# 1990 in spaceflight

The following is an outline of 1990 in spaceflight.

## Launches

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| January ||||||||
| 1 January 00:07 (UTC) | Commercial Titan III | Commercial Titan III | | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Martin Marietta | Martin Marietta |
| 1 January 00:07 (UTC) | | Skynet 4A | MoD | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful; placed in graveyard orbit 20 June 2005 |
| 1 January 00:07 (UTC) | | JCSAT 2 | JSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful; placed in graveyard orbit 2002 |
| Maiden flight of Commercial Titan III ||||||
| 9 January 12:35 (UTC) | Space Shuttle Columbia | Space Shuttle Columbia | | Kennedy LC-39A | Kennedy LC-39A | | |
| 9 January 12:35 (UTC) | | STS-32 | NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment and retrieval | 20 January 09:35 (UTC) | Successful |
| 9 January 12:35 (UTC) | | Leasat F5 also known as Syncom IV-5. | NASA | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful; placed in graveyard orbit 24 September 2015. |
| Crewed orbital flight with 5 astronauts Long Duration Exposure Facility retrieval mission Leasat F5 retired 24 September 2015. ||||||
| 17 January 14:45 (UTC) | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 17 January 14:45 (UTC) | | Kosmos 2055 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 January | Successful |
| 18 January 12:52 (UTC) | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 18 January 12:52 (UTC) | | Kosmos 2056 (Strela-2M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful; replaced by Kosmos 2208 12 August 1992. |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | Ariane 4 (40) | Ariane 4 (40) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | SPOT 2 | CNES | Sun-synchronous | Earth observation | In orbit | Successful; retired July, 2009. |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | UOSAT 3 also known as UoSAT-OSCAR 14 | University of Surrey | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful; retired from active service in 1999 and used as an amateur FM radio relay until 11 November 2003. |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | UOSAT 4 | University of Surrey | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Spacecraft failure 30 hours after launch |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | PACSAT | AMSAT | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | Microsat 2 | AMSAT | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | Microsat 3 | AMSAT | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 January 01:35 (UTC) | | Microsat 4 | AMSAT | Sun-synchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Maiden flight of Ariane 4 (40) UOSAT 4 ceased transmitting after 5 hours ||||||
| 23 January 02:52 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 23 January 02:52 | | Molniya 3-53L | | Molniya | Communications | 23 June 2003 | Successful |
| 24 January 11:46 | Mu-3S-II | Mu-3S-II | | Uchinoura | Uchinoura | ISAS | ISAS |
| 24 January 11:46 | | Hiten | ISAS | | Lunar probe | 11 April 1993 | Successful |
| 24 January 11:46 | | Hagoromo | ISAS | Selenocentric | Lunar orbiter | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| First Japanese lunar mission Hagoromo suffered a transmitter malfunction prior to selenocentric orbit injection ||||||
| 24 January 22:55:01 (UTC) | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 24 January 22:55:01 (UTC) | | GPS II-6 (USA-50) | US Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 January 17:15 (UTC) | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | | |
| 25 January 17:15 (UTC) | | Kosmos 2057 (Yantar-4K2) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 19 March 1990 | Successful |
| 30 January 11:20 (UTC) | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 30 January 11:20 (UTC) | | Kosmos 2058 (Tselina-R) | | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| February ||||||||
| 4 February 12:27:03 (UTC) | Long March 3 | Long March 3 | | Xichang LC-1 | Xichang LC-1 | | |
| 4 February 12:27:03 (UTC) | | DFH-2 A-4 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful; retired in the early 1990s |
| 6 February 16:30 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 6 February 16:30 | | Kosmos 2059 (Taifun-2) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 12 November | Successful |
| 7 February 01:33 | H-I | H-I | | Tanegashima LA-N | Tanegashima LA-N | Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi |
| 7 February 01:33 | | MOS 1B | NASDA | Low Earth | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational |
| 7 February 01:33 | | DEBUT | | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 February 01:33 | | JAS-1B | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 11 February 06:16 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 11 February 06:16 | | Soyuz TM-9 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-9 | 9 August 07:33 | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 2 cosmonauts ||||||
