1986 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1986, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
110
Total Launches
102
Successful Launches
8
Failed Launches
92.73%
Success Rate
16
Humans launched to space
Notable 1986 Achievements
How 1986 Compares to Previous Years
There were 102 successful launch attempts in 1986 and 8 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 1986
In 1986, companies and agencies from 5 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (94 launches), the United States (9 launches) and Europe (3 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1986
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1986
7 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1986, including Soviet Space Program (94 launches), United States Air Force (7 launches) and Arianespace (3 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1986 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1986
24 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1986. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (37 launches), Kosmos-3M (11K65M) (15 launches) and Molniya-M 2BL (14 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1986 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1986
Rockets launched from 9 Launch Sites in 1986. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (57 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (37 launches) and Vandenberg SFB (4 launches).
Top Launch Sites in 1986
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1986
In 1986, 16 humans from 2 nations were launched into space. These nations were the United States (14 astronauts) and Russia (2 astronauts).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1986
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1986
We launched off to 3 different locations beyond earth in 1986 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (93 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (13 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (1 launch).
Top Launch Destinations in 1986
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.