In the first half of 2012. China, Russia, USA, Japan, India, Iran and North Korea, as well as multinational companies carried out 35 launches of space rockets. For the first time in history, China became the leader which has completed 10 launches. On the second and third places are Russia (9 launches) and the U.S. (eight launches). The company “Arianespace” carried out three launches, the others, and one launch for the rest countries.
Russia would not cede leadership to China, after 19 June 2012. from the Baikonur Cosmodrome planed to start another launch of “Proton-M” for the Sirius-five (SES-5). However, after a comprehensive test, Russia decided to postpone the launch on July 7, and then on July 9.
Of the 35 space launches carried out in the world in the first half of 2012. 13 launches (37%) used engine developed by Energomash, the largest power engineering business group in Russia.