1968 in spaceflight

The United States National Space Science Data Center catalogued 157 spacecraft placed into orbit by launches which occurred in 1968.[1] The first crewed Apollo missions occurred in 1968. It was also the year in which Earth lifeforms first left low Earth orbit, during the successful Zond 5 mission to the Moon and the Zond 6 lunar mission which crashed upon return, and the year that humans first left low Earth orbit, during the successful Apollo 8 mission to the Moon.

1968 in spaceflight
The crew of Apollo 8 were the first humans to witness Earthrise, photographed by William Anders on 24 December 1968
Orbital launches
Total6

Deep space lunar missions

Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
10 JanuarySurveyor 7Lunar landingin the debris from Tycho crater
31 JanuaryLunar Orbiter 5Lunar impact
10 AprilLuna 14Lunar orbit insertion
18 SeptemberZond 5Flyby of the Moon; first return to Earth after flight to Moon; first Earth life forms to travel around the Moon (two Russian tortoises)Closest approach: 1,950 kilometres (1,210 mi)
14 NovemberZond 6Flyby of the Moon, with turtles, flies, and bacteriaClosest approach: 2,420 kilometres (1,500 mi)
24 DecemberApollo 8Lunar orbit insertion; first humans to travel around the Moon
25 DecemberApollo 8Leaves lunar orbitCompleted 10 orbits


Orbital launches

Key
 USA
 Soviet Union

January

January launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
7 January Atlas-SLV3 Centaur-D Cape Canaveral SLC-36A
Surveyor 7 NASA Selenocentric Lunar landerIn orbitSuccessful
11 January Delta E1 Vandenberg SLC-2E
Explorer 36 (GEOS-B) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
16 January Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 199 (Zenit-2 #58) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
17 January Thor SLV-2A Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-2W
OPS 1965 Multigroup 3&Setter 1B-2 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful
18 January Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5028 KH-8 4311 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
19 January Kosmos-3M Plesetsk
Kosmos 200 (Tselina O #2) Low Earth Orbit SIGNITIn orbitSuccessful
22 January
23:45
Saturn IB (C-1B) LC-37B, Cape Canaveral NASA
Apollo 5 NASA LEO Test Lunar Module12 February 1968
09:59
successful
Minor malfunction of LM descent stage engine, otherwise successful
24 January Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-1E
OPS 5028 KH-4A 1045 CIA Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
Tivoli 1 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful

February

February launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
6 February Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 201 (Zenit-4 #38) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
7 February Molniya-M / Blok L Site 1/5, Baikonur
(Ye-6LS No 112) Selenocentric Lunar OrbiterIn orbitFailure
20 January Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 202 (DS-U2-V #4) Low Earth Orbit Ionospheric researchIn orbitSuccessful
20 January Kosmos-3M Plesetsk
Kosmos 203 (Sfera #1) Low Earth Orbit GeodesyIn orbitSuccessful

March

March launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2 March Scout-A Vandenberg SLC-5
OPS 7034 Transit 18 USN Low Earth NavigationIn orbitSuccessful
2 March Proton K / Blok D Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond 4 (L1 6) MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitSuccessful
4 March Atlas-SLV3 Agena-D Cape Canaveral LC-13
OGO 5 (EGO 3) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
5 March Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 204 (DS-P1-I #3) Low Earth Orbit CalibrationIn orbitSuccessful
5 March Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 205 (Zenit-2 #59) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
5 March Scout-B Wallops
Explorer 37 (Solrad 9) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
6 March Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
(DS-U1-Ya #1) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitFailure
13 March Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5057 KH-8 4312 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
14 March Vostok-2M Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 206 (Meteor-1 #9) Low Earth Orbit MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
14 March Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-1E
OPS 4849 KH-4A 1046 CIA Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
OPS 7076 Lampan 1 / Sampan 2 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful
16 March Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 207 (Zenit-4 #39) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
21 March Voskhod Site 1/5, Baikonur
Kosmos 208 (Zenit-2M #1,Gektor #1) & Nauka-1KS 1L GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
22 March Tsyklon-2A Site 90/19, Baikonur
Kosmos 209 (US-AO #4) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful

