Success
Molniya-1Yu 15L
Test Target
Soviet Space Program(CCCP)Government
Molniya-M 2BL
Ellipticalorbit
The Molniya-1Yu satellites were modified Molniya-1 satellites to test and calibrate the deep space tracking systems of the Soviet lunar program.
Monday, December 16, 1968 at 9:15 AM
Mission details
Orbital Attempt
#915
CCCP Mission
#369
Pad Launch
#112
Location Launch
#245
Designator
1968-115
Launch Window
NET
Dec 16, 1968, 9:15 AM
Schedule Changes
1 update
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur.
Timezone
Asia/Qyzylorda
Local Launch Time
Dec 16, 1968, 2:15 PM
Total Launches
1,563
Total Landings
0
Coordinates
45.9650, 63.3050
Molniya-M 2BL Specs
Reusable
No
Maiden Flight
1965
Fastest Turnaround
4h 18m
Total Launches
272
Successful
259
Failed
13
Consecutive Success
4
Maiden flight: Oct 4, 1965
Soviet Space Program
The Soviet space program, was the national space program of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) actived from 1930s until disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Soviet Union's space program was mainly based on the cosmonautic exploration of space and the development of the expandable launch vehicles, which had been split between many design bureaus competing against each other. Over its 60-years of history, the Russian program was responsible for a number of pioneering feats and accomplishments in the human space flight, including the first intercontinental ballistic missile (R-7), first satellite (Sputnik 1), first animal in Earth orbit (the dog Laika on Sputnik 2), first human in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1), first woman in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6), first spacewalk (cosmonaut Alexei Leonov on Voskhod 2), first Moon impact (Luna 2), first image of the far side of the Moon (Luna 3) and unmanned lunar soft landing (Luna 9), first space rover (Lunokhod 1), first sample of lunar soil automatically extracted and brought to Earth (Luna 16), and first space station (Salyut 1). Further notable records included the first interplanetary probes: Venera 1 and Mars 1 to fly by Venus and Mars, respectively, Venera 3 and Mars 2 to impact the respective planet surface, and Venera 7 and Mars 3 to make soft landings on these planets.
Founded
1931
Total Launches
2,456
Successful
2,288
Failed
168
Pending
0
Consecutive Success
17