Infrastructure
Launch
2015 – China Launch, Payload
China’s share of the global orbital launch market in 2015 nearly matched that of the United States. China accounted for slightly more than 22% of the global orbital launch market. China’s SLV launch rate of 19 for 2015 helped the country maintain its position in the global launch industry from 2014. Even though China launched two new SLVs in 2015, there were no known failures of Chinese SLVs in 2015 and 2014.
2015 – U.S. Launch, Payload
U.S. launch activities took slightly more than 23% of the global orbital launch market in 2015, helping the country remain behind only Russia for launch attempts in the world. Of the 20 SLVs launched from within the United States in 2015, 18 successfully reached orbit. Two launch failures, one SpaceX SLV and one experimental military SLV, affected the U.S. SLV launch rate in 2015, preventing it from reaching the previous year’s total of 23 attempted launches. Launch failures accounted for 10% of attempted U.S. launches in 2015, though a fairer industry comparison of slightly more than 5% could be assumed by subtracting the failure of the experimental launch vehicle. The 2014 launch failure rate for U.S. SLVs was slightly above 4%.
2014 – Iranian Suborbital
An example of a country using suborbital rockets for testing is Iran, which sent its second monkey into space in December 2013. Lifted aboard a Kavoshgar-e Pazhuhesh sounding rocket to an altitude of 120 kilometers (75 miles), the capsule containing the monkey parachuted safely back to Earth. The monkey, capsule, and rocket are part of Iran’s efforts to send a human into space by 2024.
2014 – Chinese Spaceports
China is rumored to have completed its newest spaceport, Wenchang Satellite Launch Center. Located on the coast of the southern Chinese island of Hainan, the spaceport will be able to receive large rocket stages transported via ship, avoiding railway tunnels and bridges.
2014 – Russian Spaceports
Vostochny Cosmodrome, formerly an old nuclear missile base called Svobodny, is slated to become Russia’s newest spaceport when it begins operations in 2015. After years of delay, construction at the site began in 2011 at an estimated cost of $## billion. The cosmodrome is located in Russia’s Far East and is expected to serve as Russia’s primary launch facility once it reaches fully operational status.
2014 – U.S. Spaceports
SpaceX, builder of the Falcon 9 space launch vehicle, broke ground in September 2014 for a new spaceport near Brownsville, Texas. While actual building activity is not scheduled until later in 2015, SpaceX plans to launch from the site as early as 2016. Once construction on the site is completed, it would be the closest launch site to the Earth’s equator on U.S. soil.
2014 – Suborbital Payload Launch
Development of suborbital reusable launch vehicles and related technologies continued in 2014. The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted integration and qualification activities for all systems of its Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), a re-entry vehicle that will demonstrate technologies and systems ESA intends to use in future autonomous re-entry missions.
2014 – U.S. Suborbital
Private companies are developing suborbital reusable launch vehicles as well. Virgin Galactic flight-tested its SpaceShipTwo crewed suborbital vehicle in 2014. The second of the year’s powered test flights of SpaceShipTwo ended in a crash, with the vehicle breaking up mid-flight and killing one pilot. In spite of the tragedy, Virgin Galactic’s ## customers remain committed to their reservations for a flight aboard SpaceShipTwo, with tickets costing $## per seat.
2014 – Other Countries, Launch, Payload
After one of its Zenit-3SL rockets suffered a launch failure in 2013, Sea Launch recovered in 2014. Sea Launch successfully launched a ## satellite into GTO in May 2014 after implementing recommended corrective actions in response to the 2013 accident.
2014 – India Launch, Payload
India conducted ## orbital launch attempts in 2014, all of which were successful. The vehicle used for ## of the launches was the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which deployed ## PNT satellites into inclined geosynchronous orbits, and ## French imagery satellite into polar orbit. The ## launch, which carried a communications satellite into geostationary orbit, used India’s bigger Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).