Suborbital Flights by the Numbers
by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor
With Blue Origin regularly launching people into space from West Texas, the once sleepy suborbital space sector has raised its profile over the past year or so. But, New Shepard flights are not the only interesting suborbital flights being conducted. New launch vehicles — including ones that would compete with New Shepard — are being developed around the world. And valuable scientific research is being undertaken.
Let’s take a look at suborbital launches that do not involve the testing of ballistic or hypersonic missiles during the first eight months of the year.
Suborbital Launches
There were 34 suborbital launches that did not involve tests of new missiles. Seventeen different types of rockets flew from 16 locations in 10 different countries on four continents. Thirteen launches were conducted in the United States, seven in China, four in Australia, two apiece in Japan, Norway and South Korea, and one each in India, Iran, North Korea and Sweden.
Suborbital Launches (Excluding Weapons Tests)
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Date | Launch Vehicle | Organization(s) | Launch Site | Purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA – University of Miami | Wallops (USA) | X-ray astronomy | Success |
| Jan. 23, 2022 | Tianxing II | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| Jan. 24, 2022 | Tianxing I | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?)(China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| Jan. 29, 2022 | Improved Malemute | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Esrange (Sweden) | Microgravity research | Success | Apogee: 253.6 km (157.6 miles) |
| Feb. 26, 2022 | Hwasong-17 | KPA Strategic Rocket Force – National Aerospace Development Administration | Sunan (North Korea) | Tested imaging system for future reconnaissance satellite | Success | Apogee: ~620 km (385.3 miles) |
| March 5, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA | Poker Flat (USA) | Auroral science | Success | Apogee: 429 km (266.6 miles) |
| March 9, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | White Sands (USA) | Solar observation | Success | Apogee: 302 km (187.7 miles) |
| March 17, 2022 | Tianxing II | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| March 21, 2022 | Terrier-improved Malemute | NASA — U.S. Air Force | Wallops (USA) | Laminar- turbulent transition measurements | Success |
| March 24, 2022 | Blue Whale 0.1 | Perigee Aerospace – Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Jeju Island (South Korea) | Third flight test of smallsat launcher | Success |
| March 30, 2022 | Solid Fuel Space Projectile | Ministry of National Defense | Jackup sea installation (South Korea) | Smallsat launcher flight test | Success | Dummy satellite |
| March 31, 2022 | New Shepard | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (USA) | Space tourism | Success | Six people flown on fourth human flight | Apogee: 107 km (66.5 miles) |
| April 7, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA – Clemson University | Poker Flat (USA) | Auroral science | Success | Apogee: 339.6 km (211 miles) |
| April 7, 2022 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | NASA – Clemson University | Poker Flat (USA) | Auroral science | Success | Apogee: 207.6 km (129 miles) |
| April 19, 2022 | Tianxing II | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| April 25, 2022 | Tianxing I | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| May 4, 2022 | Tianxing I | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Success |
| May 11, 2022 | Oriole III-A | NASA | Svalbard (Norway) | Ionospheric research | Success | Apogee: 767 km (476.6 miles); first flight of Oriole III-A |
| June 4, 2022 | New Shepard | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (USA) | Space tourism | Success | Six people flown on fifth human flight | Apogee: 107 km (66.5 miles) |
| June 24, 2022 | Terrier-Improved Orion | NASA – Colorado Space Grant Consortium | Wallops Flight Facility (USA) | Education | Success | Apogee: 113.5 km (70.5 miles) |
| June 26, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA – University of Wisconsin – Madison | Arnhem Space Centre (Australia) | X-ray astronomy | First launch from Australian commercial spaceport | Apogee: 327 km (203.2 miles) |
| June 26, 2022 | Zulijanah | Iranian Space Agency | Semnan (Iran) | Flight test | Success |
| June 26, 2022 | VSB-30 Improved Orion | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Andoya (Norway) | Reusable launch vehicle technology test | Success | Apogee: 38 km (23.6 miles) | Velocity: Mach 8 |
| July 6, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA/CU Boulder | Arnhem (Australia) | UV spectroscopy | Success | Apogee: 243 km (151 miles) |
| July 11, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA/CU Boulder | Arnhem (Australia) | UV astronomy | Success | Apogee: 261 km (162 miles) |
| July 23, 2022 | S-520 | JAXA | Uchinoura (Japan) | Supersonic combustion flight test | Success | Apogee: 168 km (104 miles) |
| Aug. 4, 2022 | New Shepard | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (USA) | Space tourism | Success | Six people flown on sixth human flight | Apogee: 107 km (66.5 miles) |
| Aug. 11, 2022 | S-520 | JAXA/Toyama Prefectural University | Uchinoura (Japan) | Ionospheric research | Success: Apogee: 279 km (173 miles) |
| Aug. 11, 2022 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | NASA/Colorado Space Grant Consortium | Wallops Flight Facility (USA) | Education | Success | Apogee: 159 km (99 miles) |
| Aug. 22, 2022 | Black Brant IX | NASA/Northwestern University | White Sands (USA) | X-ray astronomy | Success | Apogee: 254 km (158 miles) |
| Aug. 24, 2022 | Terrier-Improved Malemute | NASA/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Wallops Flight Facility (USA) | Sporadic-E ElectroDynamics Demonstration mission (SpEED Demon) technology demonstration | Success | Apogee: 160 km (100 miles) |
| Aug. 25, 2022 | Reusable Suborbital Carrier | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (China) | Flight test; landed at Alxa Right Banner Badanjilin Airport | Success |
| Sept. 2, 2022 | DART | T-Minus Engineering Dart/Ascension | Koonibba Test Range (Australia) | Technology demonstration | Failure |
| Sept. 3, 2022 | RH-300 Mk II | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (India) | Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator | Success | Apogee: 84 km (52.2 miles) |
Suborbital Launches by Organization
NASA led the world by conducting 14 suborbital flights from five locations on three continents using four different types of suborbital rockets.
