SpaceX alone accounted for 96 launches, an average of about two a week.

The continued deployment of its Starlink satellite network was the main target of these launches of its Falcon 9 rocket.

It also launched its Falcon Heavy rocket, which took the X-37B military drone into orbit on a research mission, and conducted two test launches of its giant Starship rocket.

The rocket is expected to be dedicated to landing astronauts back on the moon as part of the Artemis missions.

SpaceX Vice President Bill Gerstenmeyer said during a U.S. Senate hearing in October that the company plans to "increase the number of flights to about 12 per month, or 144" per year, in 2024.

In the face of US hegemony, China is developing its space activity at a rapid pace, and has carried out 67 launches in 2023 compared to 64 in 2022, according to Spice News.

On Friday, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Association carried out the last launch of 2023, reporting on its website that the total launches carried out during the year for the Long March group of rockets alone amounted to forty-seven.

Russia has carried out 19 launches, including 17 of its Soyuz rocket, most of them satellites to meet its government and military needs, in addition to the Progress cargo vehicle to the International Space Station, according to the specialized space site "Gunter's Space Page".

The Rocket Electron from the US-New Zealand company Rocket Lab, one of the rare small rockets, was fired nine times.

The Indian Space Agency (ISRO) carried out seven launches during the year of its GSLV, PSLV and SSLV rockets.

The first launch of 2024 from ISRO, a PSLV rocket, was at 4:30 GMT on Monday, putting a satellite into orbit.

However, Europe, which is suffering from a crisis in this area, was satisfied with three launches in 2023, including the last two flights of the Ariane 5 rocket and the third of the Vega rocket.

The Europeans hope to regain their ability to reach space independently after the first flight of the Ariane 6 rocket, scheduled between June 15 and the end of July, and the return of the Italian rocket "Vega C" at the end of the year, after its use was stopped since the failure of its first commercial flight in December 2023.

Japan also carried out three launches in 2023, including a failed attempt to launch its new H3 heavy missile.

Japan's aerospace exploration agency JAXA announced Thursday that Feb. 15 has set a date for a new attempt.