Arianespace uses Soyuz rocket to launch French military satellite from French Guiana
Arianespace today successfully launched a French military reconnaissance satellite from French Guiana using a Russian Soyuz rocket.
This is the last launch for Europe in 2020, their sixth total. It is also the last publicly scheduled launch for the year. My annual worldwide launch report will follow in a day or so.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
35 China
25 SpaceX
15 Russia
6 ULA
6 Rocket Lab
6 Europe (Arianespace)
The U.S.’s lead over China in the national rankings remains 40 to 35.
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Arianespace today successfully launched a French military reconnaissance satellite from French Guiana using a Russian Soyuz rocket.
This is the last launch for Europe in 2020, their sixth total. It is also the last publicly scheduled launch for the year. My annual worldwide launch report will follow in a day or so.
The leaders in the 2020 launch race:
35 China
25 SpaceX
15 Russia
6 ULA
6 Rocket Lab
6 Europe (Arianespace)
The U.S.’s lead over China in the national rankings remains 40 to 35.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Russia?
Michael McNeil: I think you are asking why I assign this launch to Europe instead of Russia. Though it is a Russian Soyuz rocket, the launch is run and sold by Arianespace. I have to make a choice, and have decided since the bulk of the work here is under European control, the launch is European.
Hello Mr Zimmerman, your tallies of rocket launches are educational and enjoyable.; thank you for keeping the totals. If I may suggest, include more lines as the Russian total was excluded though mentioned and the sum of listed US launches did not equal your closing statement.
Either way, thank you for writing all of your blog(s).
jeff: Whoops! I have put the Russia total in. My mistake. Thank you.
Note however that this list only includes the leaders. The full list will be published in a day or two with my annual worldwide launch report.
Interesting bit about the 35 Chinese launches. Is there a good resource which gives background on China’s space activities, and what this year’s launches were accomplishing?
Ken: All you need to do is do a search here on Behind the Black, and you will get an overview. Search for “China”, “launch race” and you will see all my launch updates from the start of the year. Each links to a story that describes the launch, and also has more information about the payloads.