Apr 12 Vostok K
Success
Gagarin orbits Earth, the first human in space
Gagarin's single orbit was the first human spaceflight. It secured the Soviet Union's lead in the Space Race.
Rocket launches in1961
Yuri Gagarin circles the Earth once on a Vostok in April — 108 minutes that permanently change the stakes. The USA answers with Alan Shepard's suborbital Mercury flight in May and Gus Grissom's in July, while the Soviet Union sends Gherman Titov on a full-day Vostok 2 mission in August.
Monthly Cadence complete
FEB peak 13 launches ↑ 12% vs 1960
- launches
- 124
- success · 85/124
- 69%
- provider
- 1
1961 launch leaders
1961 highlights
All 1961 launches
Quick filters
124 launches
| January | ||||
Jan 7, 1961 | D-3 USA • Scout Blue Scout I | |||
Jan 14, 1961 | Unnamed flight Russia • R-7 A | |||
Jan 20, 1961Failure | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Jan 23, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas D | |||
Jan 24, 1961Failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Jan 31, 1961Partial failure | Mercury-Redstone 2 USA • Mercury-Redstone | |||
Jan 31, 1961 | Samos 2 USA • Atlas Agena A LV-3 | |||
| February | ||||
Feb 4, 1961Failure | Sputnik 7 Russia • Molniya | |||
Feb 10, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Feb 12, 1961 | Venera 1 Russia • Molniya | |||
Feb 13, 1961 | I1-3T Russia • R-7 A | |||
Feb 16, 1961 | Explorer 9 USA • Scout X-1 | |||
Feb 17, 1961 | Discoverer 20 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Feb 18, 1961 | Discoverer 21 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Feb 20, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Feb 21, 1961 | Mercury-Atlas 2 USA • Atlas D | |||
Feb 22, 1961 | Transit 3B USA • Thor DM-21 Ablestar | |||
Feb 24, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Feb 25, 1961Failure | Explorer 10 USA • Juno II | |||
Feb 27, 1961 | L2-1 Russia • R-7 | |||
| March | ||||
Mar 3, 1961Failure | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Mar 3, 1961 | D-4 USA • Scout Blue Scout II | |||
Mar 9, 1961 | Sputnik 9 Russia • Vostok K | |||
Mar 14, 1961Failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Mar 24, 1961 | Mercury-Redstone BD USA • Mercury-Redstone | |||
Mar 25, 1961Partial failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Mar 25, 1961 | Sputnik 10 Russia • Vostok K | |||
Mar 25, 1961 | Explorer 10 USA • Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | |||
Mar 28, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Mar 30, 1961 | Missile test USA • Thor DM-18A | |||
Mar 30, 1961Failure | Discoverer 22 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Mar 31, 1961Failure | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
| April | ||||
Apr 8, 1961 | Discoverer 23 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Apr 12, 1961 | Vostok 1 Russia • Vostok K | |||
Apr 12, 1961 | D-5 USA • Scout Blue Scout II | |||
Apr 14, 1961Failure | Unnamed flight Russia • R-7 A | |||
Apr 22, 1961 | CM-209 USA • Jupiter | |||
Apr 25, 1961Failure | Mercury-Atlas 3 USA • Atlas D | |||
Apr 27, 1961 | Explorer 11 USA • Juno II | |||
| May | ||||
May 3, 1961 | VS-1 USA • Titan I | |||
May 5, 1961 | Mercury-Redstone 3 / Freedom 7 USA • Mercury-Redstone | |||
May 9, 1961 | D-6 USA • Scout Blue Scout I | |||
May 13, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
May 23, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
May 24, 1961Failure | Explorer 12 USA • Juno II | |||
May 24, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas D | |||
May 26, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
| June | ||||
Jun 7, 1961Failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Jun 8, 1961Failure | Discoverer 24 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Jun 15, 1961 | E15001-06 Russia • R-7 A | |||
Jun 16, 1961 | Discoverer 25 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Jun 20, 1961 | Missile test USA • Thor DM-18A | |||
Jun 23, 1961Failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Jun 24, 1961Failure | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Jun 29, 1961 | Transit 4A USA • Thor DM-21 Ablestar | |||
Jun 30, 1961Failure | Explorer S-55 USA • Scout X-1 | |||
| July | ||||
Jul 4, 1961 | I2-4 Russia • R-7 A | |||
Jul 4, 1961 | I2-2 Russia • R-7 A | |||
