| Date | Payload | Launcher | Launch Site | Notes |
| 20 January | Elektro-L N1 | Zenit-3 / Fregat | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | Russian meteorological satellite |
| 20 January | NROL-49 | Delta 4 Heavy | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | US spy satellite |
| 22 January | HTV-2 (H-II Transfer Vehicle) | H-2B | Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan | Japanese unmanned cargo vehicle to the International Space Station |
| 28 January | Progress M-09M (ISS 41P) | Soyuz U | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | unmanned cargo transport to the International Space Station |
| 1 February | Geo IK-2 N1 | Rokot / Briz KM | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | geodesy satellite – launch failure placed the satellite in the wrong orbit |
| 5 February | NRO L-66 | Minotaur 1 | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | technology satellite |
| 16 February | ATV 2 (Johannes Kepler) | Ariane 5ES | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | unmanned supply ship to ISS |
| 24 February | Space Shuttle Discovery ISS-35-ULF5 | Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) | Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA | shuttle visit to the International Space Station, delivery of Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) and Permanent Logistics Module (PMM) to ISS |
| 26 February | Glonass K1 N1 | Soyuz 2-1a / Fregat | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | Russian navigation satellite |
| 4 March | Glory, Explorer 1Prime, Hermes, KySat 1 | Taurus XL | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | launch failure - payload shroud failed to separate 3 minutes into flight - earth observation satellite (Glory) |
| 5 March | X-37B F-2 Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-2) | Atlas 5 | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA | US experimental military space plane |
| 11 March | NRO L-27 | Delta-4M+ | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida | US spy satellite |
| 4 April | Soyuz TMA-21 ISS 26S | Soyuz FG | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | manned transport vessel to the International Space Station |
| 9 April | BeiDou-2 IG3 (Compass-IG3) | Long March 3A | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | Chinese navigation satellite |
| 15 April | NRO L-34 | Atlas V | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | US spy satellite |
| 20 April | Resourcesat 2, YouthSat, X-Sat | PSLV | Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India | Indian earth observation satellite (Resourcesat 2) |
| 22 April | Intelsat New Dawn, Yahsat 1A | Ariane 5ECA | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | commercial communications satellites |
| 27 April | Progress M-10-M (ISS 42P) | Soyuz U | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | unmanned cargo transport to the International Space Station |
| 4 May | Meridian 4 | Soyuz 2.1a / Fregat | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | Russian military communications satellite |
| 7 May | SBIRS-GEO 1 | Atlas 5 | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida | US early warning satellite |
| 16 May | Space Shuttle Endeavour ISS-36-ULF6 | Shuttle Endeavour (STS-134) | Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA | shuttle visit to the International Space Station, delivery of Express Logistics Carrier 3 (ELC3) and Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to ISS |
| 20 May | Telstar 14R | Proton M / Briz M | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellite |
| 20 May | GSAT 8 (Insat 4G), ST 2 | Ariane 5ECA | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | commercial communications satellites |
| 7 June | Soyuz TMA-02M ISS 27S | Soyuz FG | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | manned transport vessel to the International Space Station |
| 10 June | SAC-D | Delta 2 | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | earth observation satellite which will produce global maps of ocean salt concentration |
| 15 June | Rasad-1 | Safir-B | Semnan, Iran | experimental Iranian earth observation nanosatellite |
| 20 June | Chinasat-10 | Long March 3B | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | commercial communication satellites |
| 21 June | Progress M-11-M (ISS 43P) | Soyuz U | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | unmanned cargo transport to the International Space Station |
| 27 June | Kobalt-M N7 | Soyuz U | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | Russian military optical surveillance satellite |
| 30 June | ORS-1 | Minotaur 1 | Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia, USA | US military reconnaissance satellite |
| 6 July | Shijian 11-03 | Long March 2C | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | Chinese scientific and technology satellite |
| 8 July | Space Shuttle Atlantis ISS-37-ULF7 | Shuttle Atlantis (STS-135) | Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA | shuttle visit to the International Space Station, delivery of Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) |
| 11 July | Tianlian I-02 | Long March 3C | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | Chinese data relay satellite |
| 13 July | Globalstar 2 (7-12) | Soyuz 2.1a / Fregat | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | six commercial communications satellites |
| 15 July | GSAT 12 | PSLV | Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India | Indian communications satellite |
| 15 July | Kazsat 2, SES 3 | Proton M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellites |
| 16 July | GPS 2F-2 | Delta 4 Medium | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida | US navigation satellite |
| 18 July | Spektr-R / RadioAstron | Zenit 3SLBF / Fregat SB | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | radiotelescope |
| 26 July | BeiDou-2 IG4 (Compass-IG4) | Long March 3A | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | Chinese navigation satellite |
| 29 July | Shijian 11-02 | Long March 2C | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | Chinese scientific and technology satellite |
| 5 August | Juno (New Frontiers 2) | Atlas V | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida | probe to Jupiter |
| 6 August | Astra 1N, BSAT 3c | Ariane 5ECA | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | commercial communications satellites |
| 11 August | Paksat-1R | Long March 3B | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | commercial communication satellite |
| 15 August | HaiYang 2A | Long March 4B | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, Shanxi Province, China | Chinese oceanography satellite |
| 17 August | Sich-2, AprizeSat-5, AprizeSat-6, BPA-2, Edusat, NigeriaSat 2, NX, RASAT | Dnepr 1 | Dombarovskiy Launch Site, Yasny, Russia | experimantal communications satellites (AprizeSat-5 and 6), experimental navigation satellite (BPA-2), experimental nanosatellite (Edusat), Nigerian earth observation satellite (NigeriaSat 2), Nigerian earth observation satellite (NX), Turkish remote sensing satellite (RASAT), Ukrainian remote sensing satellite (Sich 2) |
