Feb 6 Falcon Heavy Full Thrust
Success
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy lands two boosters side by side on its debut
Falcon Heavy could lift about twice what Delta IV Heavy could. Its test cargo, Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, went into orbit around the Sun.
Rocket launches in2018
Falcon Heavy makes its debut on February 6, carrying Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster into a heliocentric orbit; two of its three cores land simultaneously at Cape Canaveral. China logs 43 launches to overtake the USA for the first time, with the Long March 2 and Long March 3 carrying most of the load.
Monthly Cadence complete
DEC peak 15 launches ↑ 33% vs 2017
- launches
- 122
- success · 119/122
- 98%
- providers
- 9
2018 launch leaders
2018 highlights
Jan 21 Electron
Success
Rocket Lab's Electron reaches orbit for the first time
Electron was built to fly small satellites alone, not as passengers on bigger rockets. This test flight released three for the companies Planet and Spire.
May 5 Atlas V 401
Success
NASA sends InSight to listen for quakes inside Mars
InSight's seismometer recorded 1,319 marsquakes. Those readings showed that Mars has a liquid metal core larger than scientists expected.
Aug 12 Delta IV Heavy
Success
NASA sends Parker Solar Probe closer to the Sun than any spacecraft
In 2021 Parker became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere. Its closest passes made it the fastest human-made object.
Oct 11 Soyuz FG
Failure
A Soyuz rocket fails on the way to the ISS and its crew lands safely
A side booster struck the core stage during separation two minutes into flight. The previous crewed Soyuz launch accident was a pad explosion in 1983.
Dec 7 Long March 3B/E
Success
China's Chang'e 4 makes the first landing on the Moon's far side
The lander touched down in Von Karman crater on 3 January 2019. A relay satellite beyond the Moon passed its signals back to Earth.
All 2018 launches
Quick filters
122 launches
| January | ||||
Jan 8, 2018 | Zuma USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Jan 9, 2018 | SuperView 1 03-04 China • Long March 2D | |||
Jan 11, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M7-8 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Jan 12, 2018 | Cartosat-2F India • PSLV XL | |||
Jan 12, 2018 | NROL-47 USA • Delta IV M+(5,2) | |||
Jan 13, 2018 | LKW-3 China • Long March 2D | |||
Jan 17, 2018 | ASNARO-2 Japan • Epsilon | |||
Jan 19, 2018 | Long March 11 Y3 China • Long March 11 | |||
Jan 20, 2018 | SBIRS GEO-4 USA • Atlas V 411 | |||
Jan 21, 2018 | "Still Testing" USA • Rocket Lab • Electron | |||
Jan 25, 2018 | Yaogan 30-04 China • Long March 2C | |||
Jan 25, 2018Partial failure | SES-14 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ECA | |||
Jan 31, 2018 | GovSat-1 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Full Thrust | |||
| February | ||||
Feb 1, 2018 | Kanopus-V 3-4 Russia • Soyuz 2.1a / Fregat-M | |||
Feb 2, 2018 | CSES-01 China • Long March 2D | |||
Feb 3, 2018 | TRICOM-1R Japan • SS-520 | |||
Feb 6, 2018 | Falcon Heavy Test Flight USA • SpaceX • Falcon Heavy Full Thrust | |||
Feb 12, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M3-4 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Feb 13, 2018 | Progress MS-08 / 69P Russia • Soyuz 2.1a | |||
Feb 22, 2018 | Paz USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Full Thrust | |||
