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

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, and the year that humans first left low Earth orbit, during the successful Apollo 8 mission.

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
22 January
23:45
United StatesSaturn IB (C-1B) United StatesLC-37B, Cape Canaveral United StatesNASA
Apollo 5 NASA LEO Test Lunar Module12 February 1968
09:59
successful
Minor malfunction of LM descent stage engine, otherwise successful


April

April launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
4 April
12:00:02
United StatesSaturn V (C-5) United StatesLC-39A, Kennedy United StatesNASA
Apollo 6 NASA LEO 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.

June

June launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
13 June
14:03:00
United StatesTitan IIIC United StatesLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station United States USAF
OPS-9341 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9342 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9343 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9344 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9345 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9346 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9347 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess
OPS-9348 USAF Sub-GSO Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite ProgramIn orbitSuccess

October

October launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
11 October 1968
15:02
United StatesSaturn IB (C-1B) United StatesLC-34, Cape Canaveral United StatesNASA
Apollo 7 NASA LEO Crewed orbital flight22 October 1968
11:11:48
Successful
First crewed Apollo flight
25 October 1968
09:00
Soviet UnionSoyuz (R-7/A-2) Soviet UnionLC-1/5, Baikonur Soviet UnionRVSN
Soyuz 2 RVSN LEO Docking target for Soyuz 328 October 1968
07:21
Successful
Soyuz 3 failed to dock
26 October
08:34
Soviet UnionSoyuz (R-7/A-2) Soviet Union LC-31/6 Baikonur Soviet UnionRVSN
Soyuz 3 RVSN LEO Crewed orbital flight30 October 1968
07:25:03
Partial Failure
Failed to dock with Soyuz 2

December

December launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
21 December
12:51
United StatesSaturn V (C-5) United StatesLC-39A, Kennedy United StatesNASA
Apollo 8 NASA Selenocentric Crewed lunar orbiter27 December 1968
15:51:42
Successful
First crewed mission to the Moon

Deep space rendezvous

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

Orbital Launch Summary


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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