Suborbital Launches by Organization (Excluding Weapons Tests)
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Organization | Partner(s) | Purpose(s) | Launch Vehicle(s) | Launch Site(s) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASA | U.S. Air Force, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Clemson University, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Northwestern University, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Miami, University of Wisconsin – Madison | Auroral science (3), x-ray astronomy (3), education (2), electro dynamic flight test (1), ionospheric research (1), Laminar-turbulent transition (1), solar observation (1), UV astronomy (1), UV spectroscopy (1) | Black Brant IX (8), Terrier-Improved Malemute (4), Terrier-Improved Orion (1), Oriole III-A (1) | Wallops Island (5), Arnhem (3), Poker Flat (3), White Sands (2), Svalbard (1) | 14 |
| Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | — | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Tianxing I, Tianxing II | Jiuquan (?) (China) | 6 |
| Blue Origin | Multiple | Fourth, fifth and sixth human spaceflights, 18 people flown | New Shepard | Corn Ranch (USA) | 3 |
| German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Technical University of Munich, University of Arizona | Microgravity research, reusable launch vehicle technology test | Improved Malemute, VSB-30 Improved Orion | Andoya (Norway), Esrange (Sweden) | 2 |
| JAXA | Toyama Prefectural University | Supersonic combustion flight test; ionospheric research | S-520 | Uchinoura (Japan) | 2 |
| China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | — | Flight test; launched vertically, landed horizontally at Alxa Right Banner Badanjilin Airport | Reusable Suborbital Carrier | Jiuquan (China) | 1 |
| Indian Space Research Organisation | — | Inflatable Aerodynamic Accelerator flight test | RH-300 Mk II | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (India) | 1 |
| Iranian Space Agency | — | Smallsat launcher flight test | Zulijanah | Semnan (Iran) | 1 |
| KPA Strategic Rocket Force | National Aerospace Development Administration | Tested imaging system for future reconnaissance satellite | Hwasong-17 | Sunan (North Korea) | 1 |
| Perigee Aerospace | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) | Third flight test of smallsat launcher | Blue Whale 0.1 | Jeju Island (South Korea) | 1 |
| South Korea Ministry of National Defense | — | Smallsat launcher flight test | Solid Fuel Space Projectile | Jackup sea installation (South Korea) | 1 |
| T-Minus Engineering | Ascension | Technology demonstration | DART | Koonibba Test Range (Australia) | 1* |
| Total | 34 |
* Launch failure
Blue Origin Crewed Flights
Blue Origin’s three New Shepard flights carried 18 spaceflight participants.
New Shepard Flights
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Date | Vehicle | Company | Location | Payloads | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2022 | New Shepard (NS-20) | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (Texas) | Marty Allen, Sharon Hagle, Marc Hagle, Jim Kitchen, George Nield, Gary Lai | Fourth New Shepard human flight, 107 km (66.5 miles) apogee |
| June 4, 2022 | New Shepard (NS-21) | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (Texas) | Evan Dick, Katya Echazarreta, Hamish Harding, Victor Correa Hespanha, Jaison Robinson, Victor Vescovo | Fifth New Shepard human flight, 107 km (66.5 miles) apogee |
| August 4, 2022 | New Shepard (NS-22) | Blue Origin | Corn Ranch (Texas) | Coby Cotton, Mario Ferreira, Clint Kelly III, Sara Sabry, Vanessa O’Brien, Steve Young | Sixth New Shepard human flight |
Suborbital Launches for Booster & Technology Development
Sixteen of the 34 launches were focused on the development of new boosters and space technology.