April

April launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
3 April Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 210 (Zenit-2 #60) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
4 April
12:00:02
Saturn V (C-5) LC-39A, Kennedy NASA
Apollo 6 NASA Low Earth (achieved)
TLI to direct return abort (planned)
Test CSM heat shield at Lunar return speeds. Test S-IVB re-ignition in LEO.4 April 1968
21:57:26
Partial failure
Experienced Pogo oscillation during S-IC first stage ascent. S-IVB failed restart test.
6 April Atlas F Vandenberg
OV1 13 USAF Low Earth In orbitSuccessful
OV1 14 USAF Low Earth In orbitSuccessful
7 April Molniya-M / Blok L Site 1/5, Baikonur
Luna 14 Selenocentric Lunar OrbiterIn orbitSuccessful
9 April Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 211 (DS-P1-Yu #12) Low Earth Orbit CalibrationIn orbitSuccessful
14 April Soyuz Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 212 (Soyuz Test #5) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
15 April Soyuz Site 1/5, Baikonur
Kosmos 213 (Soyuz Test #6) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
17 April Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5105 KH-8 4313 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
18 April Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 214 (Zenit-4 #40) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
18 April Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 215 (DS-U1-A #1) Low Earth Orbit CalibrationIn orbitSuccessful
20 April Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 216 (Zenit-2 #61) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
21 April Molniya-M / Blok ML Site 1/5, Baikonur
Molniya-1 08 Molniya CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
22 April Proton K / Blok D Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond (L1 7) MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitFailure
24 April Tsyklon-2A Site 90/19, Baikonur
Kosmos 217 (I2M #1) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
25 April R-36-O Site 162/36, Baikonur
Kosmos 218 (OGCh #17) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
26 April Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 219 (DS-U2-D #2) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

May

May launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
1 May Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-3W
OPS 1413 KH-4B 1103 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
7 May Kosmos 3M Plesetsk
Kosmos 220 (Zaliv #2) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
17 May Scout B Vandenberg SLC-5
ESRO 2B (Iris 2) ESRO Low Earth Orbit ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
18 May Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-2E
Nimbus B NASA/NOAA Low Earth MeteorologyIn orbitFailure
SECOR 10 US Army Low Earth GeodesyIn orbitFailure
23 May Thor LV-2F Burner 2 Vandenberg SLC-10W
OPS 7869 DMSP-4B F1 Low Earth MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
24 May Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 221 (DS-P1-Yu #13) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
30 May Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 222 (DS-P1-Yu #14) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

June

June launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
1 June Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 223 (Zenit-2 #62) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
4 June Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 224 (Zenit-4 #41) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
4 June Kosmos-3M Plesetsk Site 132/2
Sfera #2 Low Earth Orbit GeodesyIn orbitFailure
5 June Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5138 KH-8 4314 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
11 June Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 225 (DS-U1-Ya #2) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
12 June Vostok-2M Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 226 (Meteor-1 #10) Low Earth Orbit MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
13 June
14:03:00
Titan IIIC LC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station USAF
OPS 9341 IDCSP 20 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9342 IDCSP 21 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9343 IDCSP 22 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9344 IDCSP 23 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9345 IDCSP 24 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9346 IDCSP 25 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9347 IDCSP 26 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS 9348 IDCSP 27 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
15 June Kosmos-3 Plesetsk Site 41/15
(Strela-2 #4) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitFailure
18 June Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 227 (Zenit-4 #42) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
20 June Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-1E
OPS 5343 KH-4A 1047 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
OPS 5259 Tripos 3/Sousea 2 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful
21 June Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 228 (Zenit-2M #2,Gektor #2&Nauka-1KS 2L) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
26 June Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 229 (Zenit-4 #43) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

