How Many Rockets Did SpaceX Launch In 2025?

By Rahul Srinivas
A Space X rocket lifting off over wetlands. Space X/X

Space is an exciting frontier that has captivated humanity for centuries. This excitement stems partly from the sheer complexity of propelling a rocket into the skies, launching satellites into orbit, conducting experiments aboard the International Space Station, and planning missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond. This complexity means space missions were once rare, with televised events that everyone tuned in to watch live. There used to be a palpable sense of excitement every time a rocket lifted off.

While rocket launches continue to be an amazing spectacle, one company has singlehandedly made it almost a weekly affair. In 2024, SpaceX recorded as many as 134 orbital launches, prompting the FAA to consider charging licensing fees for rocket launches and reentries, starting in 2026. 134 launches in a single year is a staggering number, especially considering that the number of launches preceding that were significantly fewer: 2020 had 25 launches, 2021 saw 31, 2022 got up to 61, 2023 ended with 96, and 2024 got to 134. By the end of 2025, SpaceX managed to beat its own record with a total of 165 orbital launches. If you add the five non-orbital launches, the number rises to 170 total launches.

A single company executing 170 rocket launches a year is an impressive feat. To put it into perspective, SpaceX averaged launching one rocket into space every other day and did so continuously, week after week, for the entire year. In fact, SpaceX sent more rockets into space than every other space agency and company around the world combined.

SpaceX vs the Rest of the World in Numbers

A Space X rocket launched into orbit with the night sky in the backdrop. SpaceX/X

There were a total of 315 orbital rocket launches recorded in 2025, which is a sharp increase from the 250 launches in 2024. 165 of those launches came from SpaceX alone, accounting for 52% of the global orbital rocket launches recorded that year. Other agencies from the United States that made orbital launches include Rocket Lab (18 launches), ULA (six launches), Blue Origin (two launches), and Northrop Grumman with a single launch. This takes the total number of launches by U.S.-based companies to 192, accounting for roughly 61% of the world's successful orbital rocket launches in 2025.

Outside of the U.S., there were several countries also involved in launching rockets into space. The most prominent among these was China, whose space agency came in a distant second, with 90 successful launches. Others that made it to the top five included Russia's Roscosmos (17 launches), France (seven launches), India's ISRO (four launches), and Japan's JAXA (three launches).

SpaceX has been ramping up its orbital missions each year, and the company recently inked a fresh deal with the Pentagon worth $714 million. This will see the company launch several classified payloads, with at least one of them containing a new encrypted military communication satellite. With these and other new deals in place, there is a good chance 2026 could witness another record-breaking year for SpaceX.

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