324 Global Rocket Launches Expected in 2025... "Space Rocket Market Rapidly Expanding"

"Rocket Launches More Than Triple in Five Years"
US Private Company SpaceX Conducts 165 Launches in a Year

According to analysts in the securities industry, the global space rocket market is rapidly expanding, with more than 300 rocket launches expected worldwide in 2025.

On January 9, Jeong Huihun, a researcher at Eugene Investment & Securities, stated in a report, "Last year, there were a total of 324 space rocket launches, marking a 25% increase from 259 launches the previous year. This also surpasses the previous year's growth rate, which was a 17% increase from 221 launches in 2023. Since 2020, when there were 107 launches, the number has more than tripled in just five years."

On November 10 last year (local time), SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites was launched in Florida, USA. Photo by UPI

Rocket Launches Led by the US and China... Korea Records Only Two Launches

The United States led global space rocket launches, accounting for 193 launches (59.6% of the total). At the center of this was SpaceX, a private space development company led by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, which conducted 165 Falcon 9 rocket launches. This figure exceeds the total number of launches by all other rocket vehicles worldwide. Rocket Lab, a leading American small launch vehicle company, also conducted 21 launches.

Researcher Jeong explained, "SpaceX's number of launches increased by 23% from 132 the previous year. On average, the company launched rockets 3.2 times per week throughout the year. Remarkably, all 165 missions were successful, achieving an extraordinary success rate."

China attempted a total of 92 launches, ranking second. Notably, this represented a sharp increase of 35% from 68 launches the previous year. Unlike the United States, where SpaceX is the main player, China's efforts were led by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), with both state-owned and private space rocket companies participating in the market.

"Number of Launch Attempts Expected to Surge This Year... Greater Diversity in Rocket Types"

Korea managed only two launches in total. In November last year, Hanwha Aerospace led the launch of the Nuri rocket, successfully placing the third next-generation medium satellite and several CubeSats into their target orbits. The Korea Aerospace Administration announced that it plans to attempt the fifth Nuri rocket launch in the third quarter of this year. In December last year, domestic small launch vehicle company Innospace attempted the first commercial launch of the Hanbit-Nano, but the rocket crashed to the ground after experiencing an anomaly 30 seconds after liftoff. Innospace has announced plans to try again in the first half of this year.

Researcher Jeong stated, "The space rocket market is growing rapidly, especially in the United States and China. In particular, the rise of private companies such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab is amplifying the industry's overall impact." He added, "This year, the number of rocket launch attempts is expected to increase significantly, with a wide range of missions including not only satellite launches into Earth orbit but also deep space rocket launches and crewed rocket missions."