Astronomy:List of human spaceflights, 1981–1990

Short description: None

This is a detailed list of human spaceflights from 1981 to 1990, spanning the end of the Soviet Union's Salyut space station program, the beginning of Mir, and the start of the US Space Shuttle program.

Red indicates fatalities.
Green indicates suborbital flights (including flights that failed to attain intended orbit).

#	Crew	Launch spacecraft	Habitation		Return spacecraft	Brief mission summary
80	Vladimir Kovalyonok (3) Viktor Savinykh (1)	13 March 1981 Soyuz T-4	Salyut 6		26 May 1981 Soyuz T-4
81	Vladimir Dzhanibekov (2) Jügderdemidiin Gürragchaa	22 March 1981 Soyuz 39	Salyut 6		29 March 1981 Soyuz 39	First Mongolian in space (Gürragchaa).
82	John W. Young (5) Robert L. Crippen (1)	12 April 1981 STS-1, Columbia		14 April 1981 STS-1, Columbia		First Space Shuttle flight. Systems test.
83	Leonid Popov (2) Dumitru Prunariu	14 May 1981 Soyuz 40	Salyut 6		22 May 1981 Soyuz 40	First Romanian in space (Prunariu). Magnetic field observations. Final Soyuz flight.
84	Joseph H. Engle (1) Richard H. Truly (1)	12 November 1981 STS-2, Columbia		14 November 1981 STS-2, Columbia		First re-use of a crewed orbital spacecraft. Systems test. Earth science observations.
85	Jack R. Lousma (2) C. Gordon Fullerton (1)	22 March 1982 STS-3, Columbia		30 March 1982 STS-3, Columbia		Further system testing. Miscellaneous scientific experiments and Earth science observations.
86	Anatoli Berezovoy Valentin Lebedev (2)	12 May 1982 Soyuz T-5	Salyut 7		10 December 1982 Soyuz T-7	First mission to Salyut 7. Deployment of radio communications satellite.
87	Vladimir Dzhanibekov (3) Aleksandr Ivanchenkov (2) Jean-Loup Chrétien (1)	24 June 1982 Soyuz T-6	Salyut 7		2 July 1982 Soyuz T-6	First French citizen in space (Chrétien).
88	Thomas K. Mattingly (2) Henry W. Hartsfield (1)	27 June 1982 STS-4, Columbia		4 July 1982 STS-4, Columbia		Final Space Shuttle R&D flight. Miscellaneous scientific experiments plus classified US Air Force payload.
89	Leonid Popov (3) Aleksandr Serebrov (1) Svetlana Savitskaya (1)	19 August 1982 Soyuz T-7	Salyut 7		27 August 1982 Soyuz T-5	Second woman in space (Savitskaya).
90	Vance D. Brand (2) Robert F. Overmyer (1) Joseph P. Allen (1) William B. Lenoir	11 November 1982 STS-5, Columbia		16 November 1982 STS-5, Columbia		Launched commercial ANIK C-3 and SBS-C communications satellites. Planned EVA cancelled due to space suit malfunction.
91	Paul J. Weitz (2) Karol J. Bobko (1) Donald H. Peterson F. Story Musgrave (1)	4 April 1983 STS-6, Challenger		9 April 1983 STS-6, Challenger		First Space Shuttle EVA (Peterson and Musgrave). Deployment of first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-1). Miscellaneous science experiments.
92	Vladimir Titov (1) Gennadi Strekalov (2) Aleksandr Serebrov (2)	20 April 1983 Soyuz T-8		22 April 1983 Soyuz T-8		Failed to dock with Salyut 7.
93	Robert L. Crippen (2) Frederick H. Hauck (1) John M. Fabian (1) Sally K. Ride (1) Norman E. Thagard (1)	18 June 1983 STS-7, Challenger		24 June 1983 STS-7, Challenger		Two communications satellites launched. First American woman in space (Ride). Investigation into behavior of ant colony in zero gravity. Various microgravity experiments.