Suborbital Launches for Launch Vehicle & Technology Development (Excluding Weapons Tests)
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Purpose | Launch Vehicle(s) | Launch Site | Organization(s) | Partner(s) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Tianxing I, Tianxing II | Jiuquan (?) (China) | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | — | 6 |
| Second reusable suborbital launch flight test | Reusable Suborbital Carrier | Jiuquan | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | — | 1 |
| Orbital booster flight test | Blue Whale 0.1 | Jeju Island (South Korea) | Perigee Aerospace | South Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology | 1 |
| Orbital booster flight test | Solid-fuel Space Projectile | Jackup sea installation (South Korea) | South Korea Ministry of National Defense | — | 1 |
| Orbital booster flight test | Zulijanah | Semnan (Iran) | Iranian Space Agency | — | 1 |
| Supersonic combustion flight test | S-520 | Uchinoura (Japan) | JAXA | 1 | |
| Reconnaissance satellite imaging system test | Hwasong-17 | Sunan (North Korea) | KPA Strategic Rocket Force (North Korea) | National Aerospace Development Administration | 1 |
| Reusable launch vehicle technology test | VSB-30 Improved Orion | Andoya (Norway) | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Technical University of Munich, University of Arizona | 1 |
| Sporadic-E Electro Dynamics Demonstration mission (SpEED Demon) technology demonstration | Terrier-improved Malemute | Wallops (USA) | NASA | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | 1 |
| Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator | RH-300 Mk II | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (India) | Indian Space Research Organisation | — | 1 |
| Technology demonstration | DART | Koonibba Test Range (Australia) | T-Minus Engineering | Ascension | 1* |
| Total | 16 |
* Launch failure
Suborbital Launches for Science & Education
Fifteen launches were dedicated to scientific research and two were focused on education.
2022 Suborbital Launches for Science and Education
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Purpose | Launch Vehicle(s) | Launch Site(s) | Organization(s) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auroral science | Black Brant IX (2), Terrier-Improved Malemute (I) | Poker Flat (USA) | NASA, Clemson University | 3 |
| X-ray astronomy | Black Brant IX | Arnhem (Australia), Wallops (USA), White Sands (USA) | NASA, Northwestern University, University of Miami, University of Wisconsin – Madison | 3 |
| Education | Terrier-Improved Orion | Wallops (USA) | NASA – Colorado Space Grant Consortium | 2 |
| Ionospheric research | Oriole III-A, S-520 | Svalbard (Norway), Uchinoura (Japan) | NASA, JAXA – Toyama Prefectural University | 2 |
| Microgravity research | Improved Malemute, New Shepard | Esrange (Sweden) | DLR | 1 |
| Laminar–turbulent transition measurements | Terrier-improved Malemute | Wallops (USA) | NASA – U.S. Air Force | 1 |
| Solar observation | Black Brant IX | White Sands (USA) | NASA – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | 1 |
| UV astronomy | Black Brant IX | Arnhem (Australia) | NASA – UC Boulder | 1 |
| UV spectroscopy | Black Brant IX | Arnhem (Australia) | NASA – UC Boulder | 1 |
| Total | 15 |
Suborbital Launches by Location
Suborbital launches were conducted from 16 locations in 10 nations.
