There was nearly 1 rocket launch attempt every 34 hours in 2024 — this year will be even busier

In the dark of night, a rocket blasts fire from its engines, sending plumes of smoke jetting out as it climbs the launch tower out of frame. A SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket launches from LC-39A, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Floriday, carrying members of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station, April 27, 2022.

2024 set spaceflight records for the fourth consecutive year with 259 launches worldwide and one launch attempt roughly every 34 hours, according to a recent analysis of the global space economy.

The report, published by The Space Report, the research arm of the Colorado-based non-profit organization Space Foundation, also predicts that the pace of launches will keep rising this year. This growth is partly driven by a renewed focus on independent launch capabilities in Europe, where launch vehicles in France, Germany and the U.K. are awaiting their debut flights.