# 2012 in spaceflight

The year 2012 saw a number of significant events in spaceflight. In May and October, the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services resupply missions took place, during which the SpaceX Dragon became the first private spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). In June, China launched the crewed Shenzhou 9 orbital mission, and North Korea achieved its first successful orbital launch in December. 2012 also saw China's first successful asteroid exploration mission, and the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. The Vega and Unha-3 rockets made their maiden flights in 2012, while the Proton-K made its last.
A total of 77 orbital launches were attempted in 2012, of which 72 were successful, three were partially successful and two were failures. Five crewed orbital missions were conducted over the course of the year, all successfully, carrying a total of 15 individuals into orbit. The year also saw five EVAs by ISS astronauts. The majority of the year's orbital launches were conducted by Russia, China and the United States, with 29, 19 and 13 launches respectively. A total of 139 payloads were launched during the year, including communication and navigation satellites, logistics spacecraft and scientific probes. Additionally, a large number of suborbital sounding rockets and ballistic missiles were launched by scientific and military organisations.

## Overview of orbital spaceflight

A total of 77 orbital launches were attempted in 2012, with 72 being reported as successful, and a total of 139 payloads launched. The three most prolific spacefaring nations were Russia, with 29 launches and 27 successes; China, with 19 launches, all of which succeeded; and the United States, with 13 launches, of which 12 succeeded and one was a partial failure. European nations conducted eight orbital launches, all successfully, while India and Japan conducted two each, also successfully. Iran and North Korea both achieved one successful orbital launch during 2012, but Iran also suffered one launch failures, while North Korea suffered one.

### Crewed spaceflight

Five crewed orbital launches were conducted during 2012, all successfully, carrying a total of 15 astronauts into orbit. Four of these missions were flown using Russian Soyuz spacecraft, while the fifth was a Chinese Shenzhou launch. All of the year's crewed missions rendezvoused with space stations – the four Soyuz missions docked with the International Space Station (ISS), while China's Shenzhou 9 docked with the Tiangong-1 orbital laboratory. Five spacewalks were also undertaken in 2012, all by ISS crewmembers.

### Robotic exploration

Numerous significant milestones in robotic spaceflight occurred in 2012, including the landing of NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars in August, and the first commercial resupply missions to the ISS in May and October. The latter also marked the first fully operational use of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. Elsewhere in the Solar System, NASA's Dawn spacecraft completed its mission to 4 Vesta in September 2012, while China achieved its first asteroid flyby in December.

