# Timeline of first orbital launches by country

This is a timeline of first orbital launches by country. While a number of countries, incl. Canada, Australia, Germany, Brazil, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Argentina, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, South Africa, the Philippines, Egypt, Spain, Mexico, Thailand and Chile, have built or launched satellites, as of 2022, eleven countries, incl. the United States, Japan, China, India, Iran, Israel, France, the United Kingdom and South Korea, have had the capability to send objects into orbit with their own launch vehicles. Russia and Ukraine inherited the capability of the space launchers and satellites from the Soviet Union, following its dissolution in 1991. Russia launches its rockets from its own and foreign (Kazakh) spaceports.
Ukraine launched only from foreign (Kazakh and Russian) launch facilities until 2015, after which political differences with Russia effectively halted Ukraine's ability to produce orbital rockets. France became a space power independently, launching a payload into orbit from Algeria, before joining space launcher facilities in the multi-national Ariane project. The United Kingdom became a space power independently following a single payload insertion into orbit from Australia.
Twelve countries and one inter-governmental organization (ESA) presently have a proven orbital launch capability, as of March 2025. The for mer Soviet Union and the United Kingdom formerly had such an independent capability. In all cases where a country has conducted independent human spaceflights (as of 2021, three — China, the Soviet Union/Russia, and the United States), these launches were preceded by independent uncrewed launch capability.
The race to launch the first satellite was closely contested by the Soviet Union and the United States, and was the beginning of the Space Race. The launching of satellites, while still contributing to national prestige, is a significant economic activity as well, with public and private rocket systems competing for launches, using cost and reliability as selling points.

## List of first orbital launches by country

Countries like Italy are not included since they have not yet developed an orbital rocket from scratch; i.e., an orbital rocket that was designed and engineered in its entirety in the country in question.
| Order | Country | Sector | Satellite | Rocket | Location | Date (UTC) |
| 1 | Soviet Union | Governmental | Sputnik 1 | Sputnik-PS | Baikonur, Soviet Union (today Kazakhstan) | 4 October 1957 |
| 2 | United States | Governmental | Explorer 1 | Juno I | Cape Canaveral, United States | 1 February 1958 |
| 3 | France | Governmental | Astérix | Diamant A | CIEES/Hammaguir, Algeria | 26 November 1965 |
| 4 | Japan | Governmental | Ohsumi | Lambda-4S | Uchinoura, Japan | 11 February 1970 |
| 5 | China | Governmental | Dong Fang Hong 1 | Long March 1 | Jiuquan, China | 24 April 1970 |
| 6 | United Kingdom | Governmental | Prospero | Black Arrow | Woomera, Australia | 28 October 1971 |
| — | European Space Agency | Governmental | CAT-1 (Obélix) | Ariane 1 | Kourou, French Guiana | 24 December 1979 |
| 7 | India | Governmental | Rohini 1 (RS1) | SLV | Sriharikota, India | 18 July 1980 |
| 8 | Israel | Governmental | Ofeq 1 | Shavit | Palmachim, Israel | 19 September 1988 |
| — | Ukraine | Governmental | Strela-3 (x6, Russian) | Tsyklon-3 | Plesetsk, Soviet Union (today Russia) | 28 September 1991 |
| — | Russia | Governmental | Kosmos 2175 | Soyuz-U | Plesetsk, Russia | 21 January 1992 |
| 9 | Iran | Governmental | Omid | Safir-1A | Semnan, Iran | 2 February 2009 |
| 10 | Italy | Governmental | LARES, ALMASat-1, Xatcobeo, UniCubeSat-GG, Robusta, e-st@r, Goliat, PW-Sat, MaSat-1 | Vega | Kourou, French Guiana | 3 February 2012 |
| 11 | North Korea | Governmental | Kwangmyŏngsŏng-3 Unit 2 | Unha-3 | Sohae, North Korea | 12 December 2012 |
| 12 | South Korea | Governmental | STSat-2C | Naro-1 | Goheung, South Korea | 30 January 2013 |

### Partial contributions to orbital launch systems

Two countries, Italy and New Zealand, have contributed in the creation or continuation of orbital launch systems.
| Order | Country | Sector | Satellite | Rocket | Location | Date (UTC) |
| 1 | Italy | Governmental | San Marco 1 | Scout-X4 | San Marco platform, Kenya | 15 December 1964 |
| 2 | New Zealand | Private | Humanity Star | Electron | Mahia LC-1A, New Zealand | 21 January 2018 |