| 14 February 16:15:01 (UTC) | Delta II 6920-8 | Delta II 6920-8 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 14 February 16:15:01 (UTC) | | LACE (USA-51) | DoD | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 24 May 2000 | Successful |
| 14 February 16:15:01 (UTC) | | RME (USA-52) | DoD | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 24 May 1992 | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Delta II 6920 ||||||
| 15 February 07:52 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 81/23 | Baikonur Site 81/23 | | |
| 15 February 07:52 | | Raduga 25 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 February 23:17 | Ariane 4 (44L) | Ariane 4 (44L) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 22 February 23:17 | | Superbird B | SCC | Intended: Geosynchronous transfer | Communications | T+ seconds | Launch failure |
| 22 February 23:17 | | BS 2X | | Intended: Geosynchronous transfer | Communications | T+ seconds | Launch failure |
| Blocked water line caused rocket explosion ||||||
| 27 February 20:59 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 27 February 20:59 | | Nadezhda 2 | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 February 00:55 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32/2 | Plesetsk Site 32/2 | | |
| 28 February 00:55 | | Okean 2 | | Low Earth | Earth science | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 February 07:50 | Space Shuttle Atlantis | Space Shuttle Atlantis | | Kennedy LC-39A | Kennedy LC-39A | | |
| 28 February 07:50 | | STS-36 | NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 4 March 03:08 | Successful |
| 28 February 07:50 | | USA-53 (Misty-1) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| Crewed orbital flight with 5 astronauts ||||||
| 28 February 23:10 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 28 February 23:10 | | Progress M-3 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 28 April 00:52 | Successful |
| March ||||||||
| 14 March 11:52 | Commercial Titan III | Commercial Titan III | | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Martin Marietta | Martin Marietta |
| 14 March 11:52 | | Intelsat 603 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Partial launch failure |
| Due to non-separation of second stage Intelsat 603 was released from its perigee motor into a Low Earth orbit. Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-49 attached a new perigee motor which boosted the satellite to geosynchronous orbit. ||||||
| 14 March 15:27 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 14 March 15:27 | | Kosmos 2060 (US-P) | | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | 1 September 1991 | Successful |
| 20 March 00:25 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 20 March 00:25 | | Kosmos 2061 (Parus) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 March 07:20 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 22 March 07:20 | | Kosmos 2062 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 April | Successful |
| 26 March 02:45 | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 26 March 02:45 | | GPS II-7 (USA-54) | US Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Spacecraft failure |
| Signal anomaly on 21 May 1996 made the satellite unusable in the GPS constellation. ||||||
| 27 March 16:40 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 27 March 16:40 | | Kosmos 2063 (Oko) | | Molniya | Early warning | In orbit | Operational |
| April ||||||||
| 3 April 12:02 | Shavit | Shavit | | Palmachim | Palmachim | | |
| 3 April 12:02 | | Ofeq-2 | | Low Earth (retrograde) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 3 April | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43 | Plesetsk Site 43 | | |
| 3 April | | Yantar-4K2 | | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 April | Launch failure |
| 5 April 19:10 | Pegasus | Pegasus | | Balls 8 Edwards | Balls 8 Edwards | Orbital Sciences | Orbital Sciences |
| 5 April 19:10 | | Pegsat | NASA | Low Earth | Space Physics | 14 November 1998 | Successful |
| 5 April 19:10 | | USA-55 (SECS) | DoD | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Maiden flight of Pegasus ||||||
| 6 April 03:13 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2064 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2065 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2066 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2067 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2068 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2069 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2070 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 6 April 03:13 | | Kosmos 2071 (Strela-1M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 7 April 13:30 | Long March 3 | Long March 3 | | Xichang LC-1 | Xichang LC-1 | | |
