# Total Payload Put Into Orbit **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 25, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949 "2012-02-25T12:57:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/1 "2012-02-25T12:57:51Z")
The [ISS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iss) weighs approximately 450 tons. What I was wondering is, what is the combined mass of all payloads we’ve put into orbit since the dawn of the space age? Is it more or less than the cargo capacity of a large container ship like the [Emma Mærsk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_M%C3%A6rsk)? Sub-orbital payloads don’t count. I’m wondering about the total mass put into orbit and beyond in the case of space probes. For bonus credit, you could also tell me how much of it has fallen back to Earth due to orbital decay. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/2 "2012-02-25T13:12:34Z")
Given that a fair number of payloads over the years have been classified military launches, I don’t think you’re going to get much of an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/3 "2012-02-25T13:26:26Z")
A rough estimate would be perfectly acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/4 "2012-02-25T13:52:33Z")
So what about the Shuttle, Soyuz, and various moon related missions? Do they count or does the deliberate return to Earth not count? What about the parts that didn’t come back (LEM, etc)? ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/5 "2012-02-25T14:22:24Z")
Wiki has a timeline of the [number of launches per year](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight). By eyeball, I estimate that there have been an average of ~70 launches per year since 1958, for a total of ~4000 launches. From this wiki page of [different launch systems](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems), I’d estimate the average payload to be ~5-10 tons. Multiplying the two, my very rough ballpark estimate is 20,000 tons. That’s just an order-of-magnitude sort of estimate, however. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/6 "2012-02-25T14:29:20Z")
> [@lazybratsche](#): > > Wiki has a timeline of the [number of launches per year](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight). By eyeball, I estimate that there have been an average of ~70 launches per year since 1958, for a total of ~4000 launches. From this wiki page of [different launch systems](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems), I’d estimate the average payload to be ~5-10 tons. Multiplying the two, my very rough ballpark estimate is 20,000 tons. That’s just an order-of-magnitude sort of estimate, however. If you’re even sort of close…an E-Class container ship can hold almost 160,000 tons. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-payload-put-into-orbit/613949/7 "2012-02-25T15:20:39Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > So what about the Shuttle, Soyuz, and various moon related missions? Do they count or does the deliberate return to Earth not count? What about the parts that didn’t come back (LEM, etc)? I’m interested in useful payload sent to orbit and beyond, so they would definitely count. > [@lazybratsche](#): > > Wiki has a timeline of the [number of launches per year](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_spaceflight). By eyeball, I estimate that there have been an average of ~70 launches per year since 1958, for a total of ~4000 launches. From this wiki page of [different launch systems](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_orbital_launch_systems), I’d estimate the average payload to be ~5-10 tons. Multiplying the two, my very rough ballpark estimate is 20,000 tons. That’s just an order-of-magnitude sort of estimate, however. Thanks, that’s useful. I’d be interested in a more accurate estimate if anyone wants to find or calculate one, but that certainly answers my question.