SpaceX, the rise of China and more: How spaceflight has changed since 1999

Three panel image showing a space shuttle launch on the left, in the middle a long exposure photograph of a spacex falcon 9 rocket launch shows a stream of light across the sky and the right image shows a rocket lifting off from a launch pad.

Space travel has evolved tremendously over the past quarter century, seeing a transformation from government-driven, exploratory missions to a dynamic, more commercially driven frontier.

In 1999, there were 79 orbital launch attempts, including intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests. Many of the missions were performed by the venerable space shuttle, Delta and Soyuz rockets, with the U.S. and Russia leading the way. The International Space Station (ISS) was in the early days of its construction, with NASA leading a number of countries to build the grandest of all international cooperation projects.