94	Vladimir Lyakhov (2) Aleksandr Aleksandrov (1)	26 June 1983 Soyuz T-9	Salyut 7		23 November 1983 Soyuz T-9
95	Richard H. Truly (2) Daniel C. Brandenstein (1) Dale A. Gardner (1) Guion Bluford (1) William E. Thornton (1)	30 August 1983 STS-8, Challenger		5 September 1983 STS-8, Challenger		First African-American in space (Bluford). First night launch and landing. Deployed INSAT-1B satellite for India. Observation of behavior of rats in space.
—	Vladimir Titov Gennady Strekalov	26 September 1983 Soyuz T-10-1				Launch failed due to fire. Crew ejected.
96	John W. Young (6) Brewster H. Shaw (1) Owen K. Garriott (2) Robert A. Parker (1) Byron K. Lichtenberg (1) Ulf Merbold (1)	28 November 1983 STS-9, Columbia		8 December 1983 STS-9, Columbia		First Spacelab (orbital laboratory) mission. First ESA astronaut, first West German astronaut and first non-American on US flight (Merbold).
97	Vance D. Brand (3) Robert L. Gibson (1) Bruce McCandless II (1) Ronald E. McNair (1) Robert L. Stewart (1)	3 February 1984 STS-41-B, Challenger		11 February 1984 STS-41-B, Challenger		First untethered spacewalk (McCandless and Stewart). WESTAR-VI and PALAPA-B2 satellites deployed but failed to attain correct orbits.
98	Leonid Kizim (2) Vladimir Solovyov (1) Oleg Atkov	4 February 1984 Soyuz T-10	Salyut 7		2 October 1984 Soyuz T-11
99	Yury Malyshev (2) Gennadi Strekalov (3) Rakesh Sharma	3 April 1984 Soyuz T-11	Salyut 7		11 April 1984 Soyuz T-10	First Indian in space (Sharma). Earth observation program. Life sciences and materials processing experiments.
100	Robert L. Crippen (3) Francis R. Scobee (1) George D. Nelson (1) James D. A. van Hoften (1) Terry J. Hart	6 April 1984 STS-41-C, Challenger		13 April 1984 STS-41-C, Challenger		LDEF deployed for later retrieval. Capture, repair and redeployment of malfunctioning Solar Maximum Mission satellite.
101	Vladimir Dzhanibekov (4) Igor Volk Svetlana Savitskaya (2)	17 July 1984 Soyuz T-12	Salyut 7		29 July 1984 Soyuz T-12	First EVA by a female astronaut (Savitskaya).
102	Henry W. Hartsfield (2) Michael L. Coats (1) Judith A. Resnik (1) Steven A. Hawley (1) Richard M. Mullane (1) Charles D. Walker (1)	30 August 1984 STS-41-D, Discovery		5 September 1984 STS-41-D, Discovery		Testing of experimental solar arrays. Three satellites deployed.
103	Robert L. Crippen (4) Jon A. McBride (1) Kathryn D. Sullivan (1) Sally K. Ride (2) David C. Leestma (1) Marc Garneau (1) Paul D. Scully-Power	5 October 1984 STS-41-G, Challenger		13 October 1984 STS-41-G, Challenger		ERBS satellite deployed. Radar imaging. First EVA by an American woman (Sullivan). First Canadian in space (Garneau). First flight including two women.
104	Frederick H. Hauck (2) David M. Walker (1) Anna L. Fisher Dale A. Gardner (2) Joseph P. Allen (2)	8 November 1984 STS-51-A, Discovery		16 November 1984 STS-51-A, Discovery		Deployed two communications satellites. Retrieved two malfunctioning satellites.
105	Thomas K. Mattingly (3) Loren J. Shriver (1) Ellison S. Onizuka (1) James F. Buchli (1) Gary E. Payton	24 January 1985 STS-51-C, Discovery		27 January 1985 STS-51-C, Discovery		First mission for the U.S. Department of Defense. Classified payload, possibly intelligence-gathering satellite.
