Talk:Space exploration

Statistics

Number of launches by year

Year	Launches	Success	Failure	Maiden launches	First successful launche
2020	114	104	10	8	5
2019	102	97	5
2018	114	111	3
2017	91	84	7
2016	85	83	2
2015	87	82	5
2014	92	89	3
2013	81	77	4
2012	78	73	5
2011	84	78	6
2010	74	70	4
2009	78	73	5
2008	69	66	3
2007	68	63	5
2006	66	62	4
2005	56	52	4
2004	54	51	3
2003	63	61	2
2002	65	61	4
2001	59	57	2
2000	85	81	4
1999	78	70	8
1998	82	77	5
1997	89	83	6
1996	77	71	6
1995	80	72	8
1994	93	89	4
1993	83	79	4
1992	97	94	3
1991	91	87	4
1990	121	115	6
1989	102	100	2
1988	121	115	6
1987	114	108	6
1986	110	102	8
1985	125	120	5
1984	129	127	2
1983	129	127	2
1982	129	119	10
1981	126	120	6
1980	108	103	5
1979	110	105	5
1978	128	123	5
1977	130	123	7
1976	131	126	5
1975	132	125	7
1974	113	104	9
1973	116	109	7
1972	113	105	8
1971	133	117	16
1970	124	113	11
1969	125	106	19
1968	128	119	9
1967	139	124	15
1966	132	117	15
1965	124	109	15
1964	99	86	13
1963	69	52	17
1962	81	67	14
1961	50	34	16
1960	38	19	19
1959	23	13	10
1958	28	8	20
1957	3	2	1

• Total number of launches: 6,018 in 64 years = 94 launches per year
• Success: 5,559
• Failure: 459

• Max launches in one year: 139 launches in 1967
• Max successful launches in one year: 127 launches in 1983, 1984
• Max satellites on a single launch: 104 satellites on a PSLV rocket, on 15 February 2017 - mission PSLV-C37

• 95 consecutive successful launches between these two failures: 25 Jan 1983 - Kosmos 11K65M - and - 26 Sep 1983 - Soyuz-U

• (after 1961) Largest gap between two launches: 35 between these two launches: 2005 Nov 16 - Ariane 5ECA - and - 2005 Dec 21 - Soyuz-U-PVB
• (before 1961) Largest gap between two launches: 70 between these two launches: 1959 Nov 26 - Atlas Able - and - 1960 Feb 4 - Thor Agena A

Source data: Jonathan's Space Home Page - The General Catalog of Space Objects (2020) - Derived catalogs - currentcat (Latest phase) Text

It does not contain missions failed before launch like this one:

• 3 September 2016 - Amos 6

It also does not contain in-flight abort tests like this one:

• 19 January 2020 - Falcon 9 - Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test

Alternatively, there is a cool graphic here - https://aerospace.csis.org/data/space-environment-total-launches-by-country/ Barecode (talk) 18:31, 6 January 2021 (UTC)

1. 1. code 224625618 it is for the upcoming launch time, — Preceding unsigned comment added by ~2026-42675-99 (talk) 23:50, 1 August 2026 (UTC)

First outer space flights

I have just updated this section with further details of the MW 18014 German V-4 rocket test and removed the 1950 Bumper-WAC launch. Not sure why NASA is saying that the Bumper launch was the first object in space, all the other sources say the V-4 was the first object in space. Happy to discuss his point with other Editors, however rhe evidence is pretty clear that the V-4 was the first. I also updated the photos. Ilenart626 (talk) 02:24, 11 July 2022 (UTC)

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by P199 (talk) 18:21, 26 April 2023 (UTC)

(

• Comment or view
• Article history

)

• ... that the African Union has set up a space agency in a space city? Source:
  • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Jailangkung
  • Comment:

Created by Chipmunkdavis (talk). Self-nominated at 12:30, 23 February 2023 (UTC). Post-promotion hook changes for this nom will be logged at Template talk:Did you know nominations/African Space Agency; consider watching this nomination, if it is successful, until the hook appears on the Main Page.

