Previous Spaceflight Launches

Filter by Agency, Locations or Vehicles

Show All Launches

Full Launch History

View all launches available - including launches from the past and utilize powerful search filters.

Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Intelsat 501

Convair | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 23, 1981, 10:42 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Geostationary communications satellite

Geostationary Orbit
Explore Share

Delta 3914 | GOES 5

McDonnell Douglas | United States of America
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 22, 1981, 10:29 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Geostationary meteorological satellite

Geostationary Orbit
Explore Share

Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKT 17

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
May 22, 1981, 7:10 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Film-return reconnaissance satellite

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 39

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
May 21, 1981, 9:10 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Optical film-return reconnaissance satellite

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Vostok 8A92M | Tselina-D 29

RKK Energiya | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
May 19, 1981, 3:49 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Tselina-D satellites provided detailed observation of radio sources detected by the smaller Tselina-O satellites as part of the Tselina ELINT system.

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Soyuz U | Yantar-2K 18

Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | Russia
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
May 18, 1981, 11:50 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

High-resolution film-return Yantar reconnaissance satellite

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

Scout G-1 | Nova 1

Vought | United States of America
Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
May 15, 1981, 6:07 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Improved Transit navigation satellite

Polar Orbit
Explore Share

Vostok 8A92M | Meteor-2 7

RKK Energiya | Russia
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
May 14, 1981, 9:45 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:

Second generation soviet meteorological satellite

Low Earth Orbit
Explore Share

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
Explore Share

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
Explore Share