July

July launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
4 July Delta J Vandenberg SLC-2E
Explorer 38 (RAE A) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
5 July Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 230 (DS-U3-S #2) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
5 July Molniya-M / Blok ML Site 1/5, Baikonur
Molniya-1 09 Molniya CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
10 July Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 231 (Zenit-2 #63) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
11 July Atlas F Vandenberg
OV1 15 (SPADES) USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
OV1 16 (LOADS 1) USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
16 July Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 232 (Zenit-4 #44) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
18 July Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 233 (DS-P1-Yu #15) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
30 July Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 234 (Zenit-4 #45) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

August

August launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
6 August Atlas-SLV3 Agena-D Cape Canaveral LC-13
OPS 2222 Canyon 1 USAF Low Earth SIGNITIn orbitSuccessful
6 August Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5187 KH-8 4315 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
7 August Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-3W
OPS 5955 KH-4B 1104 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
8 August Scout B Vandenberg SLC-5
Explorer 39 (AD C) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
Explorer 40 (Injun 5) NASA Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
9 August Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 235 (Zenit-2 #64) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
10 August Atlas-SLV3 Centaur-D Cape Canaveral SLC-36A
ATS 4 NASA Geosynchronous Communications/MeteorologyIn orbitFailure
16 August Delta N Vandenberg SLC-2E
ESSA 7 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
16 August Atlas SLV-3 Burner-2 Vandenberg SLC-3E
Orbiscal 1 USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
OV5 8 (ERS 19) USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
Gridsphere 1 USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
Gridsphere 2 USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
MylarBalloon USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
Rigidsphere USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
LCS 3 MIT Lincoln Laboratory Low Earth CalibrationIn orbitFailure
LIDOS USAF Low Earth GeodesyIn orbitFailure
SECOR 11 US Army Low Earth GeodesyIn orbitFailure
SECOR 12 US Army Low Earth GeodesyIn orbitFailure
Radcat Low Earth CalibrationIn orbitFailure
RM 18 & UVR USAF Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitFailure
27 August Kosmos-3 Baikonur Site 41/15
Kosmos 236 (Strela-2 #5) Low Earth Orbit Military communicationsIn orbitSuccessful
27 August Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 237 (Zenit-4 #46) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
28 August Soyuz Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 238 (Soyuz Test #7) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful

September

September launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
5 September Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 239 (Zenit-4 #47) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
10 September Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5247 KH-8 4316 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
14 September Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 240 (Zenit-2 #65) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
14 September Proton K / Blok D Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond 5 (L1 9) MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitSuccessful
16 September Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 241 (Zenit-4 #48) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
18 September Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-1E
OPS 0165 KH-4A 1048 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
OPS 8595 Vampan 1 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful
19 September Delta M Cape Canaveral LC-17A
Intelsat III F1 Intelsat Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitFailure
20 September Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 242 (DS-P1-I #4) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
23 September Voskhod Site 1/5, Baikonur
Kosmos 243 (Zenit-2M #3,Gektor #3 & Nauka-2KS 1L) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
26 September Titan IIIC Cape Canaveral SLC-41
LES 6 USAF Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
OV2 5 USAF Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
OV5 2 (ERS 21) USAF Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
OV5 4 (ERS 28) USAF Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful

October

October launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2 October R-36-O Site 161/35, Baikonur
Kosmos 244 (OGCh #20) Low Earth Orbit Weapon System TestIn orbitSuccessful
3 October Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 245 (DS-P1-Yu #16) Low Earth Orbit CalibrationIn orbitSuccessful
3 October Scout-B Vandenberg SLC-5
ESRO 1A (Aurorae) ESRO Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
5 October Molniya-M / Blok ML Site 1/5, Baikonur
Molniya-1 10 Molniya CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
5 October Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-1W
OPS 0964 Strawman 1 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
7 October Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 246 (Zenit-4 #49) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
11 October Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 247 (Zenit-2 #66) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
11 October 1968
15:02
Saturn IB (C-1B) LC-34, Cape Canaveral NASA
Apollo 7 NASA LEO Crewed orbital flight22 October 1968
11:11:48
Successful
First crewed Apollo flight
19 October Tsyklon-2A Site 90/19, Baikonur
Kosmos 248 (I2M #2) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
20 October Tsyklon-2A Site 90/20, Baikonur
Kosmos 249 (I2P #1) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
23 October Thor LV-2F Burner 2 Vandenberg SLC-10W
OPS 4078 DSMP-4B F2 Low Earth (SSO) MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
25 October 1968
09:00
Soyuz (R-7/A-2) LC-1/5, Baikonur RVSN
Soyuz 2 RVSN LEO Docking target for Soyuz 328 October 1968
07:21
Successful
Soyuz 3 failed to dock
26 October
08:34
Soyuz (R-7/A-2) LC-31/6 Baikonur RVSN
Soyuz 3 RVSN LEO Crewed orbital flight30 October 1968
07:25:03
Partial Failure
Failed to dock with Soyuz 2
30 October Kosmos-3M Plesetsk
Kosmos 250 (Tselina-O #3) Low Earth Orbit SIGNITIn orbitSuccessful
31 October Voskhod Site 1/5, Baikonur
Kosmos 251 (Zenit-4M #1,Rotor #1) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