106	Karol J. Bobko (2) Donald E. Williams (1) M. Rhea Seddon (1) Jeffrey A. Hoffman (1) S. David Griggs Charles D. Walker (2) E. Jake Garn	12 April 1985 STS-51-D, Discovery		19 April 1985 STS-51-D, Discovery		Communications satellite deployed. Miscellaneous scientific experiments. First sitting member of U.S. Congress in space (Garn).
107	Robert F. Overmyer (2) Frederick D. Gregory (1) Don L. Lind Norman E. Thagard (2) William E. Thornton (2) Lodewijk van den Berg Taylor G. Wang	29 April 1985 STS-51-B, Challenger		6 May 1985 STS-51-B, Challenger		Second Spacelab mission; microgravity experiments. Observation of behaviour of monkeys and rodents in space.
108	Vladimir Dzhanibekov (5)	5 June 1985 Soyuz T-13	Salyut 7		26 September 1985 Soyuz T-13	Repair of crippled Salyut 7 station.
108	Viktor Savinykh (2)	5 June 1985 Soyuz T-13	Salyut 7		21 November 1985 Soyuz T-14	Repair of crippled Salyut 7 station.
109	Daniel C. Brandenstein (2) John O. Creighton (1) Shannon W. Lucid (1) Steven R. Nagel (1) John M. Fabian (2) Patrick Baudry Sultan Salman Al Saud	17 June 1985 STS-51-G, Discovery		24 June 1985 STS-51-G, Discovery		Three communications satellites deployed. Miscellaneous scientific experiments. First Saudi and the first Arab in space (Al-Saud).
110	C. Gordon Fullerton (2) Roy D. Bridges F. Story Musgrave (2) Anthony W. England Karl G. Henize Loren W. Acton John-David F. Bartoe	29 July 1985 STS-51-F, Challenger		6 August 1985 STS-51-F, Challenger		Spacelab-2 mission. Miscellaneous science experiments. Three communications satellites deployed.
111	Joseph H. Engle (2) Richard O. Covey (1) James D.A. van Hoften (2) John M. Lounge (1) William F. Fisher	27 August 1985 STS-51-I, Discovery		3 September 1985 STS-51-I, Discovery		Three communications satellites deployed. Retrieval, repair and redeployment of LEASAT-3 satellite.
112	Vladimir Vasyutin Aleksandr Volkov (1)	17 September 1985 Soyuz T-14	Salyut 7		21 November 1985 Soyuz T-14
112	Georgi Grechko (3)	17 September 1985 Soyuz T-14	Salyut 7		26 September 1985 Soyuz T-13
113	Karol J. Bobko (3) Ronald J. Grabe (1) David C. Hilmers (1) Robert L. Stewart (2) William A. Pailes	3 October 1985 STS-51-J, Atlantis		7 October 1985 STS-51-J, Atlantis		Second U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, believed to be two communications satellites.
114	Henry W. Hartsfield (3) Steven R. Nagel (2) James F. Buchli (2) Guion Bluford (2) Bonnie J. Dunbar (1) Reinhard Furrer Ernst Messerschmid Wubbo J. Ockels	30 October 1985 STS-61-A, Challenger		6 November 1985 STS-61-A, Challenger		German-sponsored Spacelab mission. Microgravity experiments. First Dutchman in space (Ockels).
115	Brewster H. Shaw (2) Bryan D. O'Connor (1) Mary L. Cleave (1) Sherwood C. Spring Jerry L. Ross (1) Rodolfo Neri Vela Charles D. Walker (3)	26 November 1985 STS-61-B, Atlantis		3 December 1985 STS-61-B, Atlantis		Three communications satellites deployed. Demonstration of in-orbit construction techniques. First Mexican in space (Neri Vela).