Suborbital Launches by Location (Excluding Weapons Tests)
Jan. 1 – Sept. 9, 2022
| Launch Site | Launch Vehicle(s) | Organization | Partner(s) | Purpose(s) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (China) | Tianxing I, Tianxing II, Reusable Suborbital Carrier | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) (6), China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (1) | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development, reusable suborbital carrier flight test | 7 | |
| NASA Wallops Flight Facility (Virginia, USA) | Terrier-improved Malemute (3), Terrier-Improved Orion (1), Black Brant IX (1) | NASA | U.S. Air Force, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, University of Miami | x-ray astronomy, research, education | 5 |
| Corn Ranch (Texas, USA) | New Shepard | Blue Origin | Various | New Shepard fourth, fifth and six human spaceflights, 18 people flown; microgravity flight with 32 payloads | 3 |
| Poker Flat Research Range (Alaska, USA) | Black Brant IX (2), Terrier-Improved Malemute | NASA | Clemson University | Auroral science | 3 |
| Arnhem Space Centre (Australia) | Black Brant IX | NASA | University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Colorado at Boulder | X-ray astronomy, UV spectroscopy, UV astronomy; first launch from Australian commercial spaceport | 3 |
| Uchinoura (Japan) | S-520 | JAXA | Toyama Prefectural University | Supersonic combustion flight test, ionospheric research | 2 |
| White Sands Missile Range (New Mexico, USA) | Black Brant IX | NASA | Northwestern University, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory | Solar observatory, x-ray astronomy | 2 |
| Andoya Space (Norway) | VSB-30 Improved Orion | German Aerospace Center | — | Reusable launch vehicle technology test | 1 |
| Esrange Space Center (Sweden) | Improved Malemute | German Aerospace Center | — | Microgravity research | 1 |
| Jackup Sea Installation (South Korea) | Solid Fuel Space Projectile | Ministry of National Defense | — | Small satellite launch vehicle flight test | 1 |
| Jeju Island (South Korea) | Blue Whale 0.1 | Perigee Aerospace | South Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology | Small satellite launch vehicle test | 1 |
| Koonibba Test Range (Australia) | DART | T-Minus Engineering | Ascension | Technology demonstration | 1 |
| Semnan Space Center (Iran) | Zulijanah | Iranian Space Agency | — | Small satellite launch vehicle test | 1 |
| Sunan International Airport (North Korea) | Hwasong-17 | KPA Strategic Rocket Force | National Aerospace Development Administration | Test of imaging system for reconnaissance satellite | 1 |
| Svalbard Rocket Range (Norway) | Oriole III-A | NASA | — | Ionospheric research | 1 |
| Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (India) | RH-300 Mk II | Indian Space Research Organisation | — | Inflatable Aerodynamic Accelerator flight test | 1 |
| Total | 34 |
Suborbital Launches by Booster
Seventeen different types of boosters were launched 34 times.
Suborbital Launches by Booster (Excluding Weapons Tests)
Jan. – Sept. 9, 2022
| Launch Vehicle | Organization | Partner(s) | Purpose(s) | Launch Site(s) | Launches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Brant IX | NASA | U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Clemson University, University of Miami, University of Wisconsin – Madison | x-ray astronomy (3), auroral science (2), solar observation (1), UV astronomy (1), UV spectroscopy (1) | Arnhem (Australia), Poker Flat (USA), Wallops (USA), White Sands (USA) | 8 |
| Terrier-improved Malemute | NASA | Clemson University, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, U.S. Air Force | auroral science (1), education (1), laminar – turbulent transition measurements (1), Sporadic-E ElectroDynamics Demonstration mission technology demonstration (1) | Poker Flat (USA), Wallops (USA) | 4 |
| New Shepard | Blue Origin | — | Space tourism | Corn Ranch (USA) | 3 |
| Tianxing I | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | — | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Jiuquan (?) (China) | 3 |
| Tianxing II | Space Transportation (Beijing Lingkong Tianxing Technology) | — | Suborbital spaceplane & hypersonic transport vehicle development | Jiuquan (?) (China) | 3 |
| S-520 | JAXA | Toyama Prefectural University (ionospheric research) | Ionospheric research, supersonic combustion flight test | Uchinoura | 2 |
| Blue Whale 0.1 | Perigee Aerospace | Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology | Third flight test of small satellite launch vehicle | Jeju Island (South Korea) | 1 |
| DART | T-Minus Engineering | Ascension | Technology Demonstration | Koonibba Test Range (Australia) | 1* |
| Hwasong-17 | KPA Strategic Rocket Force | National Aerospace Development Administration | Test of imaging system for reconnaissance satellite | Sunan International Airport | 1 |
| Improved Malemute | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | — | Microgravity | Esrange (Sweden) | 1 |
| Oriole III-A | NASA | — | Ionospheric research | Svalbard (Norway) | 1 |
| Reusable Suborbital Carrier | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | Second flight test; landed at Alxa Right Banner Badanjilin Airport | Jiuquan (China) | 1 | |
| RH-300 Mk II | Indian Space Research Organisation | — | Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator | Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (India) | 1 |
| Solid-fuel Space Projectile | South Korea Ministry of National Defense | — | Small satellite launcher flight test | Jackup Sea Installation (South Korea) | 1 |
| Terrier-improved Orion | NASA | Colorado Space Grant Consortium | Education | Wallops (USA) | 1 |
| VSB-30 Improved Orion | German Aerospace Center (DLR) | Technical University of Munich, University of Arizona | Reusable launch vehicle technology test | Andoya (Norway) | 1 |
| Zulijanah | Iranian Space Agency | — | Second flight test of smallsat orbital vehicle | Semnan (Iran) | 1 |
| Total | 34 |
* Launch failure
