NATO vs Russia: Cumulative number of objects launched into space
NATO
5 objects
in 1991
Russia
3,914 objects
in 2025
NATO rank
2nd
Russia rank
2nd
Cumulative number of objects launched into space over time
- NATO
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 3,914 objects against 5 objects in NATO, a difference of 3,909 objects.
That makes Russia's figure about 782.8 times NATO's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, Russia has been ahead every year.
NATO ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 2nd of 2 groups.
Russia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | NATO | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2 objects | 734.33 objects | 732.33 objects | Russia |
| 1980s | 4 objects | 2,025 objects | 2,021 objects | Russia |
| 1990s | 5 objects | 2,761 objects | 2,756 objects | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative number of objects launched into space, NATO or Russia?
- Russia, at 3,914 objects against 5 objects in NATO as of 2025.
- What is the difference in cumulative number of objects launched into space between NATO and Russia?
- 3,909 objects, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for NATO and Russia?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 1991.
- How do NATO and Russia rank globally for cumulative number of objects launched into space?
- NATO ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 2nd of 2 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative number of objects launched into space. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Cumulative number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.