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.
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.
One big thing: China has eclipsed Russia with 188 satellite launches since 2007, compared to Russia's 116. But the U.S. remains the dominant international leader in space, with 553 launches as of October. 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 137 satellites from January to October 2017.