A paper published at the International Astronautical Congress 2019 shows the surge in small launch vehicle development. Rockets that have conducted successful first flights with more flights planned are considered operational. The active designation means the vehicle meets the criteria described in the paper but has not yet flown. Still more vehicles are on a list of projects to watch because they do not meet all the qualifications of active programs.

Of the 148 small launch vehicles on a popular industry watch list, about 41 “are likely dead,” Carlos Niederstrasser, a Northrop Grumman master systems engineer, said at the 2019 International Astronautical Congress here.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...