2025 Rocket Launches in Review

SpaceX is still the dominant player in the global launch market. China has been picking up steam by increasing the launch rate for the Long March family by 41%. There might be new rocket families added for 2026 review, as there are quite a few very promising start ups that want to compete with a Falcon 9 sized rocket.

SpaceX planned for 165 Falcon launches in 2025. They came very close to achieving their goal with 164 launches. There were no Falcon Heavy launches in 2025

Starlink's Role in SpaceX's Growth

Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet constellation, has become a major driver of the company’s launch cadence. In 2025, 89 of the 164 Falcon 9 launches were for Starlink, representing 65% of total launches - matching the quota of 2023 and 2024.

Starlink Launch Breakdown by Year

Year	# Falcon 9 Launches	# Launches for Starlink	% Starlink
2019	13	2	15%
2020	25	14	56%
2021	31	17	55%
2022	61	34	56%
2023	95	62	65%
2024	133	86	65%
2025	164	89	65%

Global Context: Comparing Launch Totals

Launches per Rocket Family (1).png

SpaceX continues to dominate global launch statistics, outperforming other space programs and commercial operators. Below is a table summarizing launches across different rocket families and programs over the years:

Year	Falcon 9	Long March	R-7	Electron	PSLV
2010	2	15	13	0	1
2011	0	19	19	0	3
2012	2	19	14	0	2
2013	3	14	16	0	3
2014	6	15	21	0	3
2015	7	19	17	0	4
2016	28	22	14	0	6
2017	17	16	15	1	3
2018	21	37	16	3	4
2019	13	26	18	6	5
2020	25	34	15	7	2
2021	31	48	22	6	1
2022	61	53	19	9	3
2023	95	47	17	8	3
2024	133	49	12	15	3
2025	164	69	13	20	0

PSLV suffered one failed launch in 2025 due to loss of chamber pressure in the 3rd stage.
The Long March family increased their launch rate by 41%.
Rocket Lab increased their launch rate by 33%.
SpaceX increased their launch rate from a very high base by 23%.

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2025 Rocket Launches in Review | Ecency