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The state of the space race in 1 chart

In the new century, China has joined the U.S. and Russia as a top competitor in the space race. Here's an interactive look at the government, military, commercial and civil satellites each contender has launched.

Data: Union of Concerned Scientists Satellite Database; Note: Last updated April 30, 2018.

One big thing: China has eclipsed Russia with 237 satellite launches since 2007, compared to Russia's 122. But the U.S. remains the dominant international leader in space, with 631 launches as of April. That's more than every other country in the world besides China and Russia, combined.

A big player in the U.S. is Planet Labs, an Earth imaging company which alone launched 149 satellites since 2017.

Editor's note: This story was originally published on Jan. 26, 2018, and updated on Oct. 1, 2018, to reflect launches through April 2018.

Deep Dive - Space Race