This is a timeline of first orbital launches by country. While a number of countries have built satellites, as of 2015, ten countries historically had developed the capability to send objects into orbit using their own launch vehicles. In addition, Russia and Ukraine inherited the space launchers and satellites capability from the Soviet Union, following its dissolution in 1991. Russia launches its rockets from its own and foreign (Kazakh) spaceports; Ukraine - only from foreign (Russian and Kazakh) launch facilities. France became a space power independently, launching a payload into orbit from Algeria, before joining space launcher facilities in the multi-national Ariane project. The United Kingdom became a space power independently following a single payload insertion into orbit from Australia, before discontinuing official participation in space launch capability, including the Ariane project, in the 1970s.
Thus, as of 2015, nine countries in addition to one inter-governmental organisation (ESA) currently have a proven orbital launch capability, and one country (UK) formerly had such a capability. In all cases where a country has conducted independent human spaceflights (as of 2015, three - USSR/Russia, USA, China), these launches were preceded by independent unmanned launch capability.
The race to launch the first satellite was closely contested by the Soviet Union and the United States, and was the beginning of the Space Race. The launching of satellites, while still contributing to national prestige, is a significant economic activity as well, with public and private rocket systems competing for launches, using cost and reliability as selling points.
Other launches and projects
The above list includes confirmed satellite launches with rockets produced by the launching country. Lists with differing criteria might include the following launches:
Brazil has yet to launch a satellite into orbit independently and its space program suffered three satellite launch failures, the latest being the explosion of a VLS-1 rocket on 22 August 2003 at the Alcântara Launch Centre, which resulted in 21 deaths.
Some countries have no self-developed rocket systems, but have provided their spaceports for launches of their own and foreign satellites on foreign launchers:
Algeria with the first successful launch from Hammaguir of the French satellite Astérix on 26 November 1965 by French Diamant A. The last orbital launch from Hammaguir was on 15 February 1967 by French Diamant A and there are no further launches scheduled (the first Algerian satellite is AlSAT-1 launched by Russian Kosmos-3M from Plesetsk, Russia on 28 November 2002).
Italy with the first successful launch from the San Marco platform of its satellite San Marco 2 on 26 April 1967 by US Scout B (the first Italian satellite is San Marco 1 launched by another Scout from Wallops, USA on 15 December 1964). The last orbital launch from San Marco was on 25 March 1988 by US Scout G-1 and there are no further launches scheduled.
Australia with the first successful launch from Woomera Test Range of its first satellite WRESAT on 29 November 1967 by US Sparta. The second and final successful orbital launch from Woomera was performed on 28 October 1971 by the UK Black Arrow and there are no further launches scheduled.
Kazakhstan with the first launch after its independence from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 21 January 1992 of the Russian Soyuz-U2 and Progress M-11 (the first Kazakh satellite is KazSat launched by Russian Proton-K from Baikonur on 17 June 2006). Currently the spaceport continues to be utilized for launches of various Russian and Ukrainian rockets.
Spain; a single Pegasus-XL was launched from Orbital Sciences' Stargazer aircraft flying from Gran Canaria Airport in April 1997.
Marshall Islands with a successful launch of a Pegasus-H rocket from Orbital Sciences' Stargazer aircraft flying from Kwajalein Atoll in October 2000. Five ground-based launches were made by SpaceX using Falcon 1 rockets between 2006 and 2009, with the first success on 28 September 2008. Three further Pegasus launches occurred between 2008 and 2012, using the Pegasus-XL configuration. Currently there are no plans announced for a Marshall Islands satellite.
South Korea with the first successful launch from the Goheung of its satellite STSAT-2C on 30 January 2013 by KSLV-1. KSLV-1 consists of a modified Russian first-stage developed and manufactured by Russia and South Korean developed second-stage and fairing. Launch was directed by South Korean and Russian engineers. The rocket was assembled in South Korea.
United States Orbital Sciences Corporation (USA) became the first company to launch a privately developed rocket into orbit, the Pegasus on 5 April 1990. Orbital joined SpaceX as one of only two private entities to supply the International Space Station with its launch of the Cygnus Orb-D1 mission on board the Antares rocket on 18 September 2013.
