1981 in spaceflight Launches Launches

| Date_and_time_UTC_ | Rocket | Site | Orbit | Function_ | Decay_UTC_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 August, 10:20 UTC | Soyuz-U | LC-1/5 , Baikonur | LEO | Reconnaissance | 2 October 1981 |
| 22 August, 01:00 UTC | Poseidon | USSNathanael Greene , ETR | Sub-orbital | Operational test flight | 22 August 1981 |
| 24 August, 12:00 UTC | S-310 | Kagoshima | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy and l Aurora research | 24 August 1981 |
| 24 August, 16:37 UTC | Tsyklon-2 | LC-90, Baikonur | LEO | Naval reconnaissance | Still in orbit |
| 24 August, 21:40 UTC | Tsyklon-3 | LC-32/1, Plesetsk | LEO | SIGINT | Still in orbit |
| 25 August | Taurus-Orion | LC-36, White Sands | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy | 25 August 1981 |
| 27 August, 10:30 UTC | Soyuz-U | LC-41/1, Plesetsk | LEO | Reconnaissance and remote sensing | 10 September 1981 |
| 28 August, 00:03 UTC | Trident C-4 | USSSimon Bolivar , ETR | Sub-orbital | Operational test flight | 28 August 1981 |