1981 in spaceflight Launches Launches

| Date_and_time_UTC_ | Rocket | Site | Orbit | Function_ | Decay_UTC_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 December, 11:47 UTC | Tsyklon-3 | LC-32/1, Plesetsk | LEO | SIGINT | Still in orbit |
| 4 December, 09:50 UTC | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | LEO | Reconnaissance | 18 December 1981 |
| 6 December, 23:14:58 UTC | Black Brant IVB | Cape Parry | Sub-orbital | l Aurora research | 6 December 1981 |
| 7 December, 00:00:40 UTC | Terrier-Malemute | Cape Parry | Sub-orbital | Plasma research | 7 December 1981 |
| 7 December | Dong Feng 5 | LA-2B, JSLC | Sub-orbital | Test flight | 7 December 1981 |
| 8 December | Aerobee 150 | LC-35, White Sands | Sub-orbital | Magnetosphere research | 8 December 1981 |
| 9 December, 17:17:00 UTC | Petrel 2 | Esrange | Sub-orbital | Aeronomy | 9 December 1981 |
| 9 December, 21:25:35 UTC | Skylark 7 | LA-S, Esrange | Sub-orbital | Ionosphere / Plasma research | 9 December 1981 |