## Orbital launches

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| January ||||||||
| 9 January 03:17:09 | Long March 4B | Long March 4B | | Taiyuan LC-9 | Taiyuan LC-9 | SAST | SAST |
| 9 January 03:17:09 | | Ziyuan 3 | MLR | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 9 January 03:17:09 | | VesselSat-2 | Luxspace | Low Earth (SSO) | Communications | 27 October 2016 | Successful |
| 13 January 00:56:04 | Long March 3A | Long March 3A | | Xichang LC-3 | Xichang LC-3 | CALT | CALT |
| 13 January 00:56:04 | | Fengyun 2-07 | CMA | Geosynchronous | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational |
| 20 January 00:38:00 | Delta IV-M+ (5,4) | Delta IV-M+ (5,4) | | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 20 January 00:38:00 | | USA-233 (WGS-4) | U.S. Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 25 January 23:06:40 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 25 January 23:06:40 | | Progress M-14M / 46P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 28 April 13:46 | Successful |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → February ||||||||
| 3 February 00:04 | Safir-1B | Safir-1B | ERS.2002 | Semnan LP-1 | Semnan LP-1 | ISA | ISA |
| 3 February 00:04 | | Navid | ISA | Low Earth | Earth observation | 1 April | Successful |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | Vega | Vega | | Kourou ELV | Kourou ELV | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | LARES | ASI | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ALMASat-1 | Università di Bologna | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ Xatcobeo | Vigo/INTA | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 31 August 2014 | Successful |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ UniCubeSat-GG | Rome | Low Earth | Atmospheric science | 16 February 2015 | Successful |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ Robusta | Montpellier | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 28 January 2015 | Partial spacecraft failure |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ e-st@r | Torino | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 16 January 2015 | Partial spacecraft failure |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ Goliat | Bucharest | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 31 December 2014 | Partial spacecraft failure |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ PW-Sat | Warsaw | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 28 October 2014 | Successful |
| 13 February 10:00:00 | | ⚀ MaSat-1 | BME | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 9 January 2015 | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Vega rocket; all payloads CubeSats except LARES and ALMASat-1. First Hungarian, Romanian and Polish satellites. ||||||
| 14 February 19:36:37 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 14 February 19:36:37 | | SES-4 | SES World Skies | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 24 February 16:12:04 | Long March 3C | Long March 3C | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 24 February 16:12:04 | | Compass-G5 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 24 February 22:15:00 | Atlas V 551 | Atlas V 551 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 24 February 22:15:00 | | MUOS-1 | U.S. Navy | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → March ||||||||
| 23 March 04:34:05 | Ariane 5 ES | Ariane 5 ES | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 23 March 04:34:05 | | Edoardo Amaldi ATV | ESA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 3 October 01:23 | Successful |
| 25 March 12:10:32 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 25 March 12:10:32 | | Intelsat 22 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 30 March 05:49:32 | Proton-K / DM-2 | Proton-K / DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 30 March 05:49:32 | | Kosmos 2479 (US-KMO) | VKO | Geosynchronous | Missile defense | In orbit | Operational |
| Final flight of Proton-K, final US-KMO satellite. ||||||
| 31 March 10:27:04 | Long March 3B/E | Long March 3B/E | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 31 March 10:27:04 | | Apstar-7 | APT Satellite Holdings | Geosynchronous | Communication | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → April ||||||||
| 3 April 23:12:57 | Delta IV-M+(5,2) | Delta IV-M+(5,2) | | Vandenberg SLC-6 | Vandenberg SLC-6 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 3 April 23:12:57 | | USA-234 (FIA-R) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| NRO Launch 25 ||||||
| 12 April 22:38:55 | Unha-3 | Unha-3 | | Sohae | Sohae | KCST | KCST |
| 12 April 22:38:55 | | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 | KCST | Intended: Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 12 April | Launch failure |
| Probable first stage failure, disintegrated over the Yellow Sea. ||||||
| 20 April 12:50:24 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 20 April 12:50:24 | | Progress M-15M / 47P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 20 August 2012 | Successful |
| 23 April 22:18:13 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 23 April 22:18:13 | | Yahsat 1B | Yahsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 26 April 00:17 | PSLV-XL | PSLV-XL | | Satish Dhawan Space Centre FLP | Satish Dhawan Space Centre FLP | ISRO | ISRO |
| 26 April 00:17 | | RISAT-1 | ISRO | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 29 April 20:50:03 | Long March 3B | Long March 3B | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 29 April 20:50:03 | | Compass-M3 | CNSA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 29 April 20:50:03 | | Compass-M4 | CNSA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → May ||||||||
| 4 May 18:42:00 | Atlas V 531 | Atlas V 531 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 4 May 18:42:00 | | USA-235 (AEHF-2) | U.S. Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 May 07:10:04 | Long March 2D | Long March 2D | | Jiuquan SLS-2 | Jiuquan SLS-2 | SAST | SAST |
| 6 May 07:10:04 | | Tianhui 1B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 10 May 07:06:04 | Long March 4B | Long March 4B | | Taiyuan LC-9 | Taiyuan LC-9 | SAST | SAST |
| 10 May 07:06:04 | | Yaogan 14 | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 10 May 07:06:04 | | Tiantuo 1 | NUDT | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | 3 November 2014 | Successful |
| 15 May 03:01:23 | Soyuz-FG | Soyuz-FG | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 15 May 03:01:23 | | Soyuz TMA-04M | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 31/32 | 17 September 02:53 | Successful |
| Crewed flight ||||||
| 15 May 22:13:07 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 15 May 22:13:07 | | JCSAT-13 | SKY Perfect JSAT Group | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 15 May 22:13:07 | | Vinasat-2 | VNPT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 17 May 14:05 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | VKO | VKO |
| 17 May 14:05 | | Kosmos 2480 (Kobalt-M No.8) | VKO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 24 September | Successful |
| Final Soyuz-U launch from Plesetsk. ||||||
| 17 May 16:39 | H-IIA | H-IIA | | Tanegashima LA-Y1 | Tanegashima LA-Y1 | MHI | MHI |
| 17 May 16:39 | | GCOM-W1 | JAXA / NASA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 17 May 16:39 | | Arirang-3 | KARI | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 17 May 16:39 | | SDS-4 | JAXA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 May 16:39 | | Horyu-2 | KIT | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration Amateur radio | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 May 19:12:14 | Proton-M / Briz-M | Proton-M / Briz-M | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 17 May 19:12:14 | | Nimiq 6 | Telesat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 May 07:44:38 | Falcon 9 v1.0 | Falcon 9 v1.0 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | SpaceX | SpaceX |
| 22 May 07:44:38 | | Dragon C2+ | SpaceX / NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | Flight test ISS logistics | 31 May 16:42 | Successful |
| 22 May 07:44:38 | | New Frontier | Celestis | Low Earth | Space burial | 27 June | Successful |
| COTS Demo 2+, orbital test manoeuvres and ISS rendezvous, berthing and cargo delivery. First commercial spacecraft to visit the ISS. Celestis payload, containing cremated remains of 308 people including Gordon Cooper and James Doohan, remained intentionally attached to the upper stage. ||||||
| 23 May | Safir-1B | Safir-1B | | Semnan | Semnan | ISA | ISA |
| 23 May | | Fajr | ISA | Planned: Low Earth | Earth observation | 23 May | Launch failure |
