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Home Library Launch Database 1981 Launches
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Orbital Launches in 1981

7,332 orbital launches since 1957

Search, filter and explore every orbital launch ever attempted — cross-linked to the satellites they deployed, the rockets that flew them and the operators behind them. Built on GCAT & Launch Library 2.

7,332
Total launches
149
This year
92.8%
Success rate
159
Crewed
1957
Since

Orbital Radar lists 126 every orbital launch in 1981, part of 7,332 orbital launches catalogued since 1957. Every entry links to the rocket, the operator and the satellites it deployed.

Featured & milestone launches

126 launches
DateMissionVehicleOperatorLaunch sitePayloadsOrbitOutcome
1981-12-23Molniya-1 11F658 No. 551981-123Molniya 8K78M MLSoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome3 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1981-12-20Marecs A1981-122Ariane 1ESAGuiana Space Centre2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1981-12-19Feniks No. 9521981-121Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-12-19Navstar GPS SVN 71981-F03Atlas E/SVSUS Air ForceVandenberg SFBLEOfailure
1981-12-17RS-31981-120Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome19 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-12-15INTELSAT V F31981-119Atlas SLV-3D CentaurNASACape Canaveral2 payloads ↗GEOsuccess
1981-12-04Zenit-61981-118Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-12-03Tselina-D1981-117Tsiklon-3Soviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-11-28Strela-1M1981-116Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome9 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-11-20SEO B1981-115Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesKapustin YarLEOsuccess
1981-11-20RCA-D1981-114Delta 3910/PAMNASACape Canaveral1 payload ↗GEOsuccess
1981-11-17Molniya-11981-113Molniya 8K78M MLSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeHEOsuccess
1981-11-13Zenit-61981-112Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-11-12OV-102 OFT-21981-111Space ShuttleNASAKennedy Space CenterLEOsuccess
1981-11-044V-1M No. 7611981-110Proton-K/D-1Soviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeHEOsuccess
1981-11-03Feniks No. 9441981-109Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-10-31Oko1981-108Molniya 8K78M 2BLSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1981-10-31VORTEX 31981-107Titan IIICUS Air ForceCape Canaveral2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1981-10-304V-1M No. 7601981-106Proton-K/D-1Soviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeHEOsuccess
1981-10-17Molniya-3 No. 311981-105Molniya 8K78M MLSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeHEOsuccess
1981-10-15Zenit-61981-104Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-10-13Tselina-D1981-103Vostok 8A92MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome1 payload ↗LEOsuccess
1981-10-09Fram1981-101Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-10-09Gran' No. 20L1981-102Proton-K/DMSoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗HEOsuccess
1981-10-06Solar Mesosphere Explore1981-100Delta 2310NASAVandenberg SFB1 payload ↗MEOsuccess
1981-10-01Zenit-61981-099Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-30Musson No. 121981-098Tsiklon-3Soviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-09-28Romb1981-097Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-24SBS 21981-096Delta 3910/PAMNASACape Canaveral1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1981-09-23Vektor1981-095Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-21AUOS-Z 401 M-A-IK1981-094Tsiklon-3Soviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-09-19shijian erhao B xing1981-093Feng Bao 1CASCJiuquanLEOsuccess
1981-09-18Orion1981-092Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-18Parus1981-091Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-09-15Zenit-61981-090Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-14US-PM1981-089Tsiklon-2Soviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-11Molniya-3 No. 281981-088Molniya 8K78M MLSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome5 payloads ↗MEOsuccess
1981-09-04Tsikada1981-087Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-09-04Zenit-61981-086Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-09-03KH11-4 KENNAN1981-085Titan IIIDUS Air ForceVandenberg SFBLEOsuccess
1981-08-28Strela-2M1981-084Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome4 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-08-27Resurs-F1 17F41 No. 161981-083Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-08-24Tselina-D1981-082Tsiklon-3Soviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome1 payload ↗LEOsuccess
1981-08-24US-A reactor1981-081Tsiklon-2Soviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-08-21Yantar'-4K21981-080Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesBaikonur CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-08-18Zenit-61981-079Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-08-13Feniks No. 9431981-078Soyuz-USoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk CosmodromeLEOsuccess
1981-08-12Parus1981-077Kosmos 11K65MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess
1981-08-10GMS 21981-076N-2NASDATanegashima1 payload ↗HEOsuccess
1981-08-07IK Bulgaria-13001981-075Vostok 8A92MSoviet Rocket ForcesPlesetsk Cosmodrome2 payloads ↗LEOsuccess

Launch cadence · 1957 → 2026

Annual orbital launch attempts worldwide. The modern surge is reshaping the record.

19572026

About this database

Every orbital launch since 1957 — 7,332 in total, 159 of them crewed — cross-linked to the rockets, operators and satellites involved. The historical record is built on GCAT and enriched with Launch Library 2, then matched to our live satellite catalogue.