Feb 27, 2018 | IGS-Optical 6 Japan • H2A 202 | |||
| March | ||||
Mar 1, 2018 | GOES-17 USA • Atlas V 541 | |||
Mar 6, 2018 | Hispasat 30W-6 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Mar 9, 2018 | O3b FM13-16 France • Arianespace • Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-MT | |||
Mar 17, 2018 | LKW-4 China • Long March 2D | |||
Mar 21, 2018 | Soyuz MS-08 / 54S Russia • Soyuz FG | |||
Mar 29, 2018 | GSAT-6A India • GSLV Mk II | |||
Mar 29, 2018 | EMKA Russia • Soyuz 2.1v | |||
Mar 29, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M9-10 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Mar 30, 2018 | Iridium NEXT-5 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Mar 31, 2018 | Gaofen-1 02-04 China • Long March 4C | |||
| April | ||||
Apr 2, 2018 | CRS-14 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Apr 4, 2018 | Hyperbola-1S China • i-Space • Hyperbola 1S | |||
Apr 5, 2018 | Superbird-8 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ECA | |||
Apr 10, 2018 | Yaogan 31-01 China • Long March 4C | |||
Apr 11, 2018 | IRNSS-1I India • PSLV XL | |||
Apr 14, 2018 | AFSPC-11 USA • Atlas V 551 | |||
Apr 18, 2018 | Blagovest-12L Russia • Proton M / Briz-M | |||
Apr 18, 2018 | TESS USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Apr 25, 2018 | Sentinel-3B Russia • Rokot Rokot / Briz-KM | |||
Apr 26, 2018 | Zhuhai-1 02 China • Long March 11 | |||
Apr 29, 2018 | Suborbital Flight Experiment Monitor-2 USA • Blue Origin • New Shepard 3 | |||
| May | ||||
May 3, 2018 | Apstar 6C China • Long March 3B/E | |||
May 5, 2018 | InSight USA • Atlas V 401 | |||
May 8, 2018 | Gaofen 5 China • Long March 4C | |||
May 11, 2018 | Bangabandhu-1 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
May 16, 2018 | Test suborbital flight OS-X0 China • OneSpace • OS-X 0 | |||
May 20, 2018 | Queqiao-1 China • Long March 4C | |||
May 21, 2018 | Cygnus CRS OA-9E S. S. J. R. Thompson USA • Antares 230 | |||
May 22, 2018 | Iridium NEXT-6 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
| June | ||||
Jun 2, 2018 | Gaofen 6 China • Long March 2D | |||
Jun 4, 2018 | SES-12 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
Jun 5, 2018 | Fengyun 2H China • Long March 3A | |||
Jun 6, 2018 | Soyuz MS-09 / 55S Russia • Soyuz FG | |||
Jun 12, 2018 | IGS-Radar 6 Japan • H2A 202 | |||
Jun 16, 2018 | GLONASS-M 756 Russia • Soyuz 2.1b / Fregat-M | |||
Jun 27, 2018 | XJSS A-B China • Long March 2C | |||
Jun 29, 2018 | CRS-15 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 4 | |||
| July | ||||
Jul 9, 2018 | PRSS-1 China • Long March 2C/SMA | |||
Jul 9, 2018 | BeiDou IGSO-7 China • Long March 3A | |||
Jul 9, 2018 | Progress MS-09 / 70P Russia • Soyuz 2.1a | |||
Jul 18, 2018 | Crew Capsule 2.0 USA • Blue Origin • New Shepard 3 | |||
Jul 20, 2018 | Rocket 1.0 USA • Astra • Astra Rocket 1.0 | |||
Jul 22, 2018 | Telstar 19V USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Jul 25, 2018 | Galileo L10 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ES | |||
Jul 25, 2018 | Iridium NEXT-7 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Jul 29, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M5-6 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Jul 31, 2018 | Gaofen 11-01 China • Long March 4B | |||
| August | ||||
Aug 7, 2018 | Merah Putih USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Aug 12, 2018 | Parker Solar Probe USA • Delta IV Heavy | |||