November

November launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
1 November Tsyklon-2A Site 90/20, Baikonur
Kosmos 252 (I2P #2) Low Earth Orbit In orbitSuccessful
3 November Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-3W
OPS 1315 KH-4B 1105 Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
6 November Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 5296 KH-8 4317 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
8 November Delta E1 Cape Canaveral SLC-17B
Pioneer 9 NASA Heliocentric Solar OrbiterIn orbitSuccessful
TTS 2 NASA Low Earth Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
10 November Proton K / Blok D Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond 6 (L1 12) MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitSuccessful
13 November Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 253 (Zenit-2 #67) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
16 November Proton K Pad 81/24, Baikonur MOM
Proton 4 MOM Low Earth ScienceIn orbitSuccessful
21 November Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 254 (Zenit-4 #50) GRU Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
29 November Voskhod Site 41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 255 (Zenit-2 #68) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
29 November Europa 1 Woomera
STV 1 ELDO Low Earth Orbit Dummy PayloadIn orbitFailure
30 November Kosmos-3M Plesetsk
Kosmos 256 (Sfera #3) Low Earth Orbit GeodesyIn orbitSuccessful

December

December launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
3 December Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 257 (DS-P1-Yu #17) Low Earth Orbit CalibrationIn orbitSuccessful
4 December Titan IIIB Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-4W
OPS 6518 KH-8 4318 USAF Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitFailure
5 December Delta E1 Cape Canaveral LC-17B
HEOS 1 ESRO Low Earth ResearchIn orbitSuccessful
7 December Atlas-SLV3 Agena-D Cape Canaveral LC-36B
OAO 2 Low Earth UV AstronomyIn orbitSuccessful
10 December Voskhod Site 31/6, Baikonur
Kosmos 258 (Zenit-2 #69) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
12 December Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D Vandenberg SLC-3W
OPS 4740 KH-4A 1049 CIA Low Earth ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
OPS 7684 P-801 1 USAF Low Earth ELINTIn orbitSuccessful
14 December Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 259 (DS-U2-I #3) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
15 December Delta N Vandenberg SLC-2E
ESSA 8 ESSA SSO MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
16 December Molniya-M / Blok ML Site 1/5, Baikonur
Kosmos 260 (Molniya-1 Yu 15L) Molniya Technology DemonstrationIn orbitSuccessful
19 December Delta M Cape Canaveral LC-17A
Intelsat III F2 Intelsat GeosynchronousIn orbitSuccessful
19 December Kosmos-2 Plesetsk Site 133/1
Kosmos 261 (DS-U2-GK #1) Yuzhnoye Design Bureau Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful
21 December
12:51
Saturn V (C-5) LC-39A, Kennedy NASA
Apollo 8 NASA Selenocentric Crewed lunar orbiter27 December 1968
15:51:42
Successful
LTA B NASA Selenocentric Mass ModelIn orbitSuccessful
First crewed mission to the Moon
26 December Kosmos-2 Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 262 (DS-U2-GF #1) Low Earth Orbit ReconnaissanceIn orbitSuccessful

Suborbital Launches

January

January launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

References

  1. "Spacecraft Query Results". Master Catalog Search. NASA NSSDC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
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