Space flight, 2007

Article By:

von Puttkamer, Jesco Formerly, Office of Space Flight, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

Last reviewed:2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB090135

Space flight in 2007 moved forward in three dominant themes: commercial utilization of low and geosynchronous orbits, science missions into the solar system, and expansion of human presence in space toward exploration further outward from Earth's boundaries. Based on the number of launches to orbit plus the number of launched satellite payloads, the utilization of space, which had reached its lowest level since 1961 in 2004, remained at that level in 2005 and showed signs of reversing this trend in 2006, and in 2007 increased markedly. After staying at 55 total space launch attempts worldwide for 2 consecutive years, then climbing to 66 in 2006 (including four failed), the number of launches in 2007 reached 68 (including 3 failed attempts). The number of large commercial satellites (31) launched into space, including geostationary orbit (GEO), exhibited a robust rise for the second year (2006: 21, 2005: 19, 2004: 12), after a stagnant period during 2002–2004.

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