1968 in spaceflight

The United States National Space Science Data Center catalogued 157 spacecraft placed into orbit by launches which occurred in 1968.[1] 1968 saw the first manned Apollo missions first to Low earth orbit in which was a success. Humanity for the first time left LEO with Apollo 8 to circumnavigate the moon which was a success.

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
22 January
23:45		 Saturn IB (C-1B) LC-37B, Cape Canaveral NASA
Apollo 5 NASA LEO Test Lunar Module 12 February 1968
09:59		 successful
Minor malfunction of LM descent stage engine, otherwise successful
4 April
12:00:02		 Saturn V (C-5) LC-39A, Kennedy NASA
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.
11 October 1968
15:02		 Saturn IB (C-1B) LC-34, Cape Canaveral NASA
Apollo 7 NASA LEO Manned orbital flight 22 October 1968
11:11:48		 Successful
First manned Apollo flight
25 October 1968
09:00		 Soyuz (R-7/A-2) LC-1/5, Baikonur RVSN
Soyuz 2 RVSN LEO Docking target for Soyuz 3 28 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 Manned orbital flight 30 October 1968
07:25:03		 Partial Failure
Failed to dock with Soyuz 2
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21 December
12:51		 Saturn V (C-5) LC-39A, Kennedy NASA
Apollo 8 NASA Selenocentric Manned lunar orbiter 27 December 1968
15:51:42		 Successful
First manned mission to the Moon

Deep space rendezvous

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 Selenocentric orbit insertion
18 September Zond 5 Flyby of the Moon Closest approach: 1,950 kilometres (1,210 mi)
14 November Zond 6 Flyby of the Moon Closest approach: 2,420 kilometres (1,500 mi)
24 December Apollo 8 Selenocentric orbit insertion
25 December Apollo 8 Leaves selenocentric orbit Completed 10 orbits

References
Generic references:

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Spacecraft Query Results". Master Catalog Search. NASA NSSDC. Retrieved 30 May 2010.

Timeline of spaceflight
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