1981 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1981, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
126
Total Launches
123
Successful Launches
3
Failed Launches
97.62%
Success Rate
10
Humans launched to space
Notable 1981 Achievements
How 1981 Compares to Previous Years
There were 123 successful launch attempts in 1981 and 3 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 1981
In 1981, companies and agencies from 6 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (100 launches), the United States (19 launches) and Japan (3 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1981
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1981
10 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1981, including Soviet Space Program (100 launches), United States Air Force (16 launches) and National Space Development Agency of Japan (2 launches).
Top 10 Space Launch Service Providers in 1981 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1981
27 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1981. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (42 launches), Kosmos-3M (11K65M) (18 launches) and Molniya-M 2BL (14 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1981 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1981
Rockets launched from 11 Launch Sites in 1981. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (60 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (39 launches) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (9 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1981
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1981
In 1981, 10 humans from 5 nations were launched into space, including the United States (4 astronauts), Russia (3 astronauts) and Mongolia (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1981
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1981
We launched off to 4 different locations beyond earth in 1981 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (106 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (15 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (2 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1981
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.
🔔 Set up an email alert for upcoming launches
Get a weekly email containing all launches scheduled for the coming week.