2017 Was a Banner Year for the Launch Industry

- by Richard Pettibone

by Bill Ostrove, Space Systems Analyst, Forecast International.

Forecast International has just released its 2017 launch vehicle year in review. The 12-page document provides a broad overview of the 90 launches conducted in 2017.

In 2017, 27 different launch vehicles lifted off that were built by 18 different manufacturers or organizations. These vehicles were built in nine countries and lifted off from 16 launch centers around the world. With 18 Falcon 9s successfully lifting off in 2017, SpaceX finally fulfilled its promise of providing its customers with frequent, relatively cheap launches.

While 2017 was a banner year for the launch industry, spaceflight continued to be a challenging enterprise. Of the 90 launches conducted in 2017, six were failures or only partial successes. The report highlights both the launch failures and successes of 2017.

While the number of launches declined in 2015 and 2016, they rebounded in 2017. As the chart above shows, the number of payloads per launch also increased in 2017, rising to an average of five per launch for the year. For more graphs like this one, please click the following link to download the full report:

Forecast International offers two Space Systems Forecast products: Launch Vehicles & Manned Platforms, with reports on manned spacecraft, expendable launch vehicles and more, and Satellites & Spacecraft, with coverage ranging from microsatellites to large COMSATs – all complete with technical specifications and forecast details.  

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A military history enthusiast, Richard began his career at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet became central to defense research, he helped design the company’s Forecast Intelligence Center and now coordinates the FI Market Recap newsletters for clients. He also manages two blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, which covers defense systems and international security issues, and Flight Plan, focused on commercial aviation and space systems.

For more than 30 years, Richard has authored Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International), providing detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database tracking all companies involved in programs covered by the FI library. Richard currently serves as Manager of the Information Services Group (ISG), which develops outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.

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About Richard Pettibone

A military history enthusiast, Richard began his career at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet became central to defense research, he helped design the company’s Forecast Intelligence Center and now coordinates the FI Market Recap newsletters for clients. He also manages two blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, which covers defense systems and international security issues, and Flight Plan, focused on commercial aviation and space systems. For more than 30 years, Richard has authored Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International), providing detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database tracking all companies involved in programs covered by the FI library. Richard currently serves as Manager of the Information Services Group (ISG), which develops outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.

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