Browse the database

crawlable facet hubs · each its own indexable page
Full launch index (126 launches)
Molniya-1 11F658 No. 55 (1981-12-23)Marecs A (1981-12-20)Navstar GPS SVN 7 (1981-12-19)Feniks No. 952 (1981-12-19)RS-3 (1981-12-17)INTELSAT V F3 (1981-12-15)Zenit-6 (1981-12-04)Tselina-D (1981-12-03)Strela-1M (1981-11-28)RCA-D (1981-11-20)SEO B (1981-11-20)Molniya-1 (1981-11-17)Zenit-6 (1981-11-13)OV-102 OFT-2 (1981-11-12)4V-1M No. 761 (1981-11-04)Feniks No. 944 (1981-11-03)VORTEX 3 (1981-10-31)Oko (1981-10-31)4V-1M No. 760 (1981-10-30)Molniya-3 No. 31 (1981-10-17)Zenit-6 (1981-10-15)Tselina-D (1981-10-13)Gran' No. 20L (1981-10-09)Fram (1981-10-09)Solar Mesosphere Explore (1981-10-06)Zenit-6 (1981-10-01)Musson No. 12 (1981-09-30)Romb (1981-09-28)SBS 2 (1981-09-24)Vektor (1981-09-23)AUOS-Z 401 M-A-IK (1981-09-21)shijian erhao B xing (1981-09-19)Orion (1981-09-18)Parus (1981-09-18)Zenit-6 (1981-09-15)US-PM (1981-09-14)Molniya-3 No. 28 (1981-09-11)Tsikada (1981-09-04)Zenit-6 (1981-09-04)KH11-4 KENNAN (1981-09-03)Strela-2M (1981-08-28)Resurs-F1 17F41 No. 16 (1981-08-27)US-A reactor (1981-08-24)Tselina-D (1981-08-24)Yantar'-4K2 (1981-08-21)Zenit-6 (1981-08-18)Feniks No. 943 (1981-08-13)Parus (1981-08-12)GMS 2 (1981-08-10)IK Bulgaria-1300 (1981-08-07)FLTSATCOM F5 (1981-08-06)Strela-1M (1981-08-06)Oko (1981-08-04)US-PM1 (1981-08-04)DE A (1981-08-03)Gran' No. 19L (1981-07-30)Zenit-6 (1981-07-29)Zenit-6 (1981-07-17)Feniks No. 951 (1981-07-15)Meteor-Priroda No. 2-4 (1981-07-10)Zenit-6 (1981-07-07)Resurs-F1 17F41 No. 15 (1981-07-02)Zenit-6 (1981-07-01)Ekran No. 21L (1981-06-25)Molniya-1 (1981-06-24)NOAA C (1981-06-23)Meteosat F2 (1981-06-19)Zenit-6 (1981-06-17)Fram (1981-06-16)Molniya-3 No. 30 (1981-06-09)Parus (1981-06-04)Feniks No. 942 (1981-06-03)Rohini RS-D-1 (1981-05-31)INTELSAT V F1 (1981-05-23)GOES E (1981-05-22)Fram (1981-05-22)Zenit-6 (1981-05-21)Tselina-D (1981-05-19)Feniks No. 980 (1981-05-18)Nova 1 (1981-05-15)Meteor-2 No. 8 (1981-05-14)Soyuz 7K-T No. 56 (1981-05-14)Strela-2M (1981-05-07)Zenit-6 (1981-04-28)TKS No. 16301 (1981-04-25)Jumpseat 6 (1981-04-24)US-A reactor (1981-04-21)Zenit-6 (1981-04-16)Zenit-6 (1981-04-15)OV-102 OFT-1 (1981-04-12)Vektor (1981-04-09)Zenit-6 (1981-04-07)Oko (1981-03-31)Feniks No. 979 (1981-03-28)Molniya-3 No. 24 (1981-03-24)Soyuz 7K-T No. 55 (1981-03-22)US-P (1981-03-20)Gran' No. 18L (1981-03-18)Zenit-6 (1981-03-17)DSP 10 (1981-03-16)Soyuz 7K-ST No. 10L (1981-03-12)Strela-1M (1981-03-06)US-A reactor (1981-03-05)Feniks No. 940 (1981-03-05)GAMBIT-3 Mission 4351 (1981-02-28)Comstar D-4 (1981-02-21)ASTRO-A (1981-02-21)Oko (1981-02-19)Siluet No. 1 (1981-02-18)Zenit-6 (1981-02-13)Parus (1981-02-12)ETS-4 (1981-02-11)AUOS-Z R-P-IK (1981-02-06)Molniya-1 (1981-01-30)Tselina-D (1981-01-27)Progress 7K-TG No. 113 (1981-01-24)Musson No. 11 (1981-01-23)Lira (1981-01-21)Feniks No. 975 (1981-01-20)Orion (1981-01-16)Vektor (1981-01-16)Molniya-3 No. 25 (1981-01-09)Zenit-6 (1981-01-06)

Last updated 2026-06-21 · Data: GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org) · Launch Library 2 / The Space Devs — enriched & cross-linked by Orbital Radar.