--- title: "China Now Launches More Orbital Rockets Than Any Other Country" description: "China Number One In 2018, China completed more successful orbital launches than any other nation for the first time, with its 35 flights dwarfing the United States’ 29 launches and Russia’s 20. Now, Ars Technica reports that the country is on pace to set the record again this year — yet another sign that China is […]" date: "2019-11-19" modified: "2019-11-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-launches-more-orbital-rockets" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "china" - "orbital launch" - "SpaceX" - "the digest" --- # China Now Launches More Orbital Rockets Than Any Other Country ![In 2018, China completed more successful orbital launches than any other nation for the first time, and it's on track to hold 2019's record, too.]() *\Image: New China TV via YouTube\* ## China Number One In 2018, China completed more successful orbital launches than any other nation for the first time, with its [35 flights]() dwarfing the United States' 29 launches and Russia's 20. Now, [*Ars Technica* reports]() that the country is on pace to set the record again this year — yet another sign that China is largely shaping the future of space exploration despite U.S. companies like SpaceX drastically lowering the cost of reaching orbit. ## Chinese Efforts China has several ambitious space plans in the works for the next couple of decades — and they're already starting to take shape. Last week, China's National Space Administration [successfully completed]() its first public test of the Mars rover it plans to send to the Red Planet as soon as next year. Earlier in November, the nation managed to successfully launch two orbital missions within [just three hours]() of each other. In October, China showed off the [next-generation spacecraft]() it plans to use to send astronauts to the Moon and back. ## Stateside Slowdown While China's space efforts seem to be ramping up, U.S. launches are experiencing a slowdown. Launch service provider United Launch Alliance has launched only four missions so far this year, with a possible Delta V mission to launch Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on the horizon. SpaceX, meanwhile, has launched only 11 rockets so far this year, *Ars Technica* points out, putting it on pace to end up with far fewer launches this year than the 21 it completed in 2018. **READ MORE:** [China now launches more rockets than anyone in the world]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on China:** *[China Successfully Tests Mars Lander in Giant Drop Test]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()