116	Robert L. Gibson (2) Charles F. Bolden (1) Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (1) Steven A. Hawley (2) George D. Nelson (2) Robert J. Cenker Clarence W. Nelson	12 January 1986 STS-61-C, Columbia		18 January 1986 STS-61-C, Columbia		Deployment of communications satellite. Miscellaneous science experiments.
—	Francis R. Scobee (2) Michael J. Smith Judith A. Resnik (2) Ellison S. Onizuka (2) Ronald E. McNair (2) Gregory B. Jarvis S. Christa McAuliffe	28 January 1986 STS-51-L, Challenger				Disintegrated 73 seconds after launch with loss of all crew.
117	Leonid Kizim (3) Vladimir Solovyov (2)	13 March 1986 Soyuz T-15	Mir Salyut 7 Mir		16 July 1986 Soyuz T-15	First expedition to Mir. Last expedition to Salyut 7.
118	Alexander Laveykin	7 February 1987 Soyuz TM-2	Mir		30 July 1987 Soyuz TM-2	Mir crew rotation and maintenance.
118	Yuri Romanenko (3)	7 February 1987 Soyuz TM-2	Mir		29 December 1987 Soyuz TM-3	Mir crew rotation and maintenance.
119	Aleksandr Viktorenko (1) Mohammed Faris	22 July 1987 Soyuz TM-3	Mir		30 July 1987 Soyuz TM-2	Mir crew rotation. First Syrian in space (Faris).
119	Aleksandr Aleksandrov (2)	22 July 1987 Soyuz TM-3	Mir		29 December 1987 Soyuz TM-3	Mir crew rotation. First Syrian in space (Faris).
120	Anatoli Levchenko	21 December 1987 Soyuz TM-4	Mir		29 December 1987 Soyuz TM-3	Mir crew rotation. Biological experiments and astronomical observations.
120	Vladimir Titov (2) Musa Manarov (1)	21 December 1987 Soyuz TM-4	Mir		21 December 1988 Soyuz TM-6
121	Anatoly Solovyev (1) Victor Savinykh (3) Aleksandr Aleksandrov	7 June 1988 Soyuz TM-5	Mir		17 June 1988 Soyuz TM-4
122	Vladimir Lyakhov (3) Abdul Ahad Mohmand	29 August 1988 Soyuz TM-6	Mir		7 September 1988 Soyuz TM-5	Mir crew rotation. First Afghan in space (Mohmand).
122	Valeri Polyakov (1)	29 August 1988 Soyuz TM-6	Mir		27 April 1989 Soyuz TM-7	Mir crew rotation. First Afghan in space (Mohmand).
123	Frederick H. Hauck (3) Richard O. Covey (2) John M. Lounge (2) George D. Nelson (3) David C. Hilmers (2)	28 September 1988 STS-26, Discovery		3 October 1988 STS-26, Discovery		First "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission after Challenger disaster. Deployment of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-3 (TDRS-3).
124	Aleksandr Volkov (2) Sergei Krikalev (1)	26 November 1988 Soyuz TM-7	Mir		27 April 1989 Soyuz TM-7	Mir crew rotation. Technology experiments. First European EVA (Chrétien).
124	Jean-Loup Chrétien (2)	26 November 1988 Soyuz TM-7	Mir		21 December 1988 Soyuz TM-6
125	Robert L. Gibson (3) Guy S. Gardner (1) Richard M. Mullane (2) Jerry L. Ross (2) William M. Shepherd (1)	2 December 1988 STS-27, Atlantis		6 December 1988 STS-27, Atlantis		U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, reportedly Lacrosse 1 radar reconnaissance satellite.
126	Michael L. Coats (2) John E. Blaha (1) James P. Bagian (1) James F. Buchli (3) Robert C. Springer (1)	13 March 1989 STS-29, Discovery		18 March 1989 STS-29, Discovery		Deployment of Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-4 (TDRS-4). Miscellaneous science experiments.