| 17 August | Express AM-4 | Proton M / Briz M | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | launch failure – spacecraft failed to separate from third stage of launcher leaving satellite in useless orbit- commercial communications satellite |
| 18 August | Shijian 11-04 | Long March 2C | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | launch failure – first stage of launcher failed – Chinese scientific and technology satellite |
| 24 August | Progress M-12-M (ISS 44P) | Soyuz U | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | launch failure – third stage of launcher shut down early – unmanned cargo transport to the International Space Station |
| 10 September | Grail A/B (Discovery-11) | Delta 2 Heavy | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida | pair of lunar probes which will determine the internal structure and the thermal evolution of the Moon |
| 18 September | Chinasat 1A (Zhongxing-1A) | Long March 3B | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | Chinese communication satellite |
| 21 September | Garpun N-1 | Proton M / Briz M | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | military data relay satellite |
| 21 September | Arabsat 5C, SES 2 | Ariane 5ECA | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | commercial communication satellites |
| 23 September | IGS Optical 4 | H-2A | Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan | Japanese optical surveillance satellite |
| 24 September | Atlantic Bird 7 | Zenit 3SL | Sea Launch's Odyssey platform in the Pacific Ocean | commercial communication satellite |
| 27 September | TacSat 4 | Minotaur 4+ | Kodiak Launch Complex, Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA | first flight of the Minotaur 4+, experimental military communications satellite |
| 29 September | Tiangong 1 | Long March 2F | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | Chinese space station laboratory module |
| 29 September | QuetzSat-1 | Proton M / Briz M Enhanced | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellite |
| 3 October | Glonass M33 | Soyuz 2-1b / Fregat | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | Russian navigation satellite |
| 5 October | Intelsat 18 | Zenit 3SLB | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellite |
| 7 October | W3C | Long March 3B | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | commercial communication satellite |
| 12 October | Megha-Tropiques , Jugnu, SRMSAT, VesselSat 1 | PSLV | Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India | Indian/French earth observation satellite (Megha-Tropiques) |
| 19 October | ViaSat 1 | Proton M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellite |
21 October
| Galileo IOV1, IOV2 | Soyuz 2-1b / Fregat | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | 2 validation satellites for the Galileo navigation system |
| 28 October | NPP (NPOESS Preparatory Project), Aubiesat 1, DICE 1, DICE 2, E1P F2, Mcubed, RAX 2 | Delta 2 | Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA | Earth observation mission which will measure the Earth's atmospheric and sea surface temperatures, humidity sounding, land and ocean biological activity and cloud and aerosol properties (NPP) |
| 30 October | Progress M-13-M (ISS 45P) | Soyuz U | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | unmanned cargo transport to the International Space Station |
31 October
| Shenzhou 8 | Long March 2F | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | unmanned version of China's Shenzhou spacecraft which will carry a number of biological experiments and which will test docking procedures with the Tiangong module |
| 4 November | Glonass M34, M35, M36 | Proton M / Blok DM-2 | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | three Russian navigation satellites |
| 8 November | Phobus-Grunt, Yinghuo 1 (CDP-1) | Zenit 3F | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | probes to Mars and its moon Phobos – the spacecraft is currently in Earth orbit after the propulsion module which was to boost the probe into a Martian transfer orbit failed to ignite; rescue attempts are in progress |
| 9 November | Yaogan 12, TX-1
| Long March 4B | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, Shanxi Province, China | Chinese military optical reconnaissance satellite (Yaogan 12), Earth observation technology satellite (TX-1) |
| 14 November | Soyuz TMA-22 ISS 28S | Soyuz FG | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | manned transport vessel to the International Space Station |
| 20 November | Shiyan 4, Chuang Xin 1-03 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Kansu Province, China | Chinese technology demonstration satellite (Shiyan 4), Chinese store and forward messaging satellite (Chuang Xin 1-03) |
| 25 November | AsiaSat 7 | Proton M / Briz M Enhanced | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communication satellite |
| 26 November | Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory) | Atlas 5 | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA | Mars rover which will assess whether Mars was or is suitable for microbial life |
| 28 November | Glonass M | Soyuz 2-1b | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | Russian navigation satellite |
| 29 November | Yaogan 13 | Long March 2C | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, Shanxi Province, China | Chinese military reconnaissance satellite |
| 29 November | BeiDou-2 IG5 (Compass-IG5) | Long March 3A | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | Chinese navigation satellite |
| 11 December | Amos 5, Luch 5A | Proton M / Briz M Enhanced | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | commercial communications satellite (Amos 5), Russian data relay satellite (Luch 5A) |
| 12 December | IGS Radar 3
| H-2A | Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan | Japanese radar reconnaissance satellite |
| 17 December | Pleiades-HR 1, Elisa-1, Elisa-2, Elisa-3, Elisa-4, SSOT | Soyuz STA / Fregat MT | CSG Kourou, French Guiana | earth observation satellite (Pleiades-HR 1) |
| 19 December | NigComSat-1R | Long March 3B | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan province, China | commercial communication satellite |
| 21 December | Soyuz TMA-03M ISS 29S | Soyuz FG | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | manned transport vessel to the International Space Station |
| 22 December | ZiYuan 1-2C | Long March 4B | Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, Shanxi Province, China | Chinese earth observation satellite |
| 25 December | Meridian 5 | Soyuz 2.1a / Fregat | Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia | launch failure - Russian military communications satellite |
| 28 December | Globalstar 2 (13-18) | Soyuz 2.1b / Fregat | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan | six commercial communications satellites |
