1967 in spaceflight

The year 1967 in spaceflight saw the most orbital launches of the 20th century and more than any other year until 2021, including that of the first Australian satellite, WRESAT, which was launched from the Woomera Test Range atop an American Sparta rocket. The United States National Space Science Data Center catalogued 172 spacecraft placed into orbit by launches which occurred in 1967.[1]

1967 in spaceflight
Apollo 4, the first flight of the Saturn V rocket lifts off.
Orbital launches
FirstIntelsat II F-2
LastCRL AF17.750D
National firsts
SatelliteAustralia
Rockets
Maiden flightsProton-K
Saturn V

The year saw both setbacks and advances for the United States Apollo programme. Three astronauts; Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Ed White and Roger B. Chaffee, were killed in a fire aboard the AS-204 spacecraft at Cape Kennedy Launch Complex 34 on 27 January whilst rehearsing the launch. On 20 October the Saturn V rocket made its maiden flight.

Launches

January
January launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
11 January
10:55[2]		 Delta E1 LC-17, Cape Canaveral
Intelsat II F-2 Intelsat Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
14 January
21:28[2]		 Thor-Agena D SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB
KH-4A #38 CIA Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance2 February 1967Successful
18 January
14:19[2]		 Titan IIIC SLC-41, Cape Canaveral
IDCSP 8 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 9 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 10 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 11 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 12 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 13 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 14 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
IDCSP 15 US Air Force Geosynchronous CommunicationsIn orbitSuccessful
19 January
12:39[2]		 Vostok-2 (rocket) Pu-41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 138 (Zenit-2 #45) Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance27 January 1967Successful
25 January
13:55[2]		 R-36ORB Pad 164/36, Baikonur
Kosmos 139 (OGCh #7) Low Earth Orbit Weapon System Test27 January 1967Successful
26 January
17:31[2]		 Delta E SLC-2E, Vandenberg AFB
ESSA-4 Sun-Synchronous Orbit MeteorologyIn orbitSuccessful
31 January
12:45[2]		 Scout B SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
OV3-5 US Air Force Low Earth orbit Magnetosphere research satellite31 JanuaryFailure

February
February launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
2 February Atlas-Agena D SLC-2E, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
KH-7 36 US Air Force Low Earth orbit Optical ReconnaissanceTBASuccessful
5 February Atlas-Agena D LC-13, Cape Canaveral NASA
Lunar Orbiter 3 NASA Low Lunar Orbit Surface MappingTBASuccessful
7 February Soyuz 11A511 Pad 1/5 (Gagarin's Start), Baikonur
Kosmos 140 (Soyuz 7K-OK 1) MOM Low Earth Orbit Uncrewed Test FlightTBASuccessful
8 February Thor-Burner 2 SLC-10W, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
DSMP-4A F2 US Air Force Sun-Synchronous Orbit MeteorologyTBASuccessful
8 February Diamant-A Hammaguir CNES
Diadème 1 CNES Low Earth Orbit GeodesyTBAPartial Failure
8 February Voskhod Pad 41/1, Baikonur
Kosmos 141 (Zenit-4 #26) GRU Low Earth Orbit Optical reconnaissanceTBASuccessful
14 February Kosmos-2 Pad 86/1, Kapustin Yar
Kosmos 142 DS-U2-I #2) Yuzhnoye Design Bureau Low Earth Orbit Ionosphere ResearchTBASuccessful
15 February Diamant-A Hammaguir CNES
Diadème 2 CNES Low Earth Orbit GeodesyTBASuccessful
22 February Atlas-Agena D SLC-2W, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
KH-4A 39 US Air Force Low Earth orbit Optical ReconnaissanceTBASuccessful
24 February Atlas-Agena D SLC-4W, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
KH-8 4 US Air Force Low Earth orbit Optical ReconnaissanceTBASuccessful
27 February Vostok-2 Gagarin's Start (Pad 1/5), Baikonur
Kosmos 143 (Zenit-2 #46) GRU Low Earth Orbit Optical reconnaissanceTBAPartial Failure
28 February Vostok-2M Pad 41/1, Plestsk
Kosmos 144 (Meteor-1 #6) GRU Low Earth Orbit MeteorologyTBASuccessful

March
March launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
3 March
06:44:58		 Kosmos-2I Kapustin Yar LC-86/1
Kosmos 145 Planned: Low Earth Atomic clock test8 March 1968Successful
5 March
23:05		 Atlas SLV-3 Cape Canaveral Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 3E
SV-5D FV-2 US Air Force Low Earth Lifting body reentry test5 MarchSuccessful
Second test of PRIME
8 March
16:12:00		 Delta C Cape Canaveral LC-17B NASA
OSO-3 NASA Low Earth Solar4 April 1982Successful
The spacecraft performed normally until the second onboard tape recorder failed in July 1968. The spacecraft was put in standby condition on November 10, 1969, and became inoperable shortly thereafter.
10 March
11:30		 Proton 8K82K (11S824) Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Kosmos 146 MOM Low Earth orbit Test prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P18 March 1967Successful
Maiden Flight of the Proton 8K82K
13 March
12:10:23		 Vostok-2 (rocket) Pu-41/1, Plesetsk
Kosmos 147 (Zenit-2 #44) Low Earth Orbit Reconnaissance21 March 1967Successful
21 March
10:07		 Kosmos-2I 63SM Site 86/1 Kapustin Yar Yuzhnoye Design Bureau
Kosmos 149 Yuzhnoye Design Bureau Low Earth orbit Test and optical7 AprilSuccessful
Aerodynamic skirt stabiliser test

