1985 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1985, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
125
Total Launches
120
Successful Launches
5
Failed Launches
96.00%
Success Rate
59
Humans launched to space
Notable 1985 Achievements
How 1985 Compares to Previous Years
There were 120 successful launch attempts in 1985 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 1985
In 1985, companies and agencies from 5 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (100 launches), the United States (18 launches) and Europe (4 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1985
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1985
6 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1985, including Soviet Space Program (100 launches), United States Air Force (9 launches) and Lockheed Space Operations Company (9 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1985 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1985
21 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1985. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (40 launches), Molniya-M 2BL (16 launches) and Tsiklon-3 (12 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1985 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1985
Rockets launched from 10 Launch Sites in 1985. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (63 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (36 launches) and Kennedy Space Center (9 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1985
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1985
In 1985, 59 humans from 7 nations were launched into space, including the United States (47 astronauts), Russia (5 astronauts) and Netherlands (2 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1985
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1985
We launched off to 4 different locations beyond earth in 1985 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (105 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (12 launches) and Asteroid/Comet (3 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1985
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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