2017 in spaceflight explained

Year:	2017
First:	5 January
Last:	26 December
Total:	91
Success:	83
Failed:	6
Partial:	2
Catalogued:	86
Firstsat:
Maidens:	SS-520 Kaituozhe-2 Kuaizhou 1A Electron LVM3 Simorgh Vector-R
Retired:	Soyuz-U Delta II 7920 Zenit-3F
Orbital:	4
Totalcrew:	11
Evas:	10

Programme:	Timeline of spaceflight
Previous Mission:	2016
Next Mission:	2018

Notable spaceflight activities in 2017 included the maiden orbital flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (also called LVM3) on 5 June and the first suborbital test of Rocket Lab's Electron rocket, inaugurating the Mahia spaceport in New Zealand. The rocket is named for its innovative Rutherford engine which feeds propellants via battery-powered electric motors instead of the usual gas generator and turbopumps.

Overview

China launched its new missile-derived Kaituozhe-2 variant on 2 March. The Japanese SS-520, a suborbital sounding rocket modified for orbital flight, failed to reach orbit in January. If successful, it would have become the smallest and lightest vehicle to ever put an object in orbit.^[1]

The venerable Russian Soyuz-U workhorse was retired after its 786th mission on 22 February. On 30 March, the SES-10 mission was launched with a previously flown Falcon 9 first stage, achieving a key milestone in the SpaceX reusable launch system development program; several other Falcon 9 first-stage boosters were re-used since then.

After a record-breaking 13-year mission observing Saturn, its rings and moons, the Cassini space probe was deliberately destroyed by plunging into Saturn's atmosphere, on 15 September 2017.^[2]

A record number of 466 satellites were attempted to be launched thanks to an increase in the number of small satellites. 289 of all satellites weighted less than 10 kg.^[3] The number of small satellites launched exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts.^[4]

Orbital launches

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January

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February

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March

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April

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May

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June

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July

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August

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September

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October

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November

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December

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Suborbital flights

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Orbital launch statistics

By country

For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.

Country		Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
		18	16	1	1
		9	9	0	0
		5	4	1	0
		1	0	1	0
		0	0	0	0
		7	6	1	0
		0	0	0	0
		20	18	1	1	Includes two European Soyuz launches from Kourou, French Guiana by Arianespace.
		1	1	0	0	1 Zenit launch from Baikonur by S7 Space
		30	29	1	0	Includes one Electron launch failure from Mahia by Rocket Lab
Total		91	83	6	2

By rocket

By family

Family	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Antares		1	1	0	0
Ariane		6	6	0	0
Atlas		6	6	0	0
Delta		2	2	0	0
Electron		1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Falcon		18	18	0	0
		1	1	0	0
GSLV Mk III		1	1	0	0	First orbital flight
H-II		6	6	0	0
		1	1	0	0
Kuaizhou		1	1	0	0
		16	14	1	1
Minotaur		2	2	0	0
		3	2	1	0
R-7		15	13	1	1
S-Series		1	0	1	0
Simorgh		1	0	1	0	First orbital flight
Universal Rocket		5	5	0	0
Vega		3	3	0	0
Zenit		1	1	0	0

By type

Rocket	Country	Family	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
		Antares	1	1	0	0
Ariane 5		Ariane	6	6	0	0
Atlas V		Atlas	6	6	0	0
Delta II		Delta	1	1	0	0
Delta IV		Delta	1	1	0	0
Electron		Electron	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Falcon 9		Falcon	18	18	0	0
		GSLV	1	1	0	0
GSLV Mk III		GSLV Mk III	1	1	0	0	First orbital flight
		Kaituozhe	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Kuaizhou 1		Kuaizhou	1	1	0	0
Minotaur IV		Minotaur	1	1	0	0
Minotaur-C		Minotaur	1	1	0	0
H-IIA		H-II	6	6	0	0
Long March 2		Long March	6	6	0	0
		Long March	5	4	0	1
		Long March	2	2	0	0
Long March 5		Long March	1	0	1	0
Long March 6		Long March	1	1	0	0
Long March 7		Long March	1	1	0	0
		PSLV	3	2	1	0
Proton		Universal Rocket	4	4	0	0
		S-Series	1	0	1	0
Simorgh		Simorgh	1	0	1	0	First orbital flight
Soyuz		R-7	5	5	0	0
Soyuz-2		R-7	10	8	1	1
UR-100		Universal Rocket	1	1	0	0
Vega		Vega	3	3	0	0
		Zenit	1	1	0	0

