There Was a Rocket Launch Every 34 Hours Last Year

Space launches broke a record for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, and this year is on course to continue the streak. According to the Space Foundation nonprofit's annual report, there were 259 launches last year, roughly one every 34 hours. In 2023, there was one every 39 hours. The foundation describes SpaceX as a "primary driver of launch and spacecraft trends" with 152 launches, deploying almost 2,000 Starlink satellites. The foundation says that with operators shifting toward using heavier satellites, the total mass brought to orbit last year was up 40% to around 4.2 million pounds.

The foundation's report says the US "dominated the launch cycle in 2024, outpacing China by more than 2-to-1." The growth in launches is set to continue this year partly because of new launch capabilities in Europe, where launch vehicles in the UK, France, and Germany are set to make their first flights this year, Space.com reports. Worldwide, at least 24 launch vehicles will make their first flight this year, according to the foundation. Among them is Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane, which is expected to make its first cargo delivery to the International Space Station later this year. (Blue Origin's massive new rocket made its first test flight last month.)