1968 Rocket Launch Recap
Our roundup of all the launches that happened in 1968, along with key stats, trends and info. You can learn more about our data, and how we present it here.
Include notable suborbital launches
133
Total Launches
122
Successful Launches
11
Failed Launches
91.73%
Success Rate
8
Humans launched to space
Notable 1968 Achievements
How 1968 Compares to Previous Years
There were 122 successful launch attempts in 1968 and 11 failed launch attempts. These figures include test/development launches, which are more prone to failure.
Rocket Launches by Year
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Nation in 1968
In 1968, companies and agencies from 2 Nations attempted launches. These Nations were Russia (82 launches) and the United States (48 launches).
Total Rocket Launches by Nation in 1968
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Service Providers in 1968
5 Launch Service Providers completed launches in 1968, including Soviet Space Program (82 launches), United States Air Force (41 launches) and NASA (7 launches).
Top Space Launch Service Providers in 1968 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Vehicle in 1968
30 different Launch Vehicles launched off in 1968. The top 3 were the Voskhod (29 launches), Kosmos 11K63 (17 launches) and Thorad SLV-2G Agena D (10 launches) launch vehicles.
Top 10 Launch Vehicles in 1968 by total launch count
By RocketLaunch.org
Launches by Launch Sites in 1968
Rockets launched from 9 Launch Sites in 1968. The most active launch sites were Baikonur Cosmodrome (42 launches), Vandenberg SFB (32 launches) and Plesetsk Cosmodrome (31 launches).
Top Launch Sites in 1968
By RocketLaunch.org
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1968
In 1968, 8 humans from 2 nations were launched into space. These nations were the United States (7 astronauts) and Russia (1 astronaut).
Astronauts Launched by Nationality in 1968
By RocketLaunch.org
Where we launched to in 1968
We launched off to 6 different locations beyond earth in 1968 (including flybys). Most launches were to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (111 launches), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) (6 launches) and The Moon (3 launches).
Top Launch Destinations in 1968
By RocketLaunch.org
That's a wrap! 👏
Don't forget to share this recap with fellow space-enthusiasts! And if you want more, view our Space Age Timeline to access all our annual recaps.
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