1961 in spaceflight
| The Vostok 1 spacecraft, aboard which Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth on 12 April 1961 | |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 31 January | 
| Last | 22 December | 
| Total | 50 | 
| Successes | 28 | 
| Failures | 20 | 
| Partial failures | 2 | 
| Catalogued | 36 | 
| National firsts | |
| Spaceflight | Italy | 
| Space traveller | Soviet Union United States | 
| Rockets | |
| Maiden flights | Atlas LV-3A Agena-B Kosmos-2I 63S1 Saturn I (suborbital test) | 
| Retirements | Atlas LV-3A Agena-A Juno II | 
| Crewed flights | |
| Orbital | 2 | 
| Suborbital | 2 | 
| Total travellers | 4 |