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Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Alcantara Launch Center 🇧🇷 Brazil Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Baikonur Cosmodrome 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Starbase Boca Chica 🇺🇸 United States Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Brazilian Air Force (FAB) / Agência Espacial Brasileira (AEB) | Roscosmos | SpaceX |
| Ownership | Government | International Consortium | Private |
| Region | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Launch pads | 1 (CLA mobile launch vehicle; VLM-1 pad under development)as of [1] | 9 active (Soyuz-2 × 3, Proton-M × 2, Zenit × 1, Zenith-3SLB, and reserve pads)as of [1]Many historic pads retired; total complex has 52 pads historically ↑ Most pads | 1 (Orbital Launch Mount A); second pad under constructionas of [1] |
| Annual launches | 0–1 (first orbital launch pending)as of [1]Sounding rockets operational; VLM-1 orbital debut targeted 2027 | ~15as of [1] | 6–8 IFTs (2025 rate target)as of [2]IFT-1 through IFT-7 conducted 2023–2025; production cadence increasing ↑ Most active |
| Max payload (LEO) | ~150 kg to SSO (VLM-1 target)as of [1]Near-equatorial location (2.3°S) provides ~460 m/s velocity bonus for GTO missions | 22,800 kg to LEO (Proton-M)as of [1] | 100,000+ kg to LEO (Starship target, fully reusable)as of [1]150,000 kg expendable; fully reusable figure TBC pending HLS missions ↑ Highest capacity |
| First operational launch | 1990-11-21as of [1]VS-30 sounding rocket; first orbital attempt VLS-1 1997 (pad explosion); new era with VLM-1 | 1957-10-04as of [1]Sputnik 1 — first artificial Earth satellite ever launched | 2023-04-20as of [1]Starship IFT-1 — first integrated flight test; vehicle lost at stage separation |
| Regulatory regime | AEB regulatory framework; 2019 U.S.–Brazil Technology Safeguards Agreement enables U.S.-origin payload launches | Roscosmos (lease through 2050) / Kazakhstan KazCosmos co-oversight under 1994 lease agreement | FAA-AST Part 450 vehicle operator license + site-specific Environmental Assessment / PEA |
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