1987 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1987, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
114
Total Launches
108
Successful Launches
6
Failed Launches
94.74%
Success Rate
8
Humans launched to space
How 1987 Compares to Previous Years
There were 108 successful launch attempts in 1987 and 6 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 1987
In 1987, companies and agencies from 6 Nations attempted launches, including Russia (97 launches), the United States (9 launches) and Japan (3 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1987
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1987
8 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1987, including Soviet Space Program (97 launches), United States Air Force (9 launches) and Ministry of Space Industry (2 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1987 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1987
26 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1987. The top 3 were the Soyuz U (44 launches), Kosmos-3M (11K65M) (13 launches) and Tsiklon-3 (11 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1987 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1987
Rockets launched from 10 Launch Sites in 1987. The most active launch sites were Plesetsk Cosmodrome (48 launches), Baikonur Cosmodrome (48 launches) and Vandenberg SFB (5 launches).
Top 10 Launch Sites in 1987
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1987
In 1987, 8 humans from 2 nations were launched into space. These nations were Russia (7 astronauts) and Syrian Arab Republic (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1987
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1987
We launched off to 3 different locations beyond earth in 1987 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (89 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (16 launches) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) (2 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1987
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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