United States SpaceX (USA) became the second company to launch a rocket into orbit using a rocket developed with private—not government—funds. Its first successful launch was performed on 28 September 2008 by Falcon 1 from the Omelek Island, Marshall Islands and its first launch from US spaceport was Falcon 9 Flight 1 on 4 June 2010 from Cape Canaveral. Its Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station on October 11, 2012 to deliver supplies.
Japan CAMUI and SNS Inc. (Japan) are private organizations that develop launch capable rockets. They both use the HASTIC launch site at Hokkaido.
Abandoned projects
Canada had developed the gun-based space launchers Martlet and GLO as the joint Canadian-American Project HARP in the 1960s. These rockets were never tested.
Germany had a preliminary development of numerous rocket space launchers and re-usable launch systems (Sänger II, etc.) after WWII. These were never realized as national or European projects. Also, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the private German company OTRAG tried to develop low-cost commercial space launchers. Only sub-orbital tests of the first prototypes of these rockets were carried out.
South Africa developed the space launcher RSA-3 in the 1980s. This rocket was tested 3 times without a satellite payload in 1989 and 1990. The program was postponed and canceled in 1994.
Iraq claimed to have developed and tested "Al-Abid", a three-stage space launch vehicle without a payload or its upper two stages on 5 December 1989. The rocket's design had a clustered first stage composed of five modified scud rockets strapped together and a single scud rocket as the second stage in addition to a SA-2 liquid-fueled rocket engine as the third stage. The video tape of a partial launch attempt which was retrieved by UN weapons inspectors, later surfaced showing that the rocket prematurely exploded 45 seconds after its launch.
Argentina previous attempts at developing space launcher based on their Condor missile were scrapped in 1993.
Egypt tried to develop space launcher as part of its various ballistic missile programs in the second half of the 20th century. In different periods they worked independently or in cooperation with Argentina, Iraq and North Korea.
Spain developed the space launcher Capricornio (Capricorn) in the 1990s. This rocket was related to Argentina's Condor missile and its test scheduled for 1999/2000 was not conducted.
Romanian private company, ARCA, is developing a number of orbital launch systems (Haas, Stabilo, Orizont) that are expected to be launched from Black Sea military bases.
Brazil announced that it will launch its VLS-1 rocket from the Alcântara Launch Center in 2018. Brazil has also reached an agreement with Ukraine to launch its Tsyklon-4 from Alcântara Launch Center.
Ukraine is a manufacturer of Soviet-designed space launchers Tsyklon (Cyclone), Zenit, Dnipro (Dnepr) and Mayak. It provides launcher components to Russian government and other entities. It has never attempted its own national space launch but otherwise remains a potential space launch capable nation. Ukraine neither has domestic vehicle-launch facility nor is planning to establish such.
Argentina is now developing its space launcher Tronador II.
Taiwan has been developing its own spacecraft for several years. First flight is expected before 2018.
South Korea will continue its space program with the completely indigenous KSLV-2 for launch in 2018.
Turkey announced a project to develop a domestic space launcher.
Australia has plans to develop a space launcher based on Ausroc.
Kazakhstan has plans to develop Soviet Ishim project for an airplane-based space launch system based on MiG-31 in cooperation with Russia.
Pakistan has developed two varieties of military ballistic rockets (Ghauri and Shaheen) in recent years that may form the basis for conversion into its own space launcher.
South Africa commercial company Marcom Aeronautics & Space. is working on a space launcher and expects the design to be finalized in 5 years if government funding is provided.
Mexico Private consortium, MXSpace[2], is a group of companies developing a vertically integrated space initiative that aims to give Mexico an indigenous orbital launch system. The organization is working closely with the Mexican Space Agency Mexican Space Agency[3].
Many other countries have launched their own satellites on one of the foreign launchers listed above (the first being the British owned and operated, although American-built satellite Ariel 1, was launched by a US rocket in April 1962. In September 1962 the Canadian satellite, Alouette-1, was launched by a US rocket, but unlike Ariel 1 it was constructed by Canada).
