Annual number of objects launched into space in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Annual number of objects launched into space was 10 objects in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
10 objects
Change on year
down 67.7%
World rank
15th
of 50 countries
All-time high
289 objects
in 2021
All-time low
1 objects
in 1962
Years of data
40
1962–2025

Annual number of objects launched into space in United Kingdom, 1962–2025

01002003001962199320251962: 1 objects1964: 1 objects1967: 1 objects1969: 2 objects1970: 1 objects1971: 2 objects1974: 4 objects1979: 2 objects1981: 2 objects1984: 2 objects1988: 1 objects1989: 2 objects1990: 5 objects1991: 1 objects1994: 2 objects1998: 1 objects1999: 2 objects2000: 4 objects2001: 1 objects2003: 1 objects2005: 3 objects2007: 2 objects2008: 3 objects2009: 3 objects2010: 3 objects2011: 2 objects2012: 4 objects2013: 7 objects2014: 10 objects2015: 7 objects2016: 1 objects2017: 7 objects2018: 12 objects2019: 14 objects2020: 104 objects2021: 289 objects2022: 112 objects2023: 145 objects2024: 31 objects2025: 10 objects

Source: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in objects.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 10 objects for annual number of objects launched into space in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 67.7% on the previous year and up 42.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual number of objects launched into space in United Kingdom peaked at 289 objects in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1 objects, in 1962.

That places United Kingdom 15th out of 50 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.25 objects 1 objects 2 objects 4
1970s 2.25 objects 1 objects 4 objects 4
1980s 1.75 objects 1 objects 2 objects 4
1990s 2.2 objects 1 objects 5 objects 5
2000s 2.43 objects 1 objects 4 objects 7
2010s 6.7 objects 1 objects 14 objects 10
2020s 115.17 objects 10 objects 289 objects 6

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 13 United Arab Emirates 13 objects compare
  2. 14 Australia 12 objects compare
  3. 15 Taiwan 10 objects compare
  4. 17 Israel 9 objects compare
  5. 18 Poland 8 objects compare

See the full ranking of 52 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual number of objects launched into space in United Kingdom?
Annual number of objects launched into space in United Kingdom was 10 objects in 2025, according to United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 289 objects in 2021.
What is the lowest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1 objects in 1962.
How does United Kingdom rank for annual number of objects launched into space?
United Kingdom ranks 15th out of 50 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual number of objects launched into space rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual number of objects launched into space. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual number of objects launched into space
Unit
objects
Source
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
52 places, 979 data points, 1957–2025
Last refreshed

Annual number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.