Rocket Launches in 1978
Spaceflight in 1978: Salyut 6 becomes a long-term home in orbit, resupplied from January by Progress 1, the first robotic cargo ship. Visiting crews bring the first cosmonauts from other countries, beginning in March with Vladimír Remek of Czechoslovakia. The first GPS satellite launches in February, and Pioneer Venus sends an orbiter and four atmospheric probes to Venus.
128 launches in 1978 · 4 failures · 2 partial
Launch list for 1978
| Date (UTC) | Rocket | Mission | Provider | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-01-06 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 9 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-07 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Intelsat-4A 3 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-01-10 | Soyuz U | Soyuz 27 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-10 | Vostok 8A92M | Tselina-D 14 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1978-01-10 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-1M 137-144 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-01-13 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 84 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-17 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Parus 12 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-01-20 | Soyuz U | Progress 1 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-24 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-3 20L | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-24 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 10 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-01-26 | Long March 2A | FSW-0 3 | CASC | Success |
| 1978-01-26 | Delta 2914 | IUE | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-01-31 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 11 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-02-04 | Mu-3H | Kyokko | Nissan | Success |
| 1978-02-08 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MT 13 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-02-09 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | FLTSATCOM 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-02-14 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 12 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-02-16 | N-I | Ume 2 | MHI | Success |
| 1978-02-17 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-2M 17 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-02-22 | Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-02-25 | Titan 34B | Jumpseat 5 | LM | Success |
| 1978-02-28 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Parus 13 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-03-02 | Soyuz U | Soyuz 28 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-02 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-1K 39 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-04 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 85 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-05 | Delta 2910 | Landsat 3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-03-10 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 13 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-15 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Zaliv 25 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-03-16 | Titan IIID | KH-9 14 | LM | Success |
| 1978-03-17 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 86 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-25 | Titan IIIC | DSCS-2 9 & 10 | LM | Failure |
| 1978-03-28 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Parus 14 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-03-30 | Proton-K | TKS-VA 5 & 6 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 1978-03-30 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 14 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-03-31 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Tsikada 4 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-03-31 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Intelsat-4A 6 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-04-04 | Soyuz U | Kosmos 1001 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-04-06 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 87 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-04-07 | Atlas SLV-3A Agena D | Aquacade 4 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-04-07 | Delta 2914 | Yuri 1 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-04-20 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 15 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-04-26 | Scout D-1 | HCMM | Vought | Success |
| 1978-05-01 | Thor DSV-2U | DMSP-5D1 F3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-05-05 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 88 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-05-11 | Delta 3914 | OTS 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-05-12 | Vostok 8A92M | Tselina-D 15 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1978-05-12 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Taifun-1 9 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-05-13 | Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 2 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-05-16 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 16 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-05-17 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Tselina-O 37 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-05-19 | Tsiklon-2 | IS-A 9 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1978-05-20 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Pioneer Venus Orbiter | Convair | Success |
| 1978-05-23 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKT 6 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-05-23 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Parus 15 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-05-25 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 89 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-05-27 | Proton-K/DM | Ekran | Khrunichev | Failure |
| 1978-06-02 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-1K 40 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-07 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-1M 145-152 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-06-10 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 17 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-10 | Titan IIIC | Chalet 8 | LM | Success |
| 1978-06-12 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 18 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-14 | Titan IIID | KH-11 2 | LM | Success |
| 1978-06-15 | Soyuz U | Soyuz 29 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-16 | Delta 2914 | GOES 3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-06-21 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-2M 18 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-06-27 | Atlas F/Agena D | Seasat 1 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-06-27 | Soyuz U | Soyuz 30 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-28 | Molniya-M 2BL | US-K 9 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-06-28 | Tsiklon-3 | EPN 03.0380 4 | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1978-06-29 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Comstar 1C | Convair | Success |
| 1978-07-02 | Soyuz U | Energiya 2 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-07-07 | Soyuz U | Progress 2 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-07-14 | Delta 2914 | Geos 2 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-07-14 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-1K 41 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-07-18 | Proton-K/DM | Raduga 4 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 1978-07-27 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Zaliv 26 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-08-05 | Titan 34B | Quasar 3 | LM | Success |
| 1978-08-05 | Soyuz U | Yantar-2K 8 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-08-07 | Soyuz U | Progress 3 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-08-08 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Pioneer Venus Multiprobe | Convair | Success |
| 1978-08-12 | Delta 2914 | ISEE 3 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-08-17 | Proton-K/DM | Ekran | Khrunichev | Failure |
| 1978-08-22 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-1K 42 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-08-26 | Soyuz U | Soyuz 31 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-08-29 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 19 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-09-06 | Molniya-M 2BL | US-K 10 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-09-09 | Proton-K/D-1 | Venera-11 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 1978-09-09 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 20 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-09-14 | Proton-K/D-1 | Venera-12 | Khrunichev | Success |
| 1978-09-16 | Mu-3H | Jikiken | Nissan | Success |
| 1978-09-19 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 90 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-03 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKT 7 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-03 | Soyuz U | Progress 4 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-04 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-1M 153-160 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-10-06 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 21 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-07 | Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 3 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-10-10 | Vostok 8A92M | Tselina-D 16 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1978-10-13 | Molniya-M 2BL | Molniya-3 22L | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-13 | SM-65F Atlas | Tiros-N | Convair | Success |
| 1978-10-17 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 91 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-10-17 | Proton-K/DM | Ekran | Khrunichev | Failure |
| 1978-10-24 | Delta 2910 | Nimbus 7 | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-10-24 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | AUOS-Z-M-IK 1 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-10-26 | Tsiklon-3 | Meteor-2-GVM | Yuzhmash | Success |
| 1978-10-30 | Molniya-M 2BL | Prognoz-7 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-11-01 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MT 14 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-11-13 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Einstein Observatory | Convair | Success |
| 1978-11-15 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 22 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-11-16 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-2M 19 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-11-19 | Delta 2914 | NATO 3C | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-11-21 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 23 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-11-28 | Soyuz U | Zenit-6U 5 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-12-05 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Strela-1M 161-168 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-12-07 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 24 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-12-08 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 92 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-12-11 | Atlas F/SVS | Navstar 4 | Convair | Success |
| 1978-12-14 | Titan IIIC | DSCS-2 11 & 12 | LM | Success |
| 1978-12-14 | Soyuz U | Zenit-2M 93 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-12-15 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Tselina-O 38 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-12-16 | Delta 3914 | Anik B | McDonnell Douglas | Success |
| 1978-12-19 | Vostok 8A92M | Tselina-D 17 | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1978-12-19 | Proton-K/DM | Gorizont 1 | Khrunichev | Partial Failure |
| 1978-12-20 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Parus 16 | Polyot | Partial Failure |
| 1978-12-22 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Taifun-2 5 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-12-23 | Vostok 8A92M | Astrofizika | RKK Energia | Success |
| 1978-12-26 | Kosmos-3M (11K65M) | Sfera 18 | Polyot | Success |
| 1978-12-26 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MKM 25 | Progress RSC | Success |
| 1978-12-28 | Soyuz U | Zenit-4MT 15 | Progress RSC | Success |