Jul 7, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Jul 7, 1961 | Discoverer 26 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Jul 12, 1961 | TIROS-3 USA • Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | |||
Jul 12, 1961 | Midas 3 USA • Atlas Agena A LV-3 | |||
Jul 21, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Jul 21, 1961 | Mercury-Redstone 4 / Liberty Bell 7 USA • Mercury-Redstone | |||
Jul 21, 1961Failure | Discoverer 27 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Jul 25, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Jul 31, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
| August | ||||
Aug 4, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Aug 4, 1961Failure | Discoverer 28 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Aug 5, 1961 | CM-218 USA • Jupiter | |||
Aug 6, 1961 | Vostok 2 Russia • Vostok K | |||
Aug 9, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas F | |||
Aug 16, 1961 | Explorer 12 USA • Delta Thor DM-19 Delta | |||
Aug 23, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas D | |||
Aug 23, 1961Failure | Ranger 1 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||
Aug 25, 1961Partial failure | Explorer 13 USA • Scout X-1 | |||
Aug 30, 1961 | Discoverer 29 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
| September | ||||
Sep 6, 1961 | Missile test USA • Thor DM-18A | |||
Sep 7, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Sep 8, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Sep 9, 1961Failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Sep 9, 1961Failure | Samos 3 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||
Sep 12, 1961 | Discoverer 30 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Sep 13, 1961 | Mercury-Atlas 4 USA • Atlas D | |||
Sep 17, 1961 | Discoverer 31 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Sep 21, 1961 | E15003-03 Russia • R-7 A | |||
Sep 23, 1961Partial failure | SM-2 USA • Titan I | |||
Sep 29, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
| October | ||||
Oct 2, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Oct 5, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Oct 7, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Oct 13, 1961 | Discoverer 32 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Oct 19, 1961 | P-21 USA • Scout X-1 | |||
Oct 21, 1961Partial failure | Midas 4 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||
Oct 23, 1961Failure | Discoverer 33 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Oct 24, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Oct 27, 1961Failure | Kosmos 1a Russia • Kosmos | |||
Oct 27, 1961 | Saturn-Apollo 1 USA • Saturn I | |||
| November | ||||
Nov 1, 1961Failure | Mercury-Scout 1 USA • Scout Blue Scout II | |||
Nov 5, 1961Failure | Discoverer 34 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Nov 10, 1961Failure | Biological nose cone w/ squirrel monkey USA • Atlas E | |||
Nov 15, 1961 | Discoverer 35 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Nov 15, 1961 | Transit 4B USA • Thor DM-21 Ablestar | |||
Nov 18, 1961Failure | Ranger 2 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||
Nov 22, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Nov 22, 1961Failure | Samos 4 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||
Nov 22, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas F | |||
Nov 29, 1961 | Unnamed flight Russia • R-7 A | |||
Nov 29, 1961 | Mercury-Atlas 5 USA • Atlas D | |||
Nov 29, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Nov 29, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas D | |||
| December | ||||
Dec 1, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Dec 6, 1961 | CM-115 USA • Jupiter | |||
Dec 6, 1961 | Missile test USA • Thor DM-18A | |||
Dec 7, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas D | |||
Dec 11, 1961Failure | Zenit-2 Russia • Vostok K | |||
Dec 12, 1961Partial failure | ICBM test USA • Atlas F | |||
Dec 12, 1961 | Discoverer 36 USA • Thor DM-21 Agena-B | |||
Dec 13, 1961 | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Dec 15, 1961Failure | Mk.4 REV USA • Titan I | |||
Dec 20, 1961 | ICBM test USA • Atlas E | |||
Dec 21, 1961Failure | Kosmos 1c Russia • Kosmos | |||
Dec 21, 1961Failure | Biological nose cone w/ rhesus monkey USA • Atlas F | |||
Dec 22, 1961Partial failure | Samos 5 USA • Atlas Agena B LV-3 | |||