Aug 22, 2018 | ADM-Aeolus France • Arianespace • Vega | |||
Aug 24, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M11-12 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
| September | ||||
Sep 5, 2018 | Hyperbola-1Z China • i-Space • Hyperbola 1Z | |||
Sep 7, 2018 | HaiYang 1C China • Long March 2C | |||
Sep 7, 2018 | Test suborbital flight OS-X1 China • OneSpace • OS-X 1 | |||
Sep 10, 2018 | Telstar 18V USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Sep 15, 2018 | ICESat-2 USA • Delta II 7420 | |||
Sep 16, 2018 | SSTL S1-4 India • PSLV CA | |||
Sep 19, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M13-14 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Sep 22, 2018 | HTV-7 Japan • H2B | |||
Sep 25, 2018 | Azerspace-2 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ECA | |||
Sep 29, 2018 | Centispace-1-S1 China • Kuaizhou 1A | |||
| October | ||||
Oct 8, 2018 | SAOCOM 1A USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Oct 9, 2018 | Yaogan 32-01 China • Long March 2C / YZ-1S | |||
Oct 11, 2018Failure | Soyuz MS-10 / 56S Russia • Soyuz FG | |||
Oct 15, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M15-16 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Oct 17, 2018 | AEHF-4 USA • Atlas V 551 | |||
Oct 20, 2018 | BepiColombo France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ECA | |||
Oct 24, 2018 | HaiYang 2B China • Long March 4B | |||
Oct 25, 2018 | Lotos-S1 3 Russia • Soyuz 2.1b | |||
Oct 27, 2018Failure | Weilai 1 China • LandSpace • Zhuque 1 | |||
Oct 29, 2018 | CFOSAT China • Long March 2C | |||
Oct 29, 2018 | GOSAT-2 Japan • H2A 202 | |||
| November | ||||
Nov 1, 2018 | BeiDou-3 G1Q China • Long March 3B/E | |||
Nov 3, 2018 | GLONASS-M 757 Russia • Soyuz 2.1b / Fregat-M | |||
Nov 7, 2018 | MetOp-C France • Arianespace • Soyuz ST-B / Fregat-M | |||
Nov 11, 2018 | "It's Business Time" USA • Rocket Lab • Electron | |||
Nov 14, 2018 | GSAT-29 India • GSLV Mk III | |||
Nov 15, 2018 | Es'hail 2 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Nov 16, 2018 | Progress MS-10 / 71P Russia • Soyuz FG | |||
Nov 17, 2018 | Cygnus NG-10 SS John Young USA • Antares 230 | |||
Nov 18, 2018 | BeiDou-3 M17-18 China • Long March 3B/E / YZ-1 | |||
Nov 19, 2018 | Shiyan 6-01 China • Long March 2D | |||
Nov 21, 2018 | Mohammed VI-B France • Arianespace • Vega | |||
Nov 29, 2018 | Rocket 2.0 USA • Astra • Astra Rocket 2.0 | |||
Nov 29, 2018 | HySIS India • PSLV CA | |||
Nov 30, 2018 | Strela-3M 16-18 Russia • Rokot Rokot / Briz-KM | |||
| December | ||||
Dec 3, 2018 | Soyuz MS-11 / 57S Russia • Soyuz FG | |||
Dec 3, 2018 | SSO-A USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Dec 4, 2018 | GSAT-11 France • Arianespace • Ariane 5 ECA | |||
Dec 5, 2018 | CRS-16 USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Dec 7, 2018 | SaudiSat 5A-5B China • Long March 2D | |||
Dec 7, 2018 | Chang'e 4 China • Long March 3B/E | |||
Dec 16, 2018 | "This One's For Pickering" USA • Rocket Lab • Electron | |||
Dec 19, 2018 | GSAT-7A India • GSLV Mk II | |||
Dec 19, 2018 | CSO-1 France • Arianespace • Soyuz ST-A / Fregat-M | |||
Dec 21, 2018 | Blagovest-13L Russia • Proton M / Briz-M | |||
Dec 21, 2018 | Hongyun 1 China • Long March 11 | |||
Dec 23, 2018 | GPS III - 01 Vespucci USA • SpaceX • Falcon 9 Block 5 | |||
Dec 24, 2018 | TJSW-3 China • Long March 3C/E | |||
Dec 27, 2018 | Kanopus-V 5 Russia • Soyuz 2.1a / Fregat-M | |||
Dec 29, 2018 | Hongyan 1 China • Long March 2D / YZ-3 | |||