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Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Baikonur Cosmodrome 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 🇳🇿 New Zealand Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Operator-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Roscosmos | Rocket Lab |
| Ownership | International Consortium | Private |
| Region | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| Launch pads | 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 | 2 (LC-1A, LC-1B)as of [1] |
| Annual launches | ~15as of [1] | 10–12 (Electron)as of [1] |
| Max payload (LEO) | 22,800 kg to LEO (Proton-M)as of [1] | 320 kg to 500 km SSO (Electron)as of [1] ↑ Highest capacity |
| First operational launch | 1957-10-04as of [1]Sputnik 1 — first artificial Earth satellite ever launched | 2017-05-25as of [1]'It's a Test' vehicle — test flight lost; first successful orbital 2018-01-21 |
| Regulatory regime | Roscosmos (lease through 2050) / Kazakhstan KazCosmos co-oversight under 1994 lease agreement | New Zealand Space Agency (NZSA) under Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017; bilateral TSA with U.S. |
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