1968 in spaceflight

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
Total	6

The United States National Space Science Data Center catalogued 157 spacecraft placed into orbit by launches which occurred in 1968. 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

← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec →

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	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

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	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.

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	Titan IIIC			LC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station		USAF
		OPS-9341	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9342	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9343	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9344	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9345	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9346	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9347	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success
		OPS-9348	USAF	Sub-GSO	Part of the Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program	In orbit	Success

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	Saturn IB (C-1B)			LC-34, Cape Canaveral		NASA
		Apollo 7	NASA	LEO	Crewed orbital flight	22 October 1968 11:11:48	Successful
		First crewed 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	Crewed orbital flight	30 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	Saturn V (C-5)			LC-39A, Kennedy		NASA
		Apollo 8	NASA	Selenocentric	Crewed lunar orbiter	27 December 1968 15:51:42	Successful
		First crewed mission to the Moon

← Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec →

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; first return to Earth after flight to Moon; first Earth life forms to travel around 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; first humans to travel around the Moon
25 December	Apollo 8	Leaves selenocentric orbit	Completed 10 orbits