"1986":0,"1987":0,"1988":1,"1989":2,"1990":2,"1991":2,"1992":0,"1993":5,"1994":3,"1995":5,"1996":2,"1997":11,"1998":12,"1999":10,"2000":6,"2001":6,"2002":8,"2003":17,"2004":9,"2005":12,"2006":16,"2007":27,"2008":25,"2009":38,"2010":38,"2011":53,"2012":54,"2013":75,"2014":79,"2015":86,"2016":81,"2017":127,"2018":175,"2019":126,"2020":354,"2021":985,"2022":1724,"2023":2261,"2024":2511,"2025":4390,"2026":3586},"states":[["United States of America",13077],["China, People's Republic of",1456],["United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland",722],["Russian Federation",364],["Japan (Nippon), State of",137],["French Republic",95],["Italian Republic",90],["Germany, Federal Republic of",82]]}}],"generated_at":"2026-10-26T20:10:07+00:00"}