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Soyuz-U | Soyuz 40

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
May 14, 1981, 5:16 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Soyuz 40 was the 16th and final mission to visit the Salyut 6 space station. It carried the the EP-10 crew, which visited the long-duration Soyuz T-4 resident crew. The mission began on May 14, 1981, 17:16:38 UTC, launching Commander Leonid Popov and Research Cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu, the first Romanian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with the station the next day. During their 7-day stay on the station, EP-10 crew conducted Earth observation, material, medical and other experiments, including Earth magnetic field and space radiation study. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on May 22, 1981, 13:58:30 UTC.

Low Earth Orbit
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Kosmos-3M | Strela-2M 24

Russian Space Forces | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
May 7, 1981, 1:21 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Military communications satellite

Low Earth Orbit
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Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 38

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

Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite

Low Earth Orbit
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Proton | TKS 2

Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
April 25, 1981, 2:01 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Resupply mission for Salyut space station

Low Earth Orbit
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Titan 34B | Jumpseat 6

Lockheed Martin | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 24, 1981, 9:32 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Signal intelligence satellite operating from highly elliptic Molniya-type orbits.

Elliptical Orbit
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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.

Low Earth Orbit
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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

Low Earth Orbit
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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

Low Earth Orbit
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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.

Low Earth Orbit
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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

Low Earth Orbit
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