By configuration

Rocket	Country	Type	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
		Antares 200	1	1	0	0
Ariane 5 ECA		Ariane 5	5	5	0	0
Ariane 5 ES		Ariane 5	1	1	0	0
Atlas V 401		Atlas V	4	4	0	0
Atlas V 421		Atlas V	1	1	0	0
Atlas V 541		Atlas V	1	1	0	0
Delta II 7920		Delta II	1	1	0	0	Final flight
		Delta IV	1	1	0	0
Electron		Electron	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Falcon 9 Full Thrust		Falcon 9	14	14	0	0
Falcon 9 Block 4		Falcon 9	4	4	0	0	Maiden flight
		GSLV	1	1	0	0
GSLV Mk III		GSLV Mk III	1	1	0	0	First orbital flight
H-IIA 202		H-IIA	4	4	0	0
H-IIA 204		H-IIA	2	2	0	0
		Kaituozhe-2	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Kuaizhou 1A		Kuaizhou	1	1	0	0
Long March 2C		Long March 2	3	3	0	0
Long March 2D		Long March 2	3	3	0	0
Long March 3B/E		Long March 3	5	4	0	1
Long March 4B		Long March 4	1	1	0	0
Long March 4C		Long March 4	1	1	0	0
Long March 5		Long March 5	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Long March 6		Long March 6	1	1	0	0
Long March 7		Long March 7	1	1	0	0
		Minotaur IV	1	1	0	0
Minotaur-C		Minotaur-C	1	1	0	0
		Proton	4	4	0	0
		PSLV	3	2	1	0
		UR-100	1	1	0	0
		S-Series	1	0	1	0	Maiden flight
Simorgh		Simorgh	1	0	1	0	First orbital flight
Soyuz-FG		Soyuz	4	4	0	0
Soyuz-U		Soyuz	1	1	0	0	Final flight
Soyuz-2.1a or ST-A		Soyuz-2	2	2	0	0
		Soyuz-2	2	1	0	1
		Soyuz-2	4	3	1	0
		Soyuz-2	1	1	0	0
		Soyuz-2	1	1	0	0
Vega		Vega	3	3	0	0
Zenit-3F		Zenit-3	1	1	0	0

By spaceport

Site	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Baikonur		13	12	0	1
		7	7	0	0
		6	6	0	0
Kennedy		12	12	0	0
Kourou		11	11	0	0
Mahia		1	0	1	0	First launch
MARS		1	1	0	0
Plesetsk		5	5	0	0
		5	4	1	0
Semnan		1	0	1	0
		2	2	0	0
Tanegashima		6	6	0	0
Uchinoura		1	0	1	0
Vandenberg		9	9	0	0
Vostochny		1	0	1	0
		2	1	1	0
		8	7	0	1
Total		91	83	6	2

By orbit

Orbital regime	Launches	Achieved	Not achieved	Accidentally achieved	Remarks
Transatmospheric	0	0	0	0
Low Earth	52	48	4	0	including 13 to ISS, 1 to Tiangong-2
	33	31	2	0
Medium Earth	3	3	0	1	IRNSS-1H did not separate from rocket's second stage, and was stuck in an elliptical orbit with 6000 km apogee
High Earth	3	3	0	0	including highly elliptical Tundra orbits
Total	91	85	6	1

References

Notes

Citations

Notes and References

Web site: Launch of experimental Japanese rocket scrubbed – Spaceflight Now . Clark . Stephen . 11 January 2017 . 11 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170111160300/http://spaceflightnow.com/2017/01/10/souped-up-japanese-sounding-rocket-ready-for-low-cost-space-launch-experiment/ . live .
News: Cassini, NASA's 13-year Saturn mission, has ended . 15 September 2017 . 15 September 2017 . 15 September 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170915160620/http://us.cnn.com/2017/09/15/us/cassini-mission-ends/index.html . live .
Web site: Final score for 2017: 466 – a new record for the number of satellites attempted to be launched in a single year . . 31 December 2017 . 4 January 2019 . 5 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190105115725/https://www.seradata.com/final-score-for-2017-463-a-new-record-for-the-number-of-satellites-attempted-to-be-launched-in-a-single-year/ . live .
Web site: New companies needed to maintain small satellite market growth . . 31 January 2018 . 4 January 2019 . 16 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230116234153/https://spacenews.com/new-companies-needed-to-maintain-small-satellite-market-growth/ . live .
Web site: NASA's Juno Mission to Remain in Current Orbit at Jupiter . Karen . Northon . 17 February 2017 . 1 July 2017 . 20 February 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170220092542/https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-juno-mission-to-remain-in-current-orbit-at-jupiter/ . live .
Web site: Cassini Solstice Mission: Saturn Tour Dates: 2017 . saturn.jpl.nasa.gov . . 6 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021013440/http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/saturntourdates/saturntourdates2017/ . 21 October 2012 .
Web site: Spacewalkers Successfully Connect Adapter for Commercial Crew Vehicles. 30 March 2017. 2 September 2019. 31 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170331115416/https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/03/30/spacewalkers-successfully-connect-adapter-for-commercial-crew-vehicles/. dead.
Web site: Astronauts complete shortened spacewalk outside International Space Station . 23 May 2017 . 13 May 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170513195602/https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/12/watch-live-astronauts-begin-spacewalk-outside-international-space-station/ . live .
Web site: Hurriedly planned 'contingency' spacewalk on tap Tuesday . 23 May 2017 . 12 December 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181212234159/https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/05/22/hurriedly-planned-contingency-spacewalk-on-tap-tuesday/ . live .
Web site: Short Spacewalk Complete After Successful Installation Work . 24 May 2017 . 2 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200602185728/https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2017/05/23/short-spacewalk-complete-after-successful-installation-work/ . dead .
Web site: Russian Spacewalkers Collect Overtime in Busy EVA for Satellite Release, Sampling & External Outfitting . 17 August 2017 . 17 August 2017 . 18 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818045540/http://spaceflight101.com/russian-eva-43-successfully-completed-outside-iss/ . live .