Safety Design for Space Operations

Appendix C

Launch Chronology and Launch Failures

D.F. Kip Mikula

Chapter Outline

Introduction

Reference Documents and Sources

Database Description and Summary

Orbital Launch Attempts by Date

Orbital Launch Attempts by Launch Vehicle Family Type

Orbital Launch Attempts by Country/Launch Provider and by Launch Site

Derived Orbital Launch Attempt Failure Rate Data

Conclusion

Introduction

Purpose/Summary

Humans have been launching space vehicles into Earth orbit and to other solar system destinations for a little more than 50 years now. During that time there have been a number of studies summarizing those launches and documenting the successes and the failures. This report was written to supplement those previous studies and to perhaps look ...