| Probable launch failure; identity of launch attempt, rocket, satellite and launch time not confirmed. ||||||
| 26 May 15:56:04 | Long March 3B/E | Long March 3B/E | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 26 May 15:56:04 | | Chinasat-2A | China Satcom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 29 May 07:31:05 | Long March 4C | Long March 4C | | Taiyuan LC-9 | Taiyuan LC-9 | SAST | SAST |
| 29 May 07:31:05 | | Yaogan 15 | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → June ||||||||
| 1 June 05:22:59 | Zenit-3SL | Zenit-3SL | | Ocean Odyssey | Ocean Odyssey | Sea Launch | Sea Launch |
| 1 June 05:22:59 | | Intelsat 19 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure |
| Second solar panel initially failed to deploy after launch. It eventually deployed, but was damaged. ||||||
| 13 June 16:00:37 | Pegasus-XL | Pegasus-XL | | Stargazer, Kwajalein Atoll | Stargazer, Kwajalein Atoll | Orbital Sciences | Orbital Sciences |
| 13 June 16:00:37 | | NuSTAR | NASA | Low Earth | X-ray astronomy | In orbit | Operational |
| 16 June 10:37:24 | Long March 2F | Long March 2F | Y9 | Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-1 | Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-1 | CALT | CALT |
| 16 June 10:37:24 | | Shenzhou 9 | CMSA | Low Earth (Tiangong-1) | Technology demonstration | 29 June 02:01 | Successful |
| 16 June 10:37:24 | | Shenzhou-9-GC (Orbital Module) | CMSA | Low Earth (Tiangong-1) | Space rendezvous | 2 December | Successful |
| Crewed flight; first Chinese woman in space, and first crewed mission to Tiangong-1. ||||||
| 20 June 12:28 | Atlas V 401 | Atlas V 401 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 20 June 12:28 | | USA-236 / SDS-3 | NRO | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| NROL-38 mission. ||||||
| 29 June 13:15 | Delta IV Heavy | Delta IV Heavy | | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 29 June 13:15 | | USA-237 / Orion 8 | NRO | Geosynchronous | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| NROL-15 mission. First flight of Delta IV with RS-68A engines. ||||||
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → July ||||||||
| 5 July 21:36:07 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 5 July 21:36:07 | | Echostar XVII | Hughes Network Systems | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 5 July 21:36:07 | | MSG 3 | EUMETSAT | Geosynchronous | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational |
| 9 July 18:38:30 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 9 July 18:38:30 | | SES-5 | SES | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 15 July 02:40:03 | Soyuz-FG | Soyuz-FG | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 15 July 02:40:03 | | Soyuz TMA-05M | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 32/33 | 19 November 01:56 | Successful |
| Crewed flight ||||||
| 21 July 02:06:18 | H-IIB | H-IIB | | Tanegashima LA-Y2 | Tanegashima LA-Y2 | JAXA | JAXA |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | Kounotori 3 | JAXA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 14 September | Successful |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | ⚀ Raiko | Wakayama/Tohuku | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 6 August 2013 | Successful |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | ⚀ FITSAT-1 (Niwaka) | FIT | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 4 July 2013 | Successful |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | ⚀ We-Wish | Meisei Electric | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 11 March 2013 | Successful |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | ⚀ F-1 | FPT | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | May 2013 | Successfully deployed, but no signal was received. |
| 21 July 02:06:18 | | ⚀ TechEdSat | San Jose | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 5 May 2013 | Successful |
| All payloads CubeSats other than Kounotori 3. CubeSats carried aboard Kounotori and deployed from the ISS. ||||||
| 22 July 06:41:39 | Soyuz-FG / Fregat | Soyuz-FG / Fregat | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 22 July 06:41:39 | | Kanopus V-1 | Roscosmos | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 July 06:41:39 | | BelKA-2 | NASRB | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 July 06:41:39 | | Zond-PP | Roscosmos | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration Earth observation | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| 22 July 06:41:39 | | TET-1 | DLR | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | 18 November 2022 | Successful |
| 22 July 06:41:39 | | exactView 1 | exactEarth | Low Earth (SSO) | AIS ship tracking | In orbit | Operational |
| First Belarusian satellite. ||||||
| 25 July 15:43:04 | Long March 3C | Long March 3C | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 25 July 15:43:04 | | Tianlian I-03 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 July 01:35:34 | Rokot / Briz-KM | Rokot / Briz-KM | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | VKO | VKO |
| 28 July 01:35:34 | | Gonets M-3 | Gonets Satellite System | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 July 01:35:34 | | Gonets M-4 | Gonets Satellite System | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 July 01:35:34 | | Kosmos 2481 (Strela-3M) | VKO | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 July 01:35:34 | | MiR (Yubileiny 2) | NPO PM | Low Earth | Amateur radio Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → August ||||||||
| 1 August 19:35:13 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 1 August 19:35:13 | | Progress M-16M / 48P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 9 February 2013 | Successful |
| 1 August 19:35:13 | | Sfera-53 | Roscosmos | Low Earth | Atmospheric density | 24 November | Successful |
| Fast rendezvous test; Sfera-53 deployed from ISS at 18:29 UTC on 20 August during a spacewalk. ||||||
| 2 August 20:54 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 2 August 20:54 | | Intelsat 20 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 2 August 20:54 | | HYLAS-2 | Avanti | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 August 19:31:00 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Khrunichev | Khrunichev |
| 6 August 19:31:00 | | Telkom-3 | PT Telkom | Planned: Geosynchronous Achieved: Medium Earth | Communications | 5 February 2021 | Launch failure |
| 6 August 19:31:00 | | Ekspress-MD2 | RSCC | Planned: Geosynchronous Achieved: Medium Earth | Communications | In orbit | Launch failure |
| Briz-M stage failure 7 seconds into its third burn. Stage exploded on 16 October, generating over 500 pieces of orbital debris. ||||||
| 19 August 06:54:59 | Zenit-3SL | Zenit-3SL | | Ocean Odyssey | Ocean Odyssey | Sea Launch | Sea Launch |
| 19 August 06:54:59 | | Intelsat 21 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 30 August 08:05:27 | Atlas V 401 | Atlas V 401 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 30 August 08:05:27 | | Van Allen Probe A (RBSP-A) | NASA | Highly elliptical | Magnetospheric research | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 August 08:05:27 | | Van Allen Probe B (RBSP-B) | NASA | Highly elliptical | Magnetospheric research | In orbit | Successful |
| Launch of the two Van Allen Probes, formerly known as the Radiation Belt Storm Probes. Van Allen Probe B ceased operations on 19 July 2019; Van Allen Probe A was deactivated on 18 October 2019. ||||||
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → September ||||||||
| 9 September 04:23 | PSLV-CA | PSLV-CA | | Satish Dhawan FLP | Satish Dhawan FLP | ISRO | ISRO |
| 9 September 04:23 | | SPOT 6 | CNES | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 9 September 04:23 | | PROITERES | Osaka Institute of Technology | Low Earth (SSO) | Amateur radio Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | Atlas V 401 | Atlas V 401 | | Vandenberg SLC-3E | Vandenberg SLC-3E | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | USA-238 (NOSS) | NRO | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | USA-238 (NOSS) | NRO | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ CINEMA 1 | UCB | Low Earth | Magnetospheric research | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ CXBN | Morehead | Low Earth | X-ray astronomy | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ CP 5 | CalPoly | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ CSSWE | CU-Boulder | Low Earth | Magnetospheric research | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ Aeneas | USC / NRO | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ STARE A | Lawrence Livermore | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ SMDC-ONE 2.1 | U.S. Army | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ SMDC-ONE 2.2 | U.S. Army | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ AeroCube 4 | The Aerospace Corporation | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ AeroCube 4.5A | The Aerospace Corporation | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 13 September 21:39:00 | | ⚀ AeroCube 4.5B | The Aerospace Corporation | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| NRO Launch 36 ||||||
