1968 Rocket Launch Statistics
In 1968, there were 128 orbital launch attempts worldwide, and 117 of them reached orbit. That is 11 fewer than in 1967. By country, the Soviet Union launched 72 and the United States 48. Together they put 408 tonnes of payload in orbit.
Statistics summary
Payload to orbit
1968
408 t
vs 281 t in 1967
Per week
8 t
vs 5 t in 1967
Reached orbit
1968
91%
117 of 128; 9 failures, 2 partial
1967
89%
124 of 139; 12 failures, 3 partial
Who flew in 1968
Company1968 launches1968Share
RKK Energia31vs 3224%- Yuzhmash26vs 2620%
McDonnell Douglas21vs 2816%- Progress RSC11vs 79%
- Lockheed Martin10vs 108%
- Convair8vs 146%
1968 against 1967. Drawings at one true scale.
Country1968 launches1968Share
1968 against 1967. Drawings at one true scale.
Every company, as a table
| Company | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RKK Energia | 31 | 24% | 157 t | 39% |
| Yuzhmash | 26 | 20% | 22 t | 5% |
| McDonnell Douglas | 21 | 16% | 9 t | 2% |
| Progress RSC | 11 | 9% | 43 t | 11% |
| Lockheed Martin | 10 | 8% | 21 t | 5% |
| Convair | 8 | 6% | 8 t | 2% |
| Polyot | 6 | 5% | 3 t | 1% |
| Khrunichev | 5 | 4% | 35 t | 9% |
| Vought | 5 | 4% | 424 kg | <1% |
| Boeing / North American / Douglas | 2 | 2% | 80 t | 20% |
| Chrysler / Douglas | 2 | 2% | 30 t | 7% |
| ELDO | 1 | 1% | – |
Launches and payload by week
Orbital launch attempts per week, 1968
SpaceX, and the rest of the world by region.
Show as table
| Week of | SpaceX | Rest of US | Europe | China | Russia | India | Rest of World | All | Payload to orbit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Dec 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 283 kg |
| 15 Dec 1968 | – | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 5 | 33 t |
| 8 Dec 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 6 t |
| 1 Dec 1968 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 4 | 5 t |
| 24 Nov 1968 | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 6 t |
| 17 Nov 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 10 Nov 1968 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 28 t |
| 3 Nov 1968 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 3 t |
| 27 Oct 1968 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 20 Oct 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 4 | 15 t |
| 13 Oct 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 1 t |
| 6 Oct 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 25 t |
| 29 Sep 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 5 | 7 t |
| 22 Sep 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 15 Sep 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 7 t |
| 8 Sep 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 13 t |
| 1 Sep 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 25 Aug 1968 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 13 t |
| 11 Aug 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 154 kg |
| 4 Aug 1968 | – | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 6 | 11 t |
| 28 Jul 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 14 Jul 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 7 Jul 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 5 t |
| 30 Jun 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 3 t |
| 23 Jun 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 6 t |
| 16 Jun 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 12 t |
| 9 Jun 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 4 | 2 t |
| 2 Jun 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | 8 t |
| 26 May 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 5 t |
| 19 May 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 279 kg |
| 12 May 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 74 kg |
| 5 May 1968 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | 775 kg |
| 28 Apr 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 775 kg |
| 21 Apr 1968 | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 5 | 8 t |
| 14 Apr 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 5 | – | – | 6 | 26 t |
| 7 Apr 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 3 t |
| 31 Mar 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 3 | 56 t |
| 17 Mar 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 10 t |
| 10 Mar 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 10 t |
| 3 Mar 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 5 | 6 t |
| 25 Feb 1968 | – | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 18 Feb 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 1 t |
| 4 Feb 1968 | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | 6 t |
| 21 Jan 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 t |
| 14 Jan 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | 4 | 8 t |
| 7 Jan 1968 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 t |
Year against year
Orbital launch attempts, year against year, 1965 to 1968
Added up through each year.
Show as table
| By the end of | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7 · 8 t | 7 · 14 t | 7 · 10 t | 8 · 25 t |
| February | 17 · 23 t | 18 · 34 t | 19 · 34 t | 12 · 32 t |
| March | 30 · 48 t | 31 · 54 t | 31 · 53 t | 25 · 63 t |
| April | 38 · 60 t | 40 · 73 t | 44 · 81 t | 41 · 155 t |
| May | 48 · 83 t | 52 · 83 t | 58 · 104 t | 48 · 157 t |
| June | 56 · 111 t | 64 · 105 t | 72 · 124 t | 60 · 190 t |
| July | 68 · 140 t | 76 · 142 t | 82 · 140 t | 68 · 210 t |
| August | 78 · 163 t | 87 · 160 t | 90 · 156 t | 79 · 234 t |
| September | 86 · 178 t | 97 · 173 t | 105 · 184 t | 89 · 265 t |
| October | 97 · 196 t | 107 · 193 t | 119 · 225 t | 104 · 320 t |
| November | 109 · 218 t | 118 · 230 t | 130 · 263 t | 115 · 364 t |
| December | 124 · 240 t | 131 · 250 t | 139 · 281 t | 128 · 408 t |
Busiest rockets in 1968
Launches and payload by country in 1968
Orbital launch attempts by country, 1968
By the country of the rocket.
Show as table
| Country | Launches | Share | Payload to orbit | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union | 72 | 56% | 243 t | 60% |
| United States | 48 | 38% | 147 t | 36% |
| Ukraine | 7 | 5% | 17 t | 4% |
| France | 1 | 1% | – |