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Orbital Launches in 1997

7,332 orbital launches since 1957

Search, filter and explore every orbital launch ever attempted — cross-linked to the satellites they deployed, the rockets that flew them and the operators behind them. Built on GCAT & Launch Library 2.

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7,332
Total launches
149
This year
92.8%
Success rate
159
Crewed
1957
Since

Orbital Radar lists 89 every orbital launch in 1997, part of 7,332 orbital launches catalogued since 1957. Every entry links to the rocket, the operator and the satellites it deployed.

2020s 2010s SpaceX Falcon 9 Soyuz Failures Cape Canaveral ⬡ Crewed only

Featured & milestone launches

89 launches
DateMissionVehicleOperatorLaunch sitePayloadsOrbitOutcome
1997-12-24Asiasat 31997-086Proton-K/DM-2M DM3ILSBaikonur Cosmodrome1 payload ↗HEOfailure
1997-12-24EarlyBird1997-085Start-1Russian Rocket ForcesSvobodniy—LEOsuccess
1997-12-23Orbcomm FM51997-084Pegasus XL/HAPSOrbital SciencesWallops I11 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-12-22INTELSAT 8041997-083Ariane 42L 42L-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-12-20Iridium MS-61997-082Delta 7920-10CBlue OriginVandenberg SFB6 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-12-20Progress 7K-TGM No 2361997-081Soyuz-URussian Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-12-15Kobal't1997-080Soyuz-U-PVBRussian Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-12-09US-PU1997-079Tsiklon-2Russian Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-12-08Galaxy 8-i1997-078Atlas IIASLockheed MartinCape Canaveral1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-12-08Iridium SV0421997-077Chang Zheng 2C-III/SDCASCTaiyuan2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-12-02JCSAT 51997-075Ariane 44P 44P-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-12-02Astra 1G1997-076Proton-K/DM-2M DM3ILSBaikonur Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗GEOsuccess
1997-11-27TRMM1997-074H-IINASDATanegashima—LEOsuccess
1997-11-19OV-102 Research/FF1997-073Space ShuttleNASAKennedy Space Center—LEOsuccess
1997-11-18Resurs F-1M1997-072Soyuz-URussian Aerospace ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-11-12Sirius 21997-071Ariane 44L 44L-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre2 payloads ↗GEOsuccess
1997-11-12K95K1997-070Proton-K/DM-2M DM-2MRussian Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome4 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-11-09Iridium MS-51997-069Delta 7920-10CBlue OriginVandenberg SFB2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-11-08TRUMPET 31997-068Titan 401A/Centaur3SLS/AFSMCCape Canaveral—HEOsuccess
1997-11-06Navstar GPS SVN 381997-067Delta 7925Blue OriginCape Canaveral1 payload ↗MEOsuccess
1997-11-02SCD-2A1997-F03VLS-1AEBAlcantara—LEOfailure
1997-10-30TEAMSAT1997-066Ariane 5GESAGuiana Space Centre4 payloads ↗MEOsuccess
1997-10-25DSCS III B-131997-065Atlas IIALockheed MartinCape Canaveral2 payloads ↗GEOsuccess
1997-10-24LACROSSE 31997-064Titan 403A4SLS/AFSMCVandenberg SFB—LEOsuccess
1997-10-22STEP M41997-063Pegasus XLOrbital SciencesWallops I—LEOsuccess
1997-10-16Apstar 2R1997-062Chang Zheng 3BCASCXichang1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-10-15Cassini1997-061Titan 401B/CentaurLERC/AFSMCCape Canaveral—HEOsuccess
1997-10-09Foton No. 111997-060Soyuz-URussian Aerospace ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-10-05Progress 7K-TGM No. 2361997-058Soyuz-URussian Aerospace ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess
1997-10-05Echostar 31997-059Atlas IIASLockheed MartinCape Canaveral1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-09-29IRS-1D1997-057PSLV CISROSatish Dhawan (Sriharikota)1 payload ↗LEOsuccess
1997-09-27Iridium MS-41997-056Delta 7920-10CBlue OriginVandenberg SFB1 payload ↗LEOsuccess
1997-09-26OV-104 Shuttle/Mir1997-055Space ShuttleNASAKennedy Space Center—LEOsuccess
1997-09-24Molniya-1T No. 981997-054Molniya 8K78M MLRussian Aerospace ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-09-23INTELSAT 8031997-053Ariane 42L 42L-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre1 payload ↗GEOsuccess
1997-09-23Parus1997-052Kosmos 11K65MRussian Aerospace ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome3 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-09-14Iridium SV0291997-051Proton-K/17S40 DM2KhrunichevBaikonur Cosmodrome107 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-09-04GE 31997-050Atlas IIASLockheed MartinCape Canaveral2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-09-02Eutelsat HB31997-049Ariane 44LP 44LP-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre3 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-09-01Iridium MFS 11997-048Chang Zheng 2C-III/SDCASCTaiyuan2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-08-29FORTE1997-047Pegasus XLOrbital SciencesVandenberg SFB2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-08-28PAS 51997-046Proton-K/DM-2M DM3ILSBaikonur Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗GEOsuccess
1997-08-25Advanced Composition Exp1997-045Delta 7920-8Blue OriginCape Canaveral—HEOsuccess
1997-08-23SSTI/Lewis1997-044LMLV-1Lockheed MartinVandenberg SFB—LEOsuccess
1997-08-21Iridium MS-31997-043Delta 7920-10CBlue OriginVandenberg SFB2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1997-08-19Mabuhay1997-042Chang Zheng 3BCASCXichang1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1997-08-14Oko-S F61997-041Proton-K/DM-2Russian Aerospace ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-08-08PAS 61997-040Ariane 44P 44P-3ArianespaceGuiana Space Centre2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1997-08-07OV-103 Research/FF1997-039Space ShuttleNASAKennedy Space Center—LEOsuccess
1997-08-05Soyuz 7K-STM No. 751997-038Soyuz-URussian Aerospace ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome—LEOsuccess

Launch cadence · 1957 → 2026

Annual orbital launch attempts worldwide. The modern surge is reshaping the record.

