NATO vs Russia: Annual number of objects launched into space
NATO
1 objects
in 1991
Russia
89 objects
in 2025
NATO rank
2nd
Russia rank
3rd
Annual number of objects launched into space over time
- NATO
- Russia
How they compare
Russia currently reports 89 objects against 1 objects in NATO, a difference of 88 objects.
That makes Russia's figure about 89.0 times NATO's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, Russia has been ahead every year.
NATO ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd 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 | 1 objects | 102.33 objects | 101.33 objects | Russia |
| 1980s | 1 objects | 115 objects | 114 objects | Russia |
| 1990s | 1 objects | 83 objects | 82 objects | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual number of objects launched into space, NATO or Russia?
- Russia, at 89 objects against 1 objects in NATO as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual number of objects launched into space between NATO and Russia?
- 88 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 annual number of objects launched into space?
- NATO ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd 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 Annual 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
Annual number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.