2000
Cumulative spacecraft on orbit, 1957-2023
![Cumulative spacecraft on orbit, 1957-2023](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cumulative-spacecraft-on-orbit-1957-2023-1-150x150.png)
![Cumulative spacecraft on orbit, 1957-2023](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cumulative-spacecraft-on-orbit-1957-2023-1.png)
Federal agencies in 2014 estimated by 2022 as many as 43 commercial satellites a year would head to orbit. Instead, more than 50 times . . .
NASA share of U.S. federal budget, 1959-2025
![NASA share of U.S. federal budget, 1959-2025](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NASA-share-of-U.S.-federal-budget-1959-2025-150x150.png)
![NASA share of U.S. federal budget, 1959-2025](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NASA-share-of-U.S.-federal-budget-1959-2025.png)
The overall Pentagon budget proposal for 2025 is $850 billion, $8 billion more than its 2024 request.
Cumulative human spaceflight, 1961–March 18, 2024
![Cumulative human spaceflight, 1961–March 18, 2024](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cumulative-human-spaceflight-1961–March-18-2024-1-150x150.png)
![Cumulative human spaceflight, 1961–March 18, 2024](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cumulative-human-spaceflight-1961–March-18-2024-1.png)
Human spaceflight activity is off to a rapid pace in 2024 with a private Axiom mission, a public ISS mission, and a private Virgin Galactic mission taking flight in the first nine weeks of the year.
Launch Attempts and Deployed Payloads, 1983-2022
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-18-at-11.24.23-AM-1-150x150.png)
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-18-at-11.24.23-AM-1.png)
Two items stand out as primary examples of astronomers’ concerns: the SpaceX Starlink constellation due to its number of satellites and AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 satellite due to its size — 693 square feet6 — which ranks as the largest commercial communications array in space.
Orbital Launch Attempts, 1957-2023
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-3-150x150.png)
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-3.png)
The number of U.S. launch at- tempts climbed from 87 in 2022 to 116 last year. The number of U.S. launches has more than doubled since 2021, which saw 51 launch attempts.
Leap Second Adjustments to UTC, Navigation Satellites, 1972-2023
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-2-150x150.png)
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MicrosoftTeams-image-2.png)
But every technological leap in clock accuracy can’t overcome the wobbly planet’s ability to throw off timing standards. Using leap seconds, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures has changed clocks to match the astronomical time on Earth 27 times.
University nanosatellite launches skyrocket over past decade
![Universities across the globe are building an increasingly large presence in space by attaching student satellite projects to launches. Since the advent of nanosatellites and CubeSats, the barrier to space entry has never been lower for students.](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-18-at-9.47.08-AM-150x150.png)
![Universities across the globe are building an increasingly large presence in space by attaching student satellite projects to launches. Since the advent of nanosatellites and CubeSats, the barrier to space entry has never been lower for students.](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Screenshot-2024-01-18-at-9.47.08-AM.png)
Universities across the globe are building an increasingly large presence in space by attaching student satellite projects to launches. Since the advent of nanosatellites and CubeSats, the barrier to space entry has never been lower for students.
NASA Share of U.S. Federal Budget, 1959-2023
Male vs Female Astronauts, 1961-Sept. 8, 2023
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Male-vs-Female-Astronauts-1961-Sept.-8-2023--150x150.png)
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Male-vs-Female-Astronauts-1961-Sept.-8-2023-.png)
The most significant human spaceflight trend in recent years has been a shift to focus on diversification.
Active Launch Vehicle Operators by Type, 2000-2022
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Active-Launch-Vehicle-Operators-by-Type-2000-2022_screenshot-150x150.jpg)
![](https://www.thespacereport.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Active-Launch-Vehicle-Operators-by-Type-2000-2022_screenshot.jpg)
Orbital launch attempts have more than tripled since a lull in activity in the early 2000s bottomed out at 55 attempts in 2004. Part of the rapid growth in the past few years is due to a sharp increase in launch vehicle operators after a long period with an average just shy of 10 distinct operators per year.