![]() The crew of Apollo 8 were the first humans to witness Earthrise, photographed by William Anders on 24 December 1968 | |
Orbital launches | |
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Total | 6 |
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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.
Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
10 January | Surveyor 7 | Lunar landing | in the debris from Tycho crater |
31 January | Lunar Orbiter 5 | Lunar impact | |
10 April | Luna 14 | Lunar orbit insertion | |
18 September | Zond 5 | Flyby 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 November | Zond 6 | Flyby of the Moon, with turtles, flies, and bacteria | Closest approach: 2,420 kilometres (1,500 mi) |
24 December | Apollo 8 | Lunar orbit insertion; first humans to travel around the Moon | |
25 December | Apollo 8 | Leaves lunar orbit | Completed 10 orbits |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
7 January | ![]() |
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NASA | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | In orbit | Successful | ||
11 January | ![]() |
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 January | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
17 January | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 January | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
19 January | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | SIGNIT | In orbit | Successful | |||
22 January 23:45 |
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Apollo 5 | NASA | LEO | Test Lunar Module | 12 February 1968 09:59 |
successful | ||
Minor malfunction of LM descent stage engine, otherwise successful | |||||||
24 January | ![]() |
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CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
6 February | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
7 February | ![]() |
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Selenocentric | Lunar Orbiter | In orbit | Failure | |||
20 January | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Ionospheric research | In orbit | Successful | |||
20 January | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Geodesy | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
2 March | ![]() |
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USN | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful | ||
2 March | ![]() |
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MOM | ||||
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MOM | Lunar Free-return | Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/Zond | In orbit | Successful | ||
4 March | ![]() |
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
5 March | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 March | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 March | ![]() |
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
6 March | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Failure | |||
13 March | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
14 March | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
14 March | ![]() |
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CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 March | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
21 March | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
22 March | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
3 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
4 April 12:00:02 |
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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. | |||||||
6 April | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Low Earth | In orbit | Successful | |||
7 April | ![]() |
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Selenocentric | Lunar Orbiter | In orbit | Successful | |||
9 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful | |||
14 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
15 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
17 April | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 April | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful | |||
20 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
21 April | ![]() |
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Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Successful | |||
22 April | ![]() |
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MOM | ||||
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MOM | Lunar Free-return | Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/Zond | In orbit | Failure | ||
24 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
25 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
26 April | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
1 May | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
7 May | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
17 May | ![]() |
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ESRO | Low Earth Orbit | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 May | ![]() |
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NASA/NOAA | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Failure | ||
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US Army | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Failure | ||
23 May | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
24 May | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
30 May | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
1 June | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
4 June | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
4 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Geodesy | In orbit | Failure | |||
5 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
11 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
12 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
13 June 14:03:00 |
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
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USAF | Sub-GSO | Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program | In orbit | Success | ||
15 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Failure | |||
18 June | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
20 June | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
21 June | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
26 June | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
4 July | ![]() |
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
5 July | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 July | ![]() |
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Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Successful | |||
10 July | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
11 July | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 July | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 July | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
30 July | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
6 August | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | SIGNIT | In orbit | Successful | ||
6 August | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
7 August | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
8 August | ![]() |
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
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NASA | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
9 August | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
10 August | ![]() |
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NASA | Geosynchronous | Communications/Meteorology | In orbit | Failure | ||
16 August | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
16 August | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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MIT Lincoln Laboratory | Low Earth | Calibration | In orbit | Failure | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Failure | ||
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US Army | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Failure | ||
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US Army | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Failure | ||
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Low Earth | Calibration | In orbit | Failure | |||
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USAF | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Failure | ||
27 August | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Military communications | In orbit | Successful | |||
27 August | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
28 August | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
5 September | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
10 September | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
14 September | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
14 September | ![]() |
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MOM | ||||
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MOM | Lunar Free-return | Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/Zond | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 September | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
18 September | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
19 September | ![]() |
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Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Failure | ||
20 September | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
23 September | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
26 September | ![]() |
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USAF | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | |||
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USAF | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
2 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Weapon System Test | In orbit | Successful | |||
3 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful | |||
3 October | ![]() |
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ESRO | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
5 October | ![]() |
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Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Successful | |||
5 October | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
7 October | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
11 October | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
11 October 1968 15:02 |
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NASA | LEO | Crewed orbital flight | 22 October 1968 11:11:48 |
Successful | ||
First crewed Apollo flight | |||||||
19 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
20 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
23 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth (SSO) | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | |||
25 October 1968 09:00 |
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RVSN | LEO | Docking target for Soyuz 3 | 28 October 1968 07:21 |
Successful | ||
Soyuz 3 failed to dock | |||||||
26 October 08:34 |
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RVSN | LEO | Crewed orbital flight | 30 October 1968 07:25:03 |
Partial Failure | ||
Failed to dock with Soyuz 2 | |||||||
30 October | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | SIGNIT | In orbit | Successful | |||
31 October | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
1 November | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | In orbit | Successful | ||||
3 November | ![]() |
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Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
6 November | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
8 November | ![]() |
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NASA | Heliocentric | Solar Orbiter | In orbit | Successful | ||
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NASA | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
10 November | ![]() |
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MOM | ||||
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MOM | Lunar Free-return | Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/Zond | In orbit | Successful | ||
13 November | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 November | ![]() |
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MOM | ||||
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MOM | Low Earth | Science | In orbit | Successful | ||
21 November | ![]() |
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GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
29 November | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
29 November | ![]() |
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ELDO | Low Earth Orbit | Dummy Payload | In orbit | Failure | ||
30 November | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Geodesy | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks | |||||||
3 December | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful | |||
4 December | ![]() |
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USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Failure | ||
5 December | ![]() |
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ESRO | Low Earth | Research | In orbit | Successful | ||
7 December | ![]() |
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Low Earth | UV Astronomy | In orbit | Successful | |||
10 December | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
12 December | ![]() |
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CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
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USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful | ||
14 December | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | |||
15 December | ![]() |
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ESSA | SSO | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful | ||
16 December | ![]() |
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Molniya | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful | |||
19 December | ![]() |
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Intelsat | Geosynchronous | In orbit | Successful | |||
19 December | ![]() |
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Yuzhnoye Design Bureau | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful | ||
21 December 12:51 |
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NASA | Selenocentric | Crewed lunar orbiter | 27 December 1968 15:51:42 |
Successful | ||
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NASA | Selenocentric | Mass Model | In orbit | Successful | ||
First crewed mission to the Moon | |||||||
26 December | ![]() |
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Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
Remarks |