April
April launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
8 April
09:00		 Proton 8K82K (11S824) Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Kosmos 154 MOM Low Earth orbit Test prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P10 AprilFailure
Block D (4th stage) failed to re-ignite
14 April
03:25		 Scout A SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
Transit 15 US Navy Low Earth Orbit Navigation SatelliteIn orbitSuccessful
23 April
00:35		 Soyuz (A-10) LC-1/5, Baikonur MOM
Soyuz 1 MOM Low Earth Orbit Test Soyuz spacecraft24 AprilFailure
Solar panels jammed, bad weather prevented Soyuz 2 launch, parachute failure during descent resulted in loss of crew
26 April
10:06		 Scout B San Marco platform, Formosa Bay, Kenya CRS
San Marco 2 CRS Low Earth Orbit Atmospheric ResearchIn orbitSuccessful

May
May launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
5 May
16:00		 Scout A SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
Ariel 3 UK Science Research Council, NASA Low Earth Orbit Atmospheric Research14 December 1970Successful
18 May
09:05		 Scout A SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
Transit 16 US Navy Low Earth Orbit NavigationIn orbitSuccessful
30 May
02:06		 Scout B SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
ESRO 2A ESRO Low Earth Orbit X-Ray Astronomy and Radiation Measurements30 May 1967Failure
Third Stage Failure

July
July launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
1 July Titan IIIC SLC-41, Cape Canaveral US Air Force
DODGE US Air Force Geosynchronous Orbit Triaxial Gravity Gradient Stabilization, Magnetic Field Measurements, and Earth ImageryIn orbitSuccessful

August
August launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
4 August
03:53		 Europa LA-6A, Woomera ELDO
N/A Low Earth Orbit Test launcher with dummy third stageN/AFailure
Second Stage failed to ignite

September
September launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
7 September Delta SLC-17B, Cape Canaveral NASA
Biosatellite 2 NASA Low Earth Orbit Biological experiments9 September 1967Successful
8 September Atlas Centaur SLC-36B, Cape Canaveral NASA
Surveyor 5 NASA Lunar Orbit, Lunar Landing Unmanned lunar surface exploration11 September 1967Successful
25 September Scout A SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
Transit 17 US Navy Low Earth Orbit Navigation SatelliteIn orbitSuccessful
27 September
22:11		 Proton 8K82K (11S824) Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond 4a MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitFailure
First stage failure

October
October launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
19 October
17:33		 Scout B LA-3A, Wallops Island US Air Force
RAM C-1 NASA Suborbital Technology DemonstrationnoSuccessful

November
November launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
9 November
12:00		 Saturn V LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center NASA
Apollo 4 NASA High Earth Orbit Test Saturn V and Apollo Command Module reentry9 November 1967Successful
Maiden flight of the Saturn V
22 November
19:07		 Proton 8K82K (11S824) Pad 81/23, Baikonur MOM
Zond 4b MOM Lunar Free-return Prototype Soyuz 7K-L1P/ZondIn orbitFailure
Second stage failure
29 November Sparta (rocket) LA-8, Woomera WRE
WRESAT WRE Low Earth orbit Atmospheric experiments10 January 1968Successful
First Australian orbital launch

December
December launches
Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks
4 December
21:01		 Europa LA-6A, Woomera ELDO
N/A ELDO Low Earth Orbit Test launcher with dummy third stage and boilerplate spacecraftN/AFailure
Second Stage failed to separate
5 December
01:03		 Scout B SLC-5, Vandenberg AFB US Air Force
OV3-06 US Air Force Low Earth Orbit Magnetospheric Research9 March 1969Successful

Deep Space Rendezvous
Date (UTC) Spacecraft Event Remarks
8 FebruaryLunar Orbiter 3Selenocentric orbit insertionReturned 182 images
20 AprilSurveyor 3Lunar landingin Oceanus Procellarum
8 MayLunar Orbiter 4Selenocentric orbit insertionReturned 163 images
17 JulySurveyor 4Lunar impactFailed lander, impacted Sinus Medii
22 JulyExplorer 35Selenocentric orbit insertion
5 AugustLunar Orbiter 5Selenocentric orbit insertionReturned 213 images
11 SeptemberSurveyor 5Lunar landingin Mare Tranquillitatis
1 OctoberLunar Orbiter 2Lunar impact
10 OctoberLunar Orbiter 3Lunar impact
18 OctoberVenera 4Venus probeAtmospheric probe functioned for 94 minutes in the Venerian atmosphere
19 OctoberMariner 5Flyby of VenusClosest approach 3,990 kilometres (2,480 mi)
31 OctoberLunar Orbiter 4Lunar impact
10 NovemberSurveyor 6Lunar landingin Sinus Medii

References
Generic references:
 Spaceflight portal
  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.
  • Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
  • Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report".
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report".
  • Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
  • Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
  • Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
  • Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
  • "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
  • "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
  • "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  • "Space Information Center". JAXA.
  • "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).

Footnotes
  1. "Spacecraft Query Results". Master Catalog Search. NASA NSSDC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathon's Space Report. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
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