| 7 April 13:30 | | AsiaSat 1 | AsiaSat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Originally launched as Westar 6 by Space Shuttle Challenger in February 1984 on mission STS-41-B. Was stranded in an incorrect orbit and was recovered in November 1984 by Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-A. Westar 6 was refurbished and sold to AsiaSat who renamed it AsiaSat 1. ||||||
| 11 April 15:00 | Atlas-E/Altair-3A | Atlas-E/Altair-3A | | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Lockheed | Lockheed |
| 11 April 15:00 | | USA-56 (POGS) | DoD | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 April 15:00 | | USA-57 (TEX) | DoD | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 April 15:00 | | USA-58 (SCE) | DoD | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 April 17:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 11 April 17:00 | | /Foton 6 | CNES | Low Earth | Microgravity research | 27 April 06:15 | Successful |
| 13 April 18:53 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 13 April 18:53 | | Kosmos 2072 (Yantar-4KS1) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 22 November | Successful |
| 13 April 22:28 | Delta II 6925-8 | Delta II 6925-8 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 13 April 22:28 | | Palapa B2R | Telkom Indonesia | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| Originally launched in February 1984 as Palapa B2 by Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-B. Was stranded in an incorrect orbit and was recovered in November 1984 by Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51-A. ||||||
| 17 April 08:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 17 April 08:00 | | Kosmos 2073 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 April | Successful |
| 20 April 18:41 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 20 April 18:41 | | Kosmos 2074 (Parus) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 24 April 12:33 | Space Shuttle Discovery | Space Shuttle Discovery | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | | |
| 24 April 12:33 | | STS-31 | NASA | Low Earth | HST deployment | 29 April 13:49 | Successful |
| 24 April 12:33 | | /Hubble Space Telescope | NASA/ESA | Low Earth | Space Telescope | In orbit | Operational |
| Crewed orbital flight with 5 astronauts ||||||
| 25 April 13:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 25 April 13:00 | | Kosmos 2075 (Taifun-2) | | Low Earth | Target | 20 February 1992 | Successful |
| 26 April 01:37 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 26 April 01:37 | | Molniya 1-77 | | Molniya | Communications | 25 February 2005 | Successful |
| 28 April 11:37 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 28 April 11:37 | | Kosmos 2076 (Oko) | | Molniya | Early warning | In orbit | Operational |
| May ||||||||
| 5 May 20:44 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 5 May 20:44 | | Progress 42 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 27 May 12:27 | Successful |
| Final flight of baseline Progress spacecraft ||||||
| 7 May 18:39 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 7 May 18:39 | | Kosmos 2077 (Yantar-4K2) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 July | Successful |
| 9 May 17:50 | Scout G-1 | Scout G-1 | | Vandenberg SLC-5 | Vandenberg SLC-5 | | |
| 9 May 17:50 | | MacSat 1 | DARPA | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 9 May 17:50 | | MacSat 2 | DARPA | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 May 09:55 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 15 May 09:55 | | Kosmos 2078 (Yantar-1KFT) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 June | Successful |
| 19 May 08:32 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 200/40 | Baikonur Site 200/40 | | |
| 19 May 08:32 | | Kosmos 2079 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 19 May 08:32 | | Kosmos 2080 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 19 May 08:32 | | Kosmos 2081 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 May 05:14 | Zenit-2 | Zenit-2 | | Baikonur Site 45/2 | Baikonur Site 45/2 | | |
| 22 May 05:14 | | Kosmos 2082 (Tselina-2) | | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Operational |
| First launch from Site 45/2 ||||||
| 29 May 07:19 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 29 May 07:19 | | Resurs-F6 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 14 June | Successful |
| 31 May 10:33 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | | |
| 31 May 10:33 | | Kristall | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir module | 23 March 2001 05:50 | Successful |
| June ||||||||
| 1 June 21:48 | Delta II 6920-10 | Delta II 6920-10 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 1 June 21:48 | | ROSAT | | Low Earth | Astronomy | 23 October 2011 | Successful |