127	David M. Walker (2) Ronald J. Grabe (2) Norman E. Thagard (3) Mary L. Cleave (2) Mark C. Lee (1)	4 May 1989 STS-30, Atlantis		8 May 1989 STS-30, Atlantis		Magellan probe deployed.
128	Brewster H. Shaw (3) Richard N. Richards (1) James C. Adamson (1) David C. Leestma (2) Mark N. Brown (1)	8 August 1989 STS-28, Columbia		13 August 1989 STS-28, Columbia		U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, reportedly military communications and reconnaissance satellites.
129	Alexander Viktorenko (2) Aleksandr Serebrov (3)	5 September 1989 Soyuz TM-8	Mir		19 February 1990 Soyuz TM-8	Mir equipment installation.
130	Donald E. Williams (2) Michael J. McCulley Franklin R. Chang-Diaz (2) Shannon W. Lucid (2) Ellen S. Baker (1)	18 October 1989 STS-34, Atlantis		23 October 1989 STS-34, Atlantis		Galileo probe deployed.
131	Frederick D. Gregory (2) John E. Blaha (2) F. Story Musgrave (3) Manley L. Carter Kathryn C. Thornton (1)	22 November 1989 STS-33, Discovery		27 November 1989 STS-33, Discovery		U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, reportedly reconnaissance satellite. First African-American Shuttle Commander.
132	Daniel C. Brandenstein (3) James D. Wetherbee (1) Bonnie J. Dunbar (2) G. David Low (1) Marsha S. Ivins (1)	9 January 1990 STS-32, Columbia		20 January 1990 STS-32, Columbia		Deployment of defense communications satellite. Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) retrieval.
133	Anatoly Solovyev (2) Alexander Balandin	11 February 1990 Soyuz TM-9	Mir		17 July 1990 Soyuz TM-9
134	John O. Creighton (2) John H. Casper (1) Richard M. Mullane (3) David C. Hilmers (3) Pierre J. Thuot (1)	28 February 1990 STS-36, Atlantis		4 March 1990 STS-36, Atlantis		U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, reportedly reconnaissance satellite.
135	Loren J. Shriver (2) Charles F. Bolden (2) Steven A. Hawley (3) Bruce McCandless II (2) Kathryn D. Sullivan (2)	24 April 1990 STS-31, Discovery		29 April 1990 STS-31, Discovery		Hubble Space Telescope deployed.
136	Gennadi Strekalov (4) Gennadi Manakov (1)	3 August 1990 Soyuz TM-10	Mir		10 December 1990 Soyuz TM-10
137	Richard N. Richards (2) Robert D. Cabana (1) William M. Shepherd (2) Bruce E. Melnick (1) Thomas D. Akers (1)	6 October 1990 STS-41, Discovery		10 October 1990 STS-41, Discovery		Ulysses probe deployed. Miscellaneous science experiments.
138	Richard O. Covey (3) Frank L. Culbertson (1) Robert C. Springer (2) Carl J. Meade (1) Charles D. Gemar (1)	15 November 1990 STS-38, Atlantis		20 November 1990 STS-38, Atlantis		U.S. Department of Defense mission. Classified payload, reportedly reconnaissance satellite.
139	Vance D. Brand (4) Guy S. Gardner (2) Jeffrey A. Hoffman (2) John M. Lounge (3) Robert A. Parker (2) Samuel T. Durrance (1) Ronald A. Parise (1)	2 December 1990 STS-35, Columbia		10 December 1990 STS-35, Columbia		Ultraviolet and X-ray astronomy (ASTRO-1 observatory).
140	Viktor Afanasyev (1) Musa Manarov (2)	2 December 1990 Soyuz TM-11	Mir		26 May 1991 Soyuz TM-11	Mir crew rotation. First Japanese in space (Akiyama).
140	Toyohiro Akiyama	2 December 1990 Soyuz TM-11	Mir		10 December 1990 Soyuz TM-10	Mir crew rotation. First Japanese in space (Akiyama).