Rocket Report: SpaceX and China led the way in 2025; Vandenberg has room to grow

In 2025, SpaceX and China led the way as global launch activity continued to rise, with 329 orbital launch attempts recorded worldwide and 321 of them reaching orbit or marginal orbits, according to Aviation Week & Space Technology. SpaceX launched 165 Falcon 9 rockets, while no Falcon Heavy flights occurred that year, and US providers added about 30 orbital launches, helped by Rocket Lab from its New Zealand spaceport.

China attempted 92 orbital launches in 2025, followed by Russia with 17 and Europe with eight, with India, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Iran and Australia contributing smaller numbers. The year also saw SpaceX’s Starship/Super Heavy programme referenced in broad coverage, and a new orbital launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California emerged as a potential contender for heavy or super-heavy rockets, designated Space Launch Complex-14.

Space agencies and private firms alike were eyeing SpaceX’s Version 3 and Blue Origin’s evolving capabilities as possible attractions for the bid, with multiple contenders expected to vie for the southernmost Western Range launch complex.