| 8 June 05:21 | Titan IVA (405) | Titan IVA (405) | | Cape Canaveral LC-41 | Cape Canaveral LC-41 | Martin Marietta | Martin Marietta |
| 8 June 05:21 | | USA-59 (SLDCOM) | US Air Force | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 June 05:21 | | USA-60 (NOSS-2) | US Navy | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 June 05:21 | | USA-61 (NOSS-2) | US Navy | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 June 05:21 | | USA-62 (NOSS-2) | US Navy | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational |
| 12 June 05:52 | Delta 4925 | Delta 4925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 12 June 05:52 | | INSAT 1D | ISRO | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| Final flight of Delta 4925 ||||||
| 13 June 01:07 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 13 June 01:07 | | Molniya 3-47L | | Molniya | Communications | 26 February 2006 | Successful |
| 19 June 08:45 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 19 June 08:45 | | Kosmos 2083 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 July 1990 | Successful |
| 20 June 23:36 | Proton-K/DM | Proton-K/DM | | Baikonur Site 200/40 | Baikonur Site 200/40 | | |
| 20 June 23:36 | | Gorizont 20 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 June 20:45 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 21 June 20:45 | | Kosmos 2084 (Oko) | | Intended: Molniya Achieved: Low Earth | Early warning | In orbit | Partial Failure |
| Placed in an incorrect orbit and the satellite did not communicate with the ground. ||||||
| 23 June 11:19 | Commercial Titan III | Commercial Titan III | | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Martin Marietta | Martin Marietta |
| 23 June 11:19 | | Intelsat 604 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 June 22:30 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 27 June 22:30 | | Meteor-2-19 | | Low Earth | Earth Sciences | In orbit | Successful |
| July ||||||||
| 3 July | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | | |
| 3 July | | Yantar-4K2 | | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 July | Launch failure |
| 11 July 10:00 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 11 July 10:00 | | /Gamma | CNES | Low Earth | Astronomy | 28 February 1992 | Successful |
| 16 July 00:40 | Long March 2E | Long March 2E | | Xichang LC-2 | Xichang LC-2 | | |
| 16 July 00:40 | | Badr-1 | SUPARCO | Low Earth | Communications | 8 December | Successful |
| 16 July 00:40 | | HS-601 | | Low Earth | Boilerplate spacecraft | In orbit | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Long March 2E ||||||
| 17 July 09:29 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 17 July 09:29 | | Resurs-F7 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 16 August | Successful |
| 18 July 21:46 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | | |
| 18 July 21:46 | | Kosmos 2085 (Geizer 17L) | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 20 July 08:40 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 July 08:40 | | Kosmos 2086 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 August | Successful |
| 24 July 22:25 | Ariane 4 (44L) | Ariane 4 (44L) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 24 July 22:25 | | TDF-2 | Telediffusion | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 24 July 22:25 | | DFS-2 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 July 18:13 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 July 18:13 | | Kosmos 2087 (Oko) | | Molniya | Early warning | In orbit | Operational |
| 25 July 19:21 | Atlas I | Atlas I | | Cape Canaveral LC-36B | Cape Canaveral LC-36B | | |
| 25 July 19:21 | | CRRES | US Air Force | Geosynchronous transfer | Space Physics | In orbit | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Atlas I Contact with spacecraft lost on 12 October 1991 due to onboard battery failure. ||||||
| 30 July 00:06 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32/1 | Plesetsk Site 32/1 | | |
| 30 July 00:06 | | Kosmos 2088 (Geo-IK) | | Low Earth | Earth Science | In orbit | Successful |
| August ||||||||
| 1 August 09:32 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 1 August 09:32 | | Soyuz TM-10 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-7 | 10 December 06:08 | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 2 cosmonauts ||||||
| 2 August 05:39 | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 2 August 05:39 | | GPS II-8 (USA-63) | US Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 3 August 19:45 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 3 August 19:45 | | Kosmos 2089 (Yantar-4K2) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 1 October | Successful |