| 17 September 16:28:40 | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Starsem | Starsem |
| 17 September 16:28:40 | | MetOp-B | EUMETSAT | Low Earth (SSO) | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational |
| 18 September 19:10:04 | Long March 3B/E | Long March 3B/E | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 18 September 19:10:04 | | Compass-M5 | CNSA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 18 September 19:10:04 | | Compass-M6 | CNSA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 September 21:18:07 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 28 September 21:18:07 | | Astra 2F | SES | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 September 21:18:07 | | GSAT-10 | ISRO | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 29 September 04:12:04 | Long March 2D | Long March 2D | | Jiuquan SLS-2 | Jiuquan SLS-2 | SAST | SAST |
| 29 September 04:12:04 | | VRSS-1 | MPPCTII | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → October ||||||||
| 4 October 12:10:00 | Delta IV M+(4,2) | Delta IV M+(4,2) | | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 4 October 12:10:00 | | USA-239 (GPS IIF-3) | U.S. Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 October 00:35:07 | Falcon 9 v1.0 | Falcon 9 v1.0 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | SpaceX | SpaceX |
| 8 October 00:35:07 | | SpaceX CRS-1 | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 28 October 19:22 | Successful |
| 8 October 00:35:07 | | Orbcomm-2 F1 | Orbcomm | Low Earth | Communications | 10 October | Launch failure |
| First flight of Commercial Resupply Services programme. First stage engine failure resulted in a too-low orbit for Orbcomm payload; CRS-1 nonetheless placed into correct orbit. ||||||
| 12 October 18:15:01 | Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-MT | Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-MT | | Kourou ELS | Kourou ELS | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 12 October 18:15:01 | | Galileo IOV 3 | ESA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 12 October 18:15:01 | | Galileo IOV 4 | ESA | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 14 October 03:25:05 | Long March 2C/SMA | Long March 2C/SMA | | Taiyuan LC-9 | Taiyuan LC-9 | CALT | CALT |
| 14 October 03:25:05 | | Shijian 9A | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 14 October 03:25:05 | | Shijian 9B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational |
| 14 October 08:37:00 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 14 October 08:37:00 | | Intelsat 23 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 23 October 10:51:11 | Soyuz-FG | Soyuz-FG | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 23 October 10:51:11 | | Soyuz TMA-06M | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 33/34 | 16 March 2013 03:06 | Successful |
| Crewed flight ||||||
| 25 October 15:33:04 | Long March 3C | Long March 3C | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 25 October 15:33:04 | | Compass-G6 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| Compass navigation system became commercially operational in Asia-Pacific region in December 2012. ||||||
| 31 October 07:41:18 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 31 October 07:41:18 | | Progress M-17M / 49P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 21 April 2013 | Successful |
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → November ||||||||
| 2 November 21:04:00 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 2 November 21:04:00 | | Luch 5B | Gonets Satellite System | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 2 November 21:04:00 | | Yamal-300K | Gazprom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 10 November 21:05:07 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 10 November 21:05:07 | | Eutelsat 21B | Eutelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 10 November 21:05:07 | | Star One C3 | Star One | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 14 November 11:42:46 | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | VKO | VKO |
| 14 November 11:42:46 | | Meridian 6 | VKO | Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 18 November 22:53:04 | Long March 2C | Long March 2C | | Taiyuan LC-9 | Taiyuan LC-9 | CALT | CALT |
| 18 November 22:53:04 | | Huanjing 1C | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | 1 March 2023 | Successful |
| 18 November 22:53:04 | | Xinyan 1 | CASC | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | 5 October 2019 | Successful |
| 18 November 22:53:04 | | Fengniao 1 | SAST | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | 11 January 2024 | Successful |
| 18 November 22:53:04 | | Fengniao 1A | SAST | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | 11 January 2024 | Deployment failure |
| 20 November 18:31:00 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 20 November 18:31:00 | | EchoStar XVI | EchoStar | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 25 November 04:06:04 | Long March 4C | Long March 4C | | Jiuquan SLS-2 | Jiuquan SLS-2 | SAST | SAST |
| 25 November 04:06:04 | | Yaogan 16A | CNSA | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| 25 November 04:06:04 | | Yaogan 16B | CNSA | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| 25 November 04:06:04 | | Yaogan 16C | CNSA | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| 27 November 10:13:03 | Long March 3B/E | Long March 3B/E | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | CALT | CALT |
| 27 November 10:13:03 | | ChinaSat 12 / SupremeSAT-I | China Satcom / SupremeSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Part of satellite's communications payload was leased to SupremeSAT, a Sri Lankan satellite operator, as SupremeSAT-I. ||||||
| ← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec → December ||||||||
| 2 December 02:02:51 | Soyuz ST-A / Fregat | Soyuz ST-A / Fregat | | Kourou ELS | Kourou ELS | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 2 December 02:02:51 | | Pléiades-HR 1B | CNES | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation/Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 3 December 20:43:59 | Zenit-3SL | Zenit-3SL | | Ocean Odyssey | Ocean Odyssey | Sea Launch | Sea Launch |
| 3 December 20:43:59 | | Eutelsat 70B | Eutelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 December 13:13:43 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | International Launch Services |
| 8 December 13:13:43 | | Yamal-402 | Gazprom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational; partial launch failure |
| Briz-M stage failure 4 minutes before scheduled shut down on its fourth burn. ||||||
| 11 December 18:03 | Atlas V 501 | Atlas V 501 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | United Launch Alliance |
| 11 December 18:03 | | USA-240 (X-37B OTV-3) | U.S. Air Force | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 17 October 2014 | Successful |
| 270-day X-37B endurance mission ultimately extended to over 680 days. ||||||
| 12 December 00:49:46 | Unha-3 | Unha-3 | | Sohae | Sohae | KCST | KCST |
| 12 December 00:49:46 | | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 | KCST | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| First successful North Korean orbital launch, first North Korean satellite; satellite reached orbit but malfunctioned thereafter. ||||||
| 18 December 16:13:04 | Long March 2D | Long March 2D | | Jiuquan SLS-2 | Jiuquan SLS-2 | SAST | SAST |
| 18 December 16:13:04 | | Göktürk-2 | MSB | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 19 December 12:12:35 | Soyuz-FG | Soyuz-FG | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | Roscosmos |
| 19 December 12:12:35 | | Soyuz TMA-07M | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 34/35 | 14 May 2013 02:31 | Successful |
| Crewed flight ||||||
| 19 December 21:49:07 | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane 5 ECA | | Kourou ELA-3 | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 19 December 21:49:07 | | Skynet 5D | Astrium | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 19 December 21:49:07 | | Mexsat-3 | SCT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Skynet 5D military communications satellite operated by Astrium Services on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence. ||||||
* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Suborbital flights

| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| 11 January 13:25 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | Terrier-Improved Malemute | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 11 January 13:25 | | | NASA | Suborbital | Test flight | 11 January | Successful |
| 11 January 20:51 | S-520 | S-520 | | Uchinoura | Uchinoura | JAXA | JAXA |
| 11 January 20:51 | | | JAXA/HU/TU/TU/TPU/KU/KUT | Suborbital | Atmospheric science | 11 January | Successful |
| 24 January | Arrow III | Arrow III | | Negev | Negev | IAI | IAI |
| 24 January | | | IAI/IDF | Suborbital | ABM Test | 24 January | Successful |
| First test flight of the Arrow-III ||||||
| 10 February 04:40 | Prithvi | Prithvi | | ITR IC-4 | ITR IC-4 | DRDO | DRDO |
| 10 February 04:40 | | | DRDO | Suborbital | Target | 10 February | Successful |
| Target for ABM test, successfully intercepted ||||||
| 10 February | Blue Sparrow | Blue Sparrow | | F-15 Eagle, Israel | F-15 Eagle, Israel | IAF | IAF |
| 10 February | | | Israeli Air Force | Suborbital | ABM target | 10 February | Successful |
| Arrow-3 tracking target ||||||
| 13 February 09:32 | VSB-30 | VSB-30 | | Esrange | Esrange | EuroLaunch | EuroLaunch |
| 13 February 09:32 | | MASER-12 | SSC | Suborbital | Microgravity | 13 February | Successful |
| 19 February 05:41 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | Poker Flat | Poker Flat | NASA | NASA |
| 19 February 05:41 | | | UNH | Suborbital | Auroral research | 19 February | Successful |
| 22 February | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | USS Tennessee, ETR | USS Tennessee, ETR | US Navy | US Navy |
| 22 February | | | US Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 22 February | Successful |
| Demonstration and Shakedown Operation 23 (DASO-23) ||||||
| 25 February 10:46 | LGM-30G Minuteman III | LGM-30G Minuteman III | | Vandenberg LF-09 | Vandenberg LF-09 | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 25 February 10:46 | | | US Air Force | Suborbital | Test flight | 25 February | Successful |
| 22 March 09:00 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 22 March 09:00 | | CIBER | Caltech | Suborbital | Astronomy | 22 March | Successful |
| 27 March 08:58 | Terrier-Oriole | Terrier-Oriole | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 27 March 08:58 | | ATREX | Clemson | Suborbital | Geospace | 27 March | Successful |
| 27 March 08:59 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | Terrier-Improved Malemute | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 27 March 08:59 | | ATREX | Clemson | Suborbital | Geospace | 27 March | Successful |
| 27 March 09:00 | Terrier-Orion | Terrier-Orion | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 27 March 09:00 | | ATREX | Clemson | Suborbital | Geospace | 27 March | Successful |
| 27 March 09:02 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | Terrier-Improved Malemute | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 27 March 09:02 | | ATREX | Clemson | Suborbital | Geospace | 27 March | Successful |
| 27 March 09:03 | Terrier-Orion | Terrier-Orion | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 27 March 09:03 | | ATREX | Clemson | Suborbital | Geospace | 27 March | Successful |
| 5 April 14:18 | SpaceLoft XL | SpaceLoft XL | | Spaceport America | Spaceport America | UP Aerospace | UP Aerospace |
| 5 April 14:18 | | | ORS | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 5 April | Successful |
| Apogee: 117 kilometres (73 mi), successfully recovered ||||||
| 14 April | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | USS Maryland, ETR | USS Maryland, ETR | US Navy | US Navy |
| 14 April | | | US Navy | Suborbital | Test flight | 14 April | Successful |
| Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 45 ||||||
| 14 April | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | USS Maryland, ETR | USS Maryland, ETR | US Navy | US Navy |
| 14 April | | | US Navy | Suborbital | Test flight | 14 April | Successful |
| Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 45 ||||||
| 16 April | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | USS Maryland, ETR | USS Maryland, ETR | US Navy | US Navy |
| 16 April | | | US Navy | Suborbital | Test flight | 16 April | Successful |
| Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 46 ||||||
| 16 April | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | USS Maryland, ETR | USS Maryland, ETR | US Navy | US Navy |
| 16 April | | | US Navy | Suborbital | Test flight | 16 April | Successful |
| Follow-on Commander's Evaluation Test 46 ||||||
| 19 April 02:37 | Agni-V | Agni-V | | Integrated Test Range | Integrated Test Range | DRDO | DRDO |
| 19 April 02:37 | | | DRDO | Suborbital | Test flight | 19 April | Successful |
| Apogee: 800 kilometres (500 mi), maiden flight of Agni-V ||||||
| 23 April | VS-30/Orion | VS-30/Orion | | Andøya | Andøya | DSTO | DSTO |
| 23 April | | HiFire-5 | DSTO | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 23 April | Launch failure |
| Hypersonic research experiment, second stage of launch vehicle failed to ignite ||||||
| 25 April | Shaheen-IA | Shaheen-IA | | Sonmiani | Sonmiani | ASFC | ASFC |
| 25 April | | | ASFC | Suborbital | Test flight | 25 April | Successful |
| 10 May 06:18 | Terrier Orion (ARAV-A) | Terrier Orion (ARAV-A) | FTM-16 E2a | Kauai | Kauai | MDA | MDA |
| 10 May 06:18 | | | MDA | Suborbital | ABM target | 10 May | Successful |
| SM-3 Block 1B target ||||||
| 10 May 06:21 | RIM-161C SM-3 Block 1B | RIM-161C SM-3 Block 1B | FTM-16 E2a | USS Lake Erie, Pacific Ocean | USS Lake Erie, Pacific Ocean | US Navy | US Navy |
| 10 May 06:21 | | | US Navy | Suborbital | ABM test | 10 May | Successful |
| ARAV-A interceptor, successful intercept ||||||
| 23 May 06:15 | RS-26 Rubezh | RS-26 Rubezh | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | RVSN | RVSN |
| 23 May 06:15 | | | RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 23 May | Successful |
| 7 June 17:39 | RS-12M Topol | RS-12M Topol | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | RVSN | RVSN |
| 7 June 17:39 | | | RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 7 June | Successful |
| 21 June 10:40 | Terrier Improved Orion | Terrier Improved Orion | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 21 June 10:40 | | RockOn | Colorado | Suborbital | Student experiments | 21 June | Successful |
| 22 June 19:18 | VS-40 | VS-40 | | Andøya | Andøya | Andøya | Andøya |
| 22 June 19:18 | | SHEFEX II | DLR | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 22 June | Successful |
| 23 June 19:30 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 23 June 19:30 | | EVE | CU Boulder | Suborbital | SDO calibration | 23 June | Successful |
| 27 June 09:15 | Castor 4B | Castor 4B | FTM-18 | Kauai | Kauai | MDA | MDA |
| 27 June 09:15 | | | MDA | Suborbital | ABM target | 27 June | Successful |
| SM-3 Block 1B target ||||||
| 27 June 09:18 | RIM-161C SM-3 Block 1B | RIM-161C SM-3 Block 1B | FTM-18 | USS Lake Erie, Pacific Ocean | USS Lake Erie, Pacific Ocean | US Navy | US Navy |
| 27 June 09:18 | | | US Navy | Suborbital | ABM test | 27 June | Successful |
| Castor 4B interceptor, successful intercept ||||||
| 3 July | Shahab-1 | Shahab-1 | | Iran | Iran | IRGC | IRGC |
| 3 July | | | IGRC | Suborbital | Missile test | 3 July | Successful |
| Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||
| 3 July | Shahab-2 | Shahab-2 | | Iran | Iran | IGRC | IGRC |
| 3 July | | | IRGC | Suborbital | Missile test | 3 July | Successful |
| Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||
| 3 July | Shahab-3 | Shahab-3 | | Iran | Iran | IRGC | IRGC |
| 3 July | | | IRGC | Suborbital | Missile test | 3 July | Successful |
| Apogee: ~150 kilometres (93 mi) ||||||
| 5 July 18:50 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 5 July 18:50 | | SUMI | NASA/MSFC | Suborbital | Solar research | 5 July | Successful |
