Information last updated on 23 July 2025

Number of rocket launches since the start of the space age in 1957
About 6990 (excluding failures)
Number of satellites these rocket launches have placed into Earth orbit
About 22740
Number of these still in space
About 15050
Number of these still functioning
About 12400
Number of space objects regularly tracked by Space Surveillance Networks and maintained in their catalogue
About 42720
Estimated number of break-ups, explosions, collisions, or anomalous events resulting in fragmentation
More than 650
Total mass of all space objects in Earth orbit
More than 14500 tonnes
Not all objects are tracked and catalogued. The number of objects estimated based on statistical models to be in orbit (MASTER-8, reference population 08/2024)
54000 space objects greater than 10 cm (including approx. 9300 active payloads)
1.2 million space debris objects from greater than 1 cm to 10 cm
140 million space debris objects from greater than 1 mm to 1 cm