| 8 August 04:15 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2090 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2091 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2092 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2093 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2094 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 August 04:15 | | Kosmos 2095 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 9 August 20:18 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | | |
| 9 August 20:18 | | Ekran-M | | Intended: Geosynchronous | Communications | 9 August | Launch failure |
| 10 August 20:18 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 10 August 20:18 | | Molniya 1-78 | | Molniya | Communications | 6 July 2007 | Successful |
| 15 August 04:00 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 15 August 04:00 | | Progress M-4 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 20 September 11:42 | Successful |
| 16 August 09:54 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 16 August 09:54 | | Resurs-F8 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 1 September | Successful |
| 18 August 00:42 | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 18 August 00:42 | | Marco Polo 2 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 August 16:17 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 23 August 16:17 | | Kosmos 2096 (US-P) | | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | 30 August 1992 | Successful |
| 28 August 07:49 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 28 August 07:49 | | Kosmos 2097 (Oko) | | Molniya | Early warning | In orbit | Operational |
| 28 August 09:05 | H-1 | H-1 | | Tanegashima LA-N | Tanegashima LA-N | Mitsubishi | Mitsubishi |
| 28 August 09:05 | | BS 3A | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 August 15:45 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 28 August 15:45 | | Kosmos 2098 (Taifun-1) | | Low Earth | Earth Science | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 August 22:46 | Ariane 4 (44LP) | Ariane 4 (44LP) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 30 August 22:46 | | Skynet 4C | MoD | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 30 August 22:46 | | Eutelsat 2F1 | Eutelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 31 August 08:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 31 August 08:00 | | Kosmos 2099 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 14 September | Successful |
| September ||||||||
| 3 September 00:53 | Long March 4A | Long March 4A | | Taiyuan LC-1 | Taiyuan LC-1 | | |
| 3 September 00:53 | | Feng Yun 1B | | Sun-synchronous | Weather satellite | In orbit | Successful |
| 3 September 00:53 | | Qi Qiu Weixing 1 | | Sun-synchronous | Atmospheric research | 11 March 1991 | Successful |
| 3 September 00:53 | | Qi Qiu Weixing 2 | | Sun-synchronous | Atmospheric research | 24 July 1991 | Successful |
| Final flight of Long March 4A ||||||
| 7 September 11:59 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | | |
| 7 September 11:59 | | Resurs-F9 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 September | Successful |
| 14 September 05:59 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 14 September 05:59 | | Kosmos 2100 (Parus) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 20 September 20:16 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 September 20:16 | | Molniya 3-54L | | Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 27 September 10:37 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 27 September 10:37 | | Progress M-5 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Logistics | 28 November 11:04 | Successful |
| 28 September 07:30 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 28 September 07:30 | | Meteor-2-20 | | Low Earth | Earth Science | In orbit | Successful |
| October ||||||||
| 1 October 11:00 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 1 October 11:00 | | Kosmos 2101 (Orlets-1) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 30 November | Successful |
| 1 October 21:56 | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 1 October 21:56 | | GPS II-9 (USA-64) | US Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 4 October | Zenit-2 | Zenit-2 | | Baikonur Site 45/2 | Baikonur Site 45/2 | | |
| 4 October | | Tselina-2 | | Intended: Low Earth | ELINT | T+5 seconds | Launch failure |
| First stage engine failure five seconds after launch. Subsequent explosion completely destroyed the launch pad, which was not rebuilt. ||||||
| 5 October 06:14 | Long March 2C | Long March 2C | | Jiuquan LA-2B | Jiuquan LA-2B | | |
| 5 October 06:14 | | FSW-1-3 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 October 03:59 | Successful |
| 6 October 11:47 | Space Shuttle Discovery | Space Shuttle Discovery | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | | |
| 6 October 11:47 | | STS-41 | NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 10 October | Successful |
