1980 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1980, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
108
Total Launches
103
Successful Launches
5
Failed Launches
95.37%
Success Rate
13
Humans launched to space
Notable 1980 Achievements
How 1980 Compares to Previous Years
There were 103 successful launch attempts in 1980 and 5 failed launch attempts. These figures include test/development launches, which are more prone to failure.
Rocket Launches by Year
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Nation in 1980
In 1980, companies and agencies from 5 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (89 launches), the United States (15 launches) and Japan (2 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1980
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1980
6 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1980, including Soviet Space Program (89 launches), United States Air Force (15 launches) and ISAS (1 launch).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1980 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1980
22 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1980. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (45 launches), Kosmos-3M (11K65M) (16 launches) and Molniya-M 2BL (12 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1980 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1980
Rockets launched from 9 Launch Sites in 1980. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (64 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (24 launches) and Vandenberg SFB (9 launches).
Top Launch Sites in 1980
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1980
In 1980, 13 humans from 5 nations were launched into space, including Russia (9 astronauts), Ukraine (1 astronaut) and Hungary (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1980
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1980
We launched off to 3 different locations beyond earth in 1980 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (91 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (11 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (2 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1980
By RocketLaunch.org
That's a wrap! 👏
Don't forget to share this recap with fellow space-enthusiasts! And if you want more, view our Space Age Timeline to access all our annual recaps.
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