| 11 July 18:50 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 11 July 18:50 | | Hi-C | NASA/MSFC | Suborbital | Solar research | 11 July | Successful |
| 13 July 04:36 | Agni-I | Agni-I | | Integrated Test Range | Integrated Test Range | IDRDL | IDRDL |
| 13 July 04:36 | | | IDRDL | Suborbital | Missile test | 13 July | Successful |
| Apogee: ~200 kilometres (120 mi) ||||||
| 23 July 11:01 | Black Brant XI | Black Brant XI | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 23 July 11:01 | | IRVE-3 | NASA/Langley | Suborbital | Atmospheric entry test | 23 July | Successful |
| Apogee: ~285 miles (459 km); part of the Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator programme ||||||
| 24 July 19:17 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 24 July 19:17 | | DFS | USC | Suborbital | Solar research | 24 July | Successful |
| 7 August 07:30:00 | S-310 | S-310 | | Uchinoura | Uchinoura | JAXA | JAXA |
| 7 August 07:30:00 | | | UT/JAXA/AGU/TKD/NU/TU/KIT | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 7 August | Successful |
| 9 August 03:16 | Agni-II | Agni-II | | ITR IC-4 | ITR IC-4 | Indian Army | Indian Army |
| 9 August 03:16 | | | Indian Army | Suborbital | Missile test | 9 August | Successful |
| Apogee: 220 kilometres (140 mi) ||||||
| 12 September | Terrier-Lynx | Terrier-Lynx | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | DoD | DoD |
| 12 September | | Shark | DoD | Suborbital | Radar target | 12 September | Successful |
| Apogee: ~300 kilometres (190 mi) ||||||
| 13 September 12:30 | Juno | Juno | | Fort Wingate LC-96 | Fort Wingate LC-96 | US Army | US Army |
| 13 September 12:30 | | | US Army | Suborbital | Target | 13 September | Successful |
| Target for MIM-104 Patriot PAC-3 MSE test, successfully intercepted ||||||
| 13 September | VS-30/Orion | VS-30/Orion | | Andøya | Andøya | DSTO | DSTO |
| 13 September | | HiFire-3 | DSTO | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 13 September | Successful |
| Hypersonic research experiment, Apogee: 349 kilometres (217 mi) ||||||
| 19 September 11:45 | Agni-IV | Agni-IV | | ITR IC-4 | ITR IC-4 | Indian Army | Indian Army |
| 19 September 11:45 | | | Indian Army | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 September | Successful |
| Apogee: 800 kilometres (500 mi) ||||||
| 21 September 13:15 | Agni-III | Agni-III | | ITR IC-4 | ITR IC-4 | Indian Army | Indian Army |
| 21 September 13:15 | | | Indian Army | Suborbital | Missile test | 21 September | Successful |
| Apogee: 450 kilometres (280 mi) ||||||
| 21 September 11:16 | Terrier Improved Malemute | Terrier Improved Malemute | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 21 September 11:16 | | RockSat-X | NASA | Suborbital | Student experiments | 21 September | Successful |
| Apogee: ~153 kilometres (95 mi) ||||||
| 22 September 11:00 | Talos Terrier Oriole | Talos Terrier Oriole | | Wallops Island | Wallops Island | NASA | NASA |
| 22 September 11:00 | | | NASA | Suborbital | Rocket test | 22 September | Successful |
| Apogee: ~269 kilometres (167 mi) ||||||
| 4 October 03:37 | Prithvi II | Prithvi II | | Integrated Test Range Launch Complex 3 | Integrated Test Range Launch Complex 3 | DRDO | DRDO |
| 4 October 03:37 | | | DRDO | Suborbital | Missile test | 4 October | Successful |
| Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||
| 5 October 05:55 | Dhanush | Dhanush | | Ship, Indian Ocean | Ship, Indian Ocean | DRDO | DRDO |
| 5 October 05:55 | | | DRDO | Suborbital | Target | 5 October | Successful |
| Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||
| 19 October 09:12 | Topol M2 | Topol M2 | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | RVSN | RVSN |
| 19 October 09:12 | | | RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 October | Successful |
| 19 October | R-29R Volna | R-29R Volna | | K-433 Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets, Sea of Okhotsk | K-433 Svyatoy Georgiy Pobedonosets, Sea of Okhotsk | VMF | VMF |
| 19 October | | | VMF | Suborbital | Missile test | 19 October | Successful |
| 23 October | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | UGM-133 Trident II D5 | | HMS Vigilant | HMS Vigilant | Royal Navy | Royal Navy |
| 23 October | | | Royal Navy | Suborbital | Missile test | 23 October | Successful |
| 24 October 18:29 | RS-26 Rubezh | RS-26 Rubezh | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | RVSN | RVSN |
| 24 October 18:29 | | | RVSN | Suborbital | Missile test | 24 October | Successful |
| 25 October | Long Range Air Launch Target | Long Range Air Launch Target | FTI-01 | C-17 Globemaster III, Pacific Ocean | C-17 Globemaster III, Pacific Ocean | MDA | MDA |
| 25 October | | | MDA/IMDO | Suborbital | ABM target | 25 October | Successful |
| Target for THAAD, successful intercept ||||||
| 25 October | THAAD | THAAD | FTI-01 | Meck Island | Meck Island | US Army | US Army |
| 25 October | | | US Army/MDA | Suborbital | ABM test | 25 October | Successful |
| Intercepted target missile ||||||
| 25 October | Terrier Oriole (ARAV-B) | Terrier Oriole (ARAV-B) | FTI-01 | Wake Island | Wake Island | MDA | MDA |
| 25 October | | | MDA | Suborbital | ABM target | 25 October | Successful |
| SM-3 Block 1A target ||||||
| 25 October | SM-3 Block 1A | SM-3 Block 1A | FTI-01 | USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), Pacific Ocean | USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), Pacific Ocean | US Navy | US Navy |
| 25 October | | | US Navy | Suborbital | ABM test | 25 October | Spacecraft failure |
| ARAV-B interceptor, intercept failed ||||||
| 25 October | SRBM | SRBM | | Kwajalein | Kwajalein | MDA | MDA |
| 25 October | | | MDA | Suborbital | ABM target | 25 October | Successful |
| FTI-01, Patriot PAC-3 target, successfully intercepted ||||||
| 2 November 17:55 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 2 November 17:55 | | FOXSI | UC Berkeley | Suborbital | Solar research | 2 November | Successful |
| 14 November 11:07 | LGM-30G Minuteman III | LGM-30G Minuteman III | | Vandenberg LF-10 | Vandenberg LF-10 | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 14 November 11:07 | | | US Air Force | Suborbital | Test flight | 14 November | Successful |
| 21 November 10:55 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 21 November 10:55 | | IMAGER | University of Massachusetts | Suborbital | Astronomy | 21 November | Successful |
| 23 November | Prithvi | Prithvi | | ITR IC-4 | ITR IC-4 | DRDO | DRDO |
| 23 November | | | DRDO | Suborbital | Target | 23 November | Successful |
| Target for ABM test, successfully intercepted ||||||
| 25 November 11:20 | Nike-Orion | Nike-Orion | | Esrange | Esrange | EuroLaunch | EuroLaunch |
| 25 November 11:20 | | MAPHEUS-3 | DLR | Suborbital | Technology demonstration | 25 November | Successful |
| Apogee: 140 kilometres (87 mi) ||||||
| 28 November | Ghauri | Ghauri | | Tilla | Tilla | Army of Pakistan | Army of Pakistan |
| 28 November | | Haft-5 | Army of Pakistan | Suborbital | Missile test | 28 November | Successful |
| Apogee: 100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||
| 8 December 21:00 | VS-30/Orion | VS-30/Orion | | Alcântara | Alcântara | AEB | AEB |
| 8 December 21:00 | | Iguaiba | INPE | Suborbital | Microgravity | 8 December | Successful |
| Apogee: 428 kilometres (266 mi) ||||||
| 13 December 05:20 | Black Brant IX | Black Brant IX | | White Sands | White Sands | NASA | NASA |
| 13 December 05:20 | | DXL | U of M | Suborbital | Astronomy | 13 December | Successful |
| 17 December 07:00 | S-520 | S-520 | | Uchinoura | Uchinoura | JAXA | JAXA |
| 17 December 07:00 | | | Tohoku/JAXA/Tokai | Suborbital | Microgravity | 17 December | Successful |
| Apogee: 312 kilometres (194 mi) ||||||
| 20 December 03:51 | Prithvi II | Prithvi II | | ITR IC-3 | ITR IC-3 | DRDO | DRDO |
| 20 December 03:51 | | | Strategic Force Command | Suborbital | Missile test | 20 December | Successful |
| Apogee: ~100 kilometres (62 mi) ||||||