| 6 October 11:47 | | /Ulysses | ESA/NASA | Heliocentric | Solar probe | In orbit | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 5 astronauts ||||||
| 12 October 22:58 | Ariane 4 (44L) | Ariane 4 (44L) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 12 October 22:58 | | SBS 6 | SBS | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 12 October 22:58 | | Galaxy 6 | PanAmSat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 16 October 19:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 16 October 19:00 | | Kosmos 2102 (Yantar-4K2) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 December | Successful |
| 30 October 23:16 | Delta II 6925 | Delta II 6925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 30 October 23:16 | | Inmarsat 2F1 | Inmarsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| November ||||||||
| 3 November 14:40 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 81/23 | Baikonur Site 81/23 | | |
| 3 November 14:40 | | Gorizont 21 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 13 November 00:37 | Titan IVA (402)/IUS | Titan IVA (402)/IUS | | Cape Canaveral LC-41 | Cape Canaveral LC-41 | Martin Marietta | Martin Marietta |
| 13 November 00:37 | | USA-65 (DSP-15) | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Early warning | In orbit | Operational |
| 14 November 06:33 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 14 November 06:33 | | Kosmos 2103 (US-P) | | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | 3 April 1991 | Successful |
| 15 November 23:48 | Space Shuttle Atlantis | Space Shuttle Atlantis | | Kennedy LC-39A | Kennedy LC-39A | | |
| 15 November 23:48 | | STS-38 | NASA | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | 20 November 21:42 | Successful |
| 15 November 23:48 | | USA-67 (SDS-2) | NRO | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 15 November 23:48 | | Prowler | NRO | Geosynchronous | Satellite inspection Technology | In orbit | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 5 astronauts ||||||
| 16 November 16:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 16 November 16:30 | | Kosmos 2104 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 December | Successful |
| 20 November 02:33 | Molniya-M/2BL | Molniya-M/2BL | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 November 02:33 | | Kosmos 2105 (Oko) | | Molniya | Early warning | 16 January 2008 | Successful |
| 20 November 23:11 | Ariane 4 (42P) | Ariane 4 (42P) | | Kourou ELA-2 | Kourou ELA-2 | Arianespace | Arianespace |
| 20 November 23:11 | | Satcom C1 | GE Americom | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 November 23:11 | | GStar 4 | Spacenet | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Ariane 4 (42P) ||||||
| 23 November 03:51 | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 23 November 03:51 | | Molniya 1-79 | | Molniya | Communications | 30 August 2005 | Successful |
| 23 November 13:22 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | | |
| 23 November 13:22 | | Gorizont 22 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 26 November 21:39 | Delta II 7925 | Delta II 7925 | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | McDonnell Douglas | McDonnell Douglas |
| 26 November 21:39 | | GPS IIA-1 (USA-66) | US Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Delta II 7925 ||||||
| 28 November 16:33 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 28 November 16:33 | | Kosmos 2106 (Tselina-D) | | Low Earth | ELINT | 7 April 2000 | Successful |
| December ||||||||
| 1 December 15:57 | Atlas-E/Star-37 | Atlas-E/Star-37 | | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Lockheed | Lockheed |
| 1 December 15:57 | | USA-68 (DMSP-5D2 F10) | US Air Force | Sun-synchronous | Weather satellite | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 December 06:49 | Space Shuttle Columbia | Space Shuttle Columbia | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | | |
| 2 December 06:49 | | STS-35 | NASA | Low Earth | Astronomy | 10 December 23:54 | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 7 astronauts ||||||
| 2 December 08:13 | Soyuz-U2 | Soyuz-U2 | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 2 December 08:13 | | Soyuz TM-11 | | Low Earth (Mir) | Mir EO-8 | 26 May 1991 10:04 | Successful |
| Crewed orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts including the first Japanese space traveler. ||||||
| 4 December 00:48 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 4 December 00:48 | | Kosmos 2107 (US-P) | | Low Earth | Naval Reconnaissance | 6 April 1992 | Successful |
| 4 December 18:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 4 December 18:30 | | Kosmos 2108 (Yantar-4K2) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 January 1991 | Successful |
| 8 December 02:43 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 81/23 | Baikonur Site 81/23 | | |
