[OC] 🚀 All Space Missions from 1957, Visualized

What patterns surprise you most? I'm happy to dig into the data further! Check out and edit the full visualization.

I created an animated visualization tracking every space launch from 1957 to 2020, and the patterns that emerged tell a pretty cool story:

• The Cold War space race was real: By 1991, the Soviet Union had launched 1,703 missions vs USA's 1,349. The USSR dominated the early decades with their relentless launch cadence.
• China's quiet rise: Starting in the 1970s, China steadily climbed from zero to 268 launches by 2020, now firmly in the top tier of spacefaring nations.
• The privatization revolution: In the 1950s-60s, 100% of launches were government-run. By 2020, private companies accounted for 34.6% of all launches – a dramatic shift in how we access space.
• RVSN USSR remains the GOAT: The Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces still hold the all-time record with 1,777 launches – a testament to the scale of Cold War space operations.

Tools: MOSTLY AI, Python (pandas, matplotlib), Plotly.js for the interactive version.