19572026

About this database

Every orbital launch since 1957 — 7,332 in total, 159 of them crewed — cross-linked to the rockets, operators and satellites involved. The historical record is built on GCAT and enriched with Launch Library 2, then matched to our live satellite catalogue.

Browse the database

crawlable facet hubs · each its own indexable page

By year

2026 1492025 3302024 2632023 2232022 1862021 1462020 1142019 103

By vehicle

Soyuz 1,177Falcon 9 653Long March 653Kosmos 622Atlas 436Proton 425Thor 331Molniya 320

By operator

Soviet Rocket Forces 1,537Soviet Space Forces 905SpaceX 682CASC 644NASA 462Arianespace 305US Air Force 277Russian Aerospace Forces 272

By outcome / site

Successful 6,805Failed 525Unconfirmed 2Plesetsk Cosmodrome 1,644Baikonur Cosmodrome 1,558Cape Canaveral 1,093
Full launch index (89 launches)
Asiasat 3 (1997-12-24)EarlyBird (1997-12-24)Orbcomm FM5 (1997-12-23)INTELSAT 804 (1997-12-22)Iridium MS-6 (1997-12-20)Progress 7K-TGM No 236 (1997-12-20)Kobal't (1997-12-15)US-PU (1997-12-09)Galaxy 8-i (1997-12-08)Iridium SV042 (1997-12-08)JCSAT 5 (1997-12-02)Astra 1G (1997-12-02)TRMM (1997-11-27)OV-102 Research/FF (1997-11-19)Resurs F-1M (1997-11-18)K95K (1997-11-12)Sirius 2 (1997-11-12)Iridium MS-5 (1997-11-09)TRUMPET 3 (1997-11-08)Navstar GPS SVN 38 (1997-11-06)SCD-2A (1997-11-02)TEAMSAT (1997-10-30)DSCS III B-13 (1997-10-25)LACROSSE 3 (1997-10-24)STEP M4 (1997-10-22)Apstar 2R (1997-10-16)Cassini (1997-10-15)Foton No. 11 (1997-10-09)Echostar 3 (1997-10-05)Progress 7K-TGM No. 236 (1997-10-05)IRS-1D (1997-09-29)Iridium MS-4 (1997-09-27)OV-104 Shuttle/Mir (1997-09-26)Molniya-1T No. 98 (1997-09-24)Parus (1997-09-23)INTELSAT 803 (1997-09-23)Iridium SV029 (1997-09-14)GE 3 (1997-09-04)Eutelsat HB3 (1997-09-02)Iridium MFS 1 (1997-09-01)FORTE (1997-08-29)PAS 5 (1997-08-28)Advanced Composition Exp (1997-08-25)SSTI/Lewis (1997-08-23)Iridium MS-3 (1997-08-21)Mabuhay (1997-08-19)Oko-S F6 (1997-08-14)PAS 6 (1997-08-08)OV-103 Research/FF (1997-08-07)Soyuz 7K-STM No. 75 (1997-08-05)Seastar (1997-08-01)Superbird C (1997-07-28)Navstar GPS SVN 43 (1997-07-23)Iridium MS-2 (1997-07-09)Progress 7K-TGM No. 235 (1997-07-05)OV-102 Spacelab (1997-07-01)INTELSAT 802 (1997-06-25)Iridium SV014 (1997-06-18)Feng Yun Er Jia (1997-06-10)Arkon 11F664 No. 1 (1997-06-06)INMARSAT III F4 (1997-06-03)Telstar 5 (1997-05-24)Tselina-2 No. 13L (1997-05-20)Thor 2A (1997-05-20)OV-104 Shuttle/Mir (1997-05-15)Oko (1997-05-14)DFH-3 (1997-05-11)Iridium MS-1A (1997-05-05)GOES K (1997-04-25)Minisat-01 (1997-04-21)Parus (1997-04-17)Thaicom 3 (1997-04-16)Oko (1997-04-09)Progress 7K-TGM No. 234 (1997-04-06)OV-102 Spacelab (1997-04-04)DMSP Block 5D-2 S-14 (1997-04-04)Tempo 2 (1997-03-08)Mozhaets 2 (1997-03-04)INTELSAT 801 (1997-03-01)DSP 20 (1997-02-23)JCSAT 4 (1997-02-17)Gonets-D1 No. 16/17/18 (1997-02-14)MUSES-B (1997-02-12)OV-103 HST mission (1997-02-11)Soyuz 7K-STM No. 74 (1997-02-10)GE 2 (1997-01-30)Navstar GPS SVN 42 (1997-01-17)OV-104 Shuttle/Mir (1997-01-12)

Last updated 2026-06-21 · Data: GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org) · Launch Library 2 / The Space Devs — enriched & cross-linked by Orbital Radar.