Analysis

Earth’s Busiest Spaceports in 2021

By Ryan Duffy
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Graphic via Aerospace Security Project/CSIS

Where did the 133 successful orbital launches of 2021 start their journey? Visualize the busiest launchpads via Spaceports of the World, a data repository compiled by the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS, a DC-based think tank. 

The top three spaceports by orbital launch (H/T Thomas G. Roberts): 

  1. Cape Canaveral / Kennedy Space Center, with 31 launches (+1 YoY)
  2. Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, with 19 launches (+8 YoY) 
  3. Xichang Satellite Launch Center, with 16 launches (+4 YoY) 

As for the all-time leader? That honor goes to Plesetsk Cosmodrome, which has played host to 1,589 launches since 1957. Activity has trailed off over the decades, dropping from a peak of 69 orbital launches in 1977 to five in 2021.

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