Space Exploration Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020667,365

Best year200424,272 earned

All-time popularity#57official, as of 2020#53by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1965. Peak year 2004 with 24,272. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1965141 earned#109 of 109

19661,879 earned#81 of 110

19672,912 earned#72 of 112

19683,068 earned#72 of 112

19693,871 earned#64 of 113

19703,687 earned#69 of 113

19713,364 earned#70 of 113

19722,290 earned#92 of 124

19733,238 earned#86 of 122

19744,510 earned#83 of 121

19754,223 earned#84 of 128

19764,707 earned#83 of 130

19773,718 earned#84 of 130

19783,449 earned#82 of 131

19793,204 earned#77 of 132

19803,022 earned#65 of 132

19813,132 earned#73 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

199310,838 earned#48 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199613,902 earned#43 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200020,713 earned#32 of 128

200118,407 earned#33 of 129

200221,334 earned#31 of 129

200322,970 earned#31 of 130

200424,272 earned#30 of 121

200523,155 earned#29 of 121

200621,256 earned#30 of 121

200719,943 earned#30 of 121

200820,459 earned#31 of 121

200921,977 earned#31 of 122

201022,914 earned#29 of 125

201123,595 earned#25 of 129

201223,557 earned#25 of 132

201323,290 earned#20 of 129

201422,625 earned#30 of 136

201521,607 earned#30 of 138

201620,137 earned#29 of 138

201718,994 earned#27 of 139

201819,574 earned#27 of 139

201918,432 earned#27 of 139

20208,750 earned#30 of 137

2021No data available#25 of 137

2022No data available#29 of 138

2023No data available#29 of 138

2024No data available#30 of 138

2025No data available#29 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#29 of 141" means the badge was number 29 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1965141#109 of 109

19661,879#81 of 110

19672,912#72 of 112

19683,068#72 of 112

19693,871#64 of 113

19703,687#69 of 113

19713,364#70 of 113

19722,290#92 of 124

19733,238#86 of 122

19744,510#83 of 121

19754,223#84 of 128

19764,707#83 of 130

19773,718#84 of 130

19783,449#82 of 131

19793,204#77 of 132

19803,022#65 of 132

19813,132#73 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199310,838#48 of 123

1994—

1995—

199613,902#43 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200020,713#32 of 128

200118,407#33 of 129

200221,334#31 of 129

200322,970#31 of 130

200424,272#30 of 121

200523,155#29 of 121

200621,256#30 of 121

200719,943#30 of 121

200820,459#31 of 121

200921,977#31 of 122

201022,914#29 of 125

201123,595#25 of 129

201223,557#25 of 132

201323,290#20 of 129

201422,625#30 of 136

201521,607#30 of 138

201620,137#29 of 138

201718,994#27 of 139

201819,574#27 of 139

201918,432#27 of 139

20208,750#30 of 137

2021—#25 of 137

2022—#29 of 138

2023—#29 of 138

2024—#30 of 138

2025—#29 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Space Exploration: workbook data

Printings (52)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	HC
x	1966	July	7	20M	1966	HCL
x	1967	May	7	10M	1966
x	1968	February	7	15M	1966	HCL
x	1969	February	7	14M	1966	HCN
x	1970	March	7	12M
x	1971	May	7	10M		HCSV1
	1972	October	7	20M
x	1973	February	8A	8M		HCT
x	1974	January	8A	12M		HCT
	1975	January	8	25M
x	1976	March	8B	7.5M
x	1976	July	8B	6M
x	1977	August	8B	6M
	1978	not made
x	1979	January	8B	5M	1976
x	1980	January	9A	5M	1976
x	1981	February	9A	5M	1976
	1982	not made
x	1983	February	9	3M
x	1983	July	9B	5M
x	1984	April	9B	6M
x	1985	February	9B	7M
x	1986	April	9B	6.5M
x	1986	November	9B	7M
x	1987	September	9B	8M	1983
x	1988	September	9B	8M	1983
x	1989	June	9B	9M	1983
x	1990	October	9C-1	8.5M	1983
	1991	not made
x	1992	March	9C-1	8M	1983
x	1993	January	9C-1	8M	1983
x	1994	February	9C-2	8M	1983
x	1995	January	9C-2	9M	1983
x	1996	January	9C-2	9.5M	1983
x	1997	September	9C-2		1983
x	1998		9C-2
x	1999		9C-2
x	2000		9C-2
x	2001		9C-2
x	2002		9C-2
x	2003		9C-2
x	2004		9		2004
x	2005		9		2004
x	2006		9		2004
x	2007		9D		2004
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1965	141	109	109
1966	1,879	81	110
1967	2,912	72	112
1968	3,068	72	112
1969	3,871	64	113
1970	3,687	69	113
1971	3,364	70	113
1972	2,290	92	124
1973	3,238	86	122
1974	4,510	83	121
1975	4,223	84	128
1976	4,707	83	130
1977	3,718	84	130
1978	3,449	82	131
1979	3,204	77	132
1980	3,022	65	132
1981	3,132	73	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	10,838	48	123
1994
1995
1996	13,902	43	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	20,713	32	128
2001	18,407	33	129
2002	21,334	31	129
2003	22,970	31	130
2004	24,272	30	121
2005	23,155	29	121
2006	21,256	30	121
2007	19,943	30	121
2008	20,459	31	121
2009	21,977	31	122
2010	22,914	29	125
2011	23,595	25	129
2012	23,557	25	132
2013	23,290	20	129
2014	22,625	30	136
2015	21,607	30	138
2016	20,137	29	138
2017	18,994	27	139
2018	19,574	27	139
2019	18,432	27	139
2020	8,750	30	137
2021		25	137
2022		29	138
2023		29	138
2024		30	138
2025		29	141