2023
Orbital Launch Attempts, 1957-2023
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
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.
Total Spacecraft by Mission Segment, 2020-2023
The number of satellites in all three mission segments grew by double digits in 2023, with civil government payloads growing most rapidly (74% year-over-year). Over the past four years, the size of all mission segments has more than doubled. Commercial payloads once again made up the largest proportion of deployments in 2023 thanks to mega-constellations such as Starlink.
Japanese Launch Attempts, 2013-2023
One problem area for Japan is the possibility of a gap in reliable access to space. The nation is one of 10 capable of orbital launch, but its launch activity is relativity infrequent.
Spacecraft by Mass Range, 2023
The known mass of spacecraft deployed last year was 1.4 million kg, 42% more than 2022. This total does not include masses for satellites without publicly available information, including many classified U.S., Chinese, and Russian military satellites. Excluding these uncategorized satellites, the average payload mass in 2023 was 550 kg.
Spy Agency Uses Data from Space, Experience on the Ground to Win Battles, Save Lives with Maps
Seizing the high ground to see what lies ahead, a skill as old as warfare itself, has never been more important. Now, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, the intelligence community’s mapmakers, are seizing the high ground of commercial space to augment the products they deliver to the military and first responders at disaster scenes.
NASA completes first laser communications beyond Moon
As scientific instruments get more precise and the private and public sectors work to send humans farther into space than ever before, space data transfers are more important than ever before.
Accelerated Launch Pace, Debris and AI Shape the 2024 Space Forecast
[caption id="attachment_14346" align="alignleft" width="309"] At Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, leaders expect to fire off a record 100 launch vehicles in 2024.Credit: NASA[/caption] Introduction | Coming off a year that again… White House Authorization and Supervision Draft Legislation on Collision Course with Hill and Parts of Industry
Courtney Stadd spent more than 40 years as a senior official in the White House, NASA, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Transportation, and as a senior executive with… Spacecraft Deployments Grew 23% in 2023 Despite Broadband Cooldown
With record launches for the third year running, it’s no surprise that the number of payloads reaching orbit is also skyrocketing. Spacecraft deployed in 2023 grew 23% to 2,891, bringing approximately 1.4 million kg of equipment to space.