## Deep space rendezvous

| Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
| 1 January | GRAIL-B | Lunar orbit insertion | Joined its twin, GRAIL-A, which entered lunar orbit on 31 December 2011. |
| 2 January | Cassini | 80th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 29,415 kilometres (18,278 mi). |
| 30 January | Cassini | 81st flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 31,131 kilometres (19,344 mi). |
| 19 February | Cassini | 82nd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 3,803 kilometres (2,363 mi). |
| 9 March | Cassini | Flyby of Enceladus | Closest approach: 9,000 kilometres (5,600 mi). |
| 27 March | Cassini | 17th flyby of Enceladus | Closest approach: 74 kilometres (46 mi). |
| 14 April | Cassini | 18th flyby of Enceladus Flyby of Tethys | Closest approach to Enceladus: 74 kilometres (46 mi). Closest approach to Tethys: 9,000 kilometres (5,600 mi). |
| 2 May | Cassini | 20th flyby of Enceladus Flyby of Dione | Closest approach to Enceladus: 74 kilometres (46 mi). Closest approach to Dione: 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi). |
| 20 May | Cassini | Flyby of Methone Flyby of Telesto | Closest approach to Methone: 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi). Closest approach to Telesto: 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi). |
| 21 May | Cassini | 83rd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 955 kilometres (593 mi). |
| 6 June | Cassini | 84th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 959 kilometres (596 mi). |
| 24 July | Cassini | 85th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1,012 kilometres (629 mi). |
| 6 August | Curiosity | Landing on Mars in Gale Crater | Used the Sky Crane soft landing system. Successful landing at 05:14 UTC at coordinates 4°35′22″S 137°26′30″E﻿ / ﻿4.5895°S 137.4417°E﻿ / -4.5895; 137.4417. |
| 5 September | Dawn | Leaving Vestiocentric orbit | Headed for Ceres, which it reached on 6 March 2015. |
| 26 September | Cassini | 86th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 956 kilometres (594 mi). |
| 13 November | Cassini | 87th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 973 kilometres (605 mi). |
| 29 November | Cassini | 88th flyby of Titan | Closest approach to Titan: 1,014 kilometres (630 mi). |
| 13 December | Chang'e 2 | Flyby of 4179 Toutatis | First Chinese asteroid flyby. Closest approach to 4179 Toutatis: less than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) (770 metres). |
| 17 December | GRAIL | Lunar impact at "Sally K. Ride" site | Both GRAIL satellites concluded their mission by impacting the Moon's surface. |
| 22 December | Cassini | Distant flyby of Titan Flyby of Rhea | Closest approach to Titan: 715,000 kilometres (444,000 mi). Closest approach to Rhea: 23,000 kilometres (14,000 mi). |

