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Tsiklon-2 | US-A 18

Yuzhnoye Design Bureau | Ukraine
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
April 21, 1981, 3:45 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Active radar satellite for ocean surveillance powered by a nuclear reactor.

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Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 37

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
April 16, 1981, 11:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite

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Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 36

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
April 15, 1981, 10:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite

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Space Shuttle Columbia / OV-102 | STS-1

National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of America
Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
April 12, 1981, noon
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

STS-1 was the first orbital spaceflight of the Space Shuttle Program. The first orbiter Columbia took a 54.5 hour flight and circled the Earth 36 times. This was NASAs first craft to be manned during a testflight. Manned by John Young and Bob Crippen.

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Kosmos-3M | Taifun-1 13

Russian Space Forces | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
April 9, 1981, noon
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Radar calibration satellite

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Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 35

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
April 7, 1981, 10:51 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite

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Molniya-M | US-K 20

Russian Space Forces | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
March 31, 1981, 9:39 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Early warning satellite

Elliptical Orbit
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Soyuz U | Yantar-2K 17

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
March 28, 1981, 9:30 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:

High-resolution film-return Yantar reconnaissance satellite

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Molniya-M | Molniya-3 24L

Russian Space Forces | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
March 24, 1981, 3:31 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Molniya communication satellites operating from a highly elliptical orbit

Elliptical Orbit
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Soyuz-U | Soyuz 39

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
March 22, 1981, 2:58 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Soyuz 39 was the 15th mission to visit the Salyut 6 space station and carried the the EP-9 crew, which visited the long-duration Soyuz T-4 resident crew. The mission began on March 22, 1981, 14:58, launching Commander Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Research Cosmonaut Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa, the first Mongolian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with the station the next day. During their 7-day stay on the station, EP-9 crew conducted Earth observation, material, medical and other experiments, including cosmic radiation research. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on March 30, 1981, 11:40:58 UTC.

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