1981 in spaceflight Launches Launches

| Date_and_time_UTC_ | Rocket | Site | Orbit | Function_ | Decay_UTC_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 January, 03:37 UTC | Black Brant VB | Fort Churchill | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy research | 19 January 1981 |
| 20 January, 04:50 UTC | Astrobee-F | White Sands | Sub-orbital | Ultraviolet astronomy | 20 January 1981 |
| 20 January, 11:00 UTC | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | LC-31/6 , Baikonur | LEO | Reconnaissance | 17 February 1981 |
| 21 January, 00:25 UTC | Black Brant 8C | White Sands | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy research | 21 January 1981 |
| 21 January, 08:29 UTC | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | LC-132/1, Plesetsk | LEO | ASAT target | Still in orbit |
| 21 January, 21:46 UTC | S-310 | Kagoshima | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy research | 21 January 1981 |
| 23 January, 11:20 UTC | Tsyklon-3 (R-36 11K68) | LC-32/1, Plesetsk | Intended: MEO | Geodetics | 23 January 1981 |