• I'm starting a review. Andrew🐉(talk) 20:34, 23 February 2023 (UTC)

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy compliance:

• Adequate sourcing:
• Neutral: - There's more than one source with the title "Is there a need for an African space agency?". This one, for example, concludes that there isn't. This negative view is not presented in the article.
• Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook eligibility:

• Cited:
• Interesting:
• Other problems: - The hook teases with its talk of a space city. The reader is likely to be disappointed that the article has a red link for this. Perhaps this should be unlinked and the section expanded to give them more details of the space city.

QPQ: Done.

Overall: The biggest issue is balance as there seems to be plenty of negative opinion out there. Also, I'm not understanding the reference to Jailangkung in the nominator's comment. Andrew🐉(talk) 20:53, 23 February 2023 (UTC)

Sorry, that was the QPQ, I must have put it in the wrong box. Regarding neutrality, those are older articles of the sort of discussion that always precedes the creation of any body (is it necessary, what would it do, etc.). The opposition was the same as it always is for these projects, money better elsewhere, another white elephant sort of thing. I don't see that as due. I also haven't put any positive opinion in. In both cases, as the org was just founded, there isn't much actually behind it either way (well, a delay of opening from 2022 to 2023, but again that is reasonably routine and I haven't seen any source call it out). On the Space City, it's a newly built complex that also holds the Egyptian Space Agency. I can add more to this article, and alternatively I suppose an article could be created for it; I thought it worth a red link although I'm not 100% on how notability for that sort of infrastructure development. CMD (talk) 00:06, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

I wondered if Jailangkung was the QPQ but didn't recognise your abbreviated sig of CMD there. I've updated the review now to acknowledge this.

But I'm still not content with the other issues. I'll look at the topic more closely myself.

Andrew🐉(talk) 17:34, 24 February 2023 (UTC)

I have found a second source noting a different person with a similar concern over prioritisation from before the agency was founded, so I have added that citing both that source (in a CNN report) and Martinez 2012. I also found two sources noting a slowdown in 2020 due to budget and benefit concerns, and so added that as well. CMD (talk) 15:01, 24 March 2023 (UTC)

@Andrew Davidson: status report? theleekycauldron (talk • contribs) (she/her) 20:57, 14 April 2023 (UTC)

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
Adequate sourcing: Neutral: Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
Cited: Interesting:

QPQ: Done.

Overall: Seemingly abandoned by the previous reviewer, so I'm reviewing it. The nominator seems to have addressed the concerns adequately. BorgQueen (talk) 12:50, 22 April 2023 (UTC)

Laika

Why is Laika not even mentionned in the space exploration page ? it's the first being to have been in space right ? I don't understand why sacrificing an innocent animal is not even mentionned. 86.31.42.155 (talk) 12:22, 25 October 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for your suggestion. When you believe an article needs improvement, please feel free to change it. We encourage you to be bold in updating pages, because wikis like ours develop faster when everybody edits. Don't worry too much about making honest mistakes—they're likely to be found and corrected quickly. You can always preview your edits before you publish them or test them out in the sandbox. If you need additional help, check out our getting started page or ask the friendly folks at the Teahouse. - DVdm (talk) 12:37, 25 October 2024 (UTC)

Yes, several animals need to be mentioned, including Laika (btw, the first large animal is space was Albert II (monkey), in 1949, a page I started awhile ago). And agreed that you could sign up with a user name and add them in. Some of us could do it, but for an editor to be this concerned that the animals need more coverage, frankly, we need you to edit! and more fully address legitmate and historically accurate concerns. Thanks. Randy Kryn (talk) 15:10, 25 October 2024 (UTC)

Facts about space exploration

Space Exploration ~2026-96442-8 (talk) 08:47, 13 February 2026 (UTC)