| 8 December 02:43 | | Kosmos 2109 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 December 02:43 | | Kosmos 2110 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 8 December 02:43 | | Kosmos 2111 (GLONASS) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational |
| 10 December 07:54 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | | |
| 10 December 07:54 | | Kosmos 2112 (Strela-2M) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 December 11:35 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 81/23 | Baikonur Site 81/23 | | |
| 20 December 11:35 | | Raduga 26 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 21 December 06:20 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 21 December 06:20 | | Kosmos 2113 (Yantar-4KS1) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 June 1991 | Successful |
| 22 December 07:28 | Tsyklon-3 | Tsyklon-3 | | Plesetsk Site 32 | Plesetsk Site 32 | | |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2114 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2115 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2116 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2117 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2118 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 22 December 07:28 | | Kosmos 2119 (Strela-3) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
| 26 December 11:10 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 26 December 11:10 | | Kosmos 2120 (Zenit-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 17 January 1991 | Successful |
| 27 December 11:08 | Proton-K/DM-2 | Proton-K/DM-2 | | Baikonur Site 200/39 | Baikonur Site 200/39 | | |
| 27 December 11:08 | | Raduga-1-2 | | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational |
* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Deep-space rendezvous

| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
| 10 February | Galileo | Flyby of Venus | Gravity assist; Closest approach: 16,000 kilometres (9,900 mi) |
| 19 March | Hiten | Flyby of the Moon |
| 19 March | Hagoromo | Selenocentric orbit injection |
| 10 August | Magellan | Cytherean orbit injection |
| 8 December | Galileo | 1st flyby of the Earth | Gravity assist; Closest approach: 960 kilometres (600 mi) |

## EVAs

| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
| 8 January 20:23 | 2 hours 56 minutes | 23:19 | Mir EO-5 | Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov | Installed new star tracker sensors launched in the Kvant-2 module onto Kvant-1. |
| 11 January 18:01 | 2 hours 54 minutes | 20:55 | Mir EO-5 | Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov | Closed out experimental racks, either retrieving for return to Earth, or discarding into space. Modified the docking node for the arrival of the Kristall module. |
| 26 January 12:09 | 3 hours 2 minutes | 15:11 | Mir EO-5 Kvant-2 | Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov | Tested the new Orlan-DMA spacesuit. This spacewalk team was the first use of the EVA airlock hatch on the Kvant-2 module. During the spacewalk a mooring post was attached outside the airlock, and a Kurs antenna was removed to enable future EVAs. |
| 1 February 08:15 | 4 hours 59 minutes | 13:14 | Mir EO-5 Kvant-2 | Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov | Tested the SPK "flying armchair", analogous to NASA's MMU. The SPK did not fly free, but remained tethered to Kvant-2 during the tests. |
| 5 February 06:08 | 3 hours 45 minutes | 09:53 | Mir EO-5 Kvant-2 | Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov | Conducted more tests of the SPK. Viktorenko reached as far as 45 metres (148 ft) from Mir. |
| 17 July 13:06 | 7 hours 15 minutes | 20:22 | Mir EO-6 Kvant-2 | Anatoly Solovyev Aleksandr Balandin | At the start of their EVA to repair torn insulation on the Soyuz TM-9, Solovyev and Balandin damaged the hatch on Kvant-2 by opening it before the airlock was completely depressurized. The spacewalking team repaired the insulation on Soyuz, but time constraints required returning to Kvant-2 before they collected their tools and ladders. Unable to securely close the damaged hatch, they used the center section of Kvant-2 as a back-up airlock. |
| 26 July 11:15 | 3 hours 31 minutes | 14:46 | Mir EO-6 Kvant-2 | Anatoly Solovyev Aleksandr Balandin | Transmitted images of the damaged hatch to TsUP, recovered the ladders and tools left outside earlier and removed debris lodged in the hinge of the airlock hatch, allowing the hatch to close and seal for repressurization. |
| 29 October 21:45 | 2 hours 45 minutes | 30 October 00:30 | Mir EO-7 Kvant-2 | Gennadi Manakov Gennady Strekalov | After removing insulation around the damaged Kvant-2 hatch, they found the hatch to be more heavily damaged than previously understood. Although unable to completely repair the hatch, they added hardware to the hatch. |