## EVAs

| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
| 16 February 14:31 | 6 hours 15 minutes | 20:46 | Expedition 29/30 ISS Pirs | Oleg Kononenko Anton Shkaplerov | Moved Strela 1 crane from ISS Pirs module to Poisk module, installed four materials experiments on the exterior of the ISS, and installed supporting struts on the EVA ladder on Pirs. |
| 20 August 16:37 | 5 hours 51 minutes | 22:28 | Expedition 31/32 ISS Pirs | Gennady Padalka Yuri Malenchenko | Relocated Strela 2 telescoping boom from Pirs docking compartment to Zarya control module, in preparation for undocking of Pirs, which will pave the way for arrival of the Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module in 2013. Also installed micrometeoroid debris shields on Zvezda service module, retrieved two experiments from Pirs' exterior, installed two support struts for hatch ladder and deployed two small tracking satellites. |
| 30 August 12:16 | 8 hours 17 minutes | 20:33 | Expedition 31/32 ISS Quest | Sunita Williams Akihiko Hoshide | Connected two power cables between the US and Russian orbital segments; removed and replaced Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) 1. The crew had difficulty in removing connecting bolts of the old MBSU, and were unable to tighten up the bolts for the new unit. The new MBSU was tied down for future trouble-shooting, with all other tasks deferred to a future EVA. Third-longest EVA in history. |
| 5 September 11:06 | 6 hours 28 minutes | 17:34 | Expedition 31/32 ISS Quest | Sunita Williams Akihiko Hoshide | Installed the new MBSU unit, working around difficulty with one of the bolts; replaced one of the cameras mounted on the Canadarm2. During this spacewalk, Sunita Williams broke Peggy Whitson's 2007 record for most total time spacewalking by a woman. |
| 1 November 12:29 | 6 hours 38 minutes | 19:07 | Expedition 32/33 ISS Quest | Sunita Williams Akihiko Hoshide | Reconfigured and isolated a leak in the ammonia cooling system of power channel 2B on the P6 truss by bypassing a leaking cooling loop and re-connecting jumpers to an unused loop of the Early External Thermal Control System (EETCS), and by redeploying the trailing Thermal Control Radiator of the system. |

## Orbital launch statistics
### By country

For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.
| Country | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
| | China | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Europe | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |
| | India | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| | Iran | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| | North Korea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | First successful orbital launch |
| | Russia | 26 | 24 | 1 | 1 | Includes two European Soyuz launches from Kourou, French Guiana by Arianespace |
| | Ukraine | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Includes three Zenit from Sea Launch |
| | United States | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | |
| World | World | 77 | 72 | 3 | 2 | |

### By rocket

* Ariane 5
* Atlas V
* Delta II
* Delta IV
* Delta IV Heavy
* Falcon 9
* H-IIA
* H-IIB
* Long March 2
* Long March 3
* Long March 4
* PSLV
* Soyuz-U
* Soyuz-FG
* Soyuz-2 (Russia)
* Soyuz ST (Europe)
* Safir
* Unha
* Proton-K
* Proton-M
* Rokot
* Zenit-3SL
* Others

#### By family

| Family | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
| Ariane | Europe | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas | United States | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delta | United States | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Falcon | United States | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 October rocket failure only affected one of two payloads |
| H-II | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March | China | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pegasus | United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| PSLV | India | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| R-7 | Russia | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Safir | Iran | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Unha | North Korea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | First successful launch |
| Universal Rocket | Russia | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| Vega | Europe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Zenit | Ukraine | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |

#### By type

| Rocket | Country | Family | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
| Ariane 5 | Europe | Ariane | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V | United States | Atlas | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delta IV | United States | Delta | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Falcon 9 | United States | Falcon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Failure only affected one of two payloads |
| H-IIA | Japan | H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| H-IIB | Japan | H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 2 | China | Long March | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 3 | China | Long March | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 4 | China | Long March | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pegasus | United States | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| PSLV | India | PSLV | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Proton | Russia | Universal Rocket | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
| Safir | Iran | Safir | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Soyuz | Russia | R-7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-2 | Russia | R-7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unha | North Korea | Unha | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | First successful launch |
| UR-100 | Russia | Universal Rocket | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vega | Europe | Vega | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Zenit | Ukraine | Zenit | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |

#### By configuration

| Rocket | Country | Type | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
| Ariane 5 ECA | Europe | Ariane 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ariane 5 ES | Europe | Ariane 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V 401 | United States | Atlas V | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V 501 | United States | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V 531 | United States | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Atlas V 551 | United States | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delta IV Medium+ (4,2) | United States | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delta IV Medium+ (5,2) | United States | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) | United States | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delta IV Heavy | United States | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Falcon 9 v1.0 | United States | Falcon 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Failure only affected one of two payloads |
| H-IIA 202 | Japan | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| H-IIB | Japan | H-IIB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 2C | China | Long March 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 2D | China | Long March 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 2F | China | Long March 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 3A | China | Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 3B | China | Long March 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Long March 3B/E | China | Long March 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 3C | China | Long March 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Long March 4B | China | Long March 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Long March 4C | China | Long March 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pegasus XL | United States | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| PSLV-CA | India | PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| PSLV-XL | India | PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Proton-K / Block DM-2 | Russia | Proton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight |
| Proton-M / Briz-M | Russia | Proton | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| Rokot / Briz-KM | Russia | UR-100 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Safir-1B | Iran | Safir | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat-M | Russia | Soyuz-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz ST-A / Fregat | Russia | Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-MT | Russia | Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-FG | Russia | Soyuz | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-FG / Fregat | Russia | Soyuz | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Soyuz-U | Russia | Soyuz | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unha-3 | North Korea | Unha | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Vega | Europe | Vega | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight |
| Zenit-3SL | Ukraine | Zenit | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |

### By spaceport

* Jiuquan
* Taiyuan
* Xichang
* Kourou
* Satish Dhawan
* Ocean Odyssey
* Semnan
* Tanegashima
* Baikonur
* Kwajalein
* Sohae
* Plesetsk
* Cape Canaveral
* Kennedy
* MARS
* Vandenberg
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures |
| Baikonur | Kazakhstan | 21 | 19 | 1 | 1 |
| Cape Canaveral | United States | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Kourou | France | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Jiuquan | China | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Kwajalein | Marshall Islands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ocean Odyssey | International waters | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Plesetsk | Russia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Satish Dhawan | India | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Semnan | Iran | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Sohae | North Korea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tanegashima | Japan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Taiyuan | China | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vandenberg | United States | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Xichang | China | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 77 | 72 | 3 | 2 |

### By orbit

* Transatmospheric
* Low Earth
* Low Earth (ISS)
* Low Earth (SSO)
* Low Earth (retrograde)
* Medium Earth
* Geosychronous (transfer)
* Inclined GSO
* High Earth
* Heliocentric
| Orbital regime | Launches | Successes | Failures | Accidentally achieved | Remarks |
| Transatmospheric | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Low Earth | 39 | 37 | 2 | 0 | 12 to ISS, 1 to Tiangong-1 |
| Medium Earth / Molniya | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | |
| Geosynchronous / GTO | 32 | 31 | 1 | 0 | |
| High Earth / Lunar transfer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Heliocentric / Planetary transfer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 77 | 74 | 3 | 1 | |