List of Proton launches (1965–1969)

This is a list of launches made by the Proton rocket between 1965 and 1969. All launches were conducted from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The list includes the first five launches, which were conducted under the designations UR-500 and UR-500K, before the selection of the name Proton.

List of Proton launches
1965–1969 · 1970–1979 · 1980–1989 · 1990–1999 · 2000–2009 · 2010–2019 · 2020–2029

Launches

Date/time (UTC) Configuration Serial number Launch pad Outcome
Payload Separation orbit Operator Function
Remarks

1965

Main article: 1965 in spaceflight
16 July 1965
11:16 		UR-500 8K82 107207-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Proton 1 (N-4 #1) Low Earth Particle research
Maiden flight of UR-500 8K82
2 November 1965
12:28 		UR-500 8K82 UR500-209 Site 81/23 Successful
Proton 2 (N-4 #2) Low Earth Particle research

1966

Main article: 1966 in spaceflight
24 March 1966
21:00 		UR-500 8K82 UR500-211 Site 81/23 Failure
N-4 #3 Low Earth (intended) Particle research
2nd stage engine failure T+122 seconds. Suspected collision with the first stage following separation.
6 July 1966
12:57 		UR-500 8K82 UR500-212 Site 81/23 Successful
Proton 3 (N-4 #4) Low Earth Particle research
Final flight of UR-500 8K82

1967

Main article: 1967 in spaceflight
10 March 1967
11:30 		UR-500K/D 8K82K/11S824 107227-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Kosmos 146 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #2P) Highly elliptical Spacecraft test
Maiden flight of UR-500K 8K82K (later Proton-K), first Proton launch with an upper stage
8 April 1967
09:00 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 228-01 Site 81/23 Failure
Kosmos 154 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #3P) Highly elliptical (intended)
Low Earth (achieved) 		Spacecraft test
Premature separation of fourth stage ullage motors
27 September 1967
22:11 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 229-01 Site 81/23 Failure
Soyuz 7K-L1 #4L Highly elliptical (intended) Spacecraft test
#1 first stage engine failed to start at liftoff due to a loose plug. Automatic shutdown commanded at T+97 seconds. The LES pulled the L1 descent module to safety.
22 November 1967
19:07 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 230-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Soyuz 7K-L1 #5L Highly elliptical (intended) Spacecraft test
First launch from Site 81/24. Second stage engine failure due to improper start sequence. Automatic shutdown commanded at T+125 seconds. The LES pulled the L1 descent module to safety.

1968

Main article: 1968 in spaceflight
2 March 1968
22:11 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 231-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Zond 4 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #6L) Highly elliptical Spacecraft test
Spacecraft later failed
22 April 1968
23:01 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 232-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Soyuz 7K-L1 #7L Highly elliptical (intended) Spacecraft test
LES malfunction trigged an unintended second stage shutdown. Spacecraft descent module successfully recovered.
14 September 1968
21:42 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 234-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Zond 5 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #9L) Highly elliptical Spacecraft test
10 November 1968
19:11 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 235-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Zond 6 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #12L) Highly elliptical Spacecraft test
Spacecraft later failed
16 November 1968
11:40 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 236-01 Site 81/24 Successful
Proton 4 (N-6 #1) Low Earth Cosmic ray research
First Proton-K launch without an upper stage

1969

Main article: 1969 in spaceflight
20 January 1969
04:14 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 237-01 Site 81/23 Failure
Soyuz 7K-L1 #13L Highly elliptical (intended) Spacecraft test
#3 second stage engine failed due to rotor imbalance. The other three engines managed to complete second stage burn successfully, but the third stage then failed due to a propellant feed malfunction. The spacecraft was detached and successfully recovered.
19 February 1969
06:48 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 239-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Luna E-8 #201 Highly elliptical (intended) Lunar lander
Payload fairing broke up T+51 seconds. First stage exploded after flying debris ruptured the propellant tanks. Spacecraft was to have deployed a Lunokhod rover
27 March 1969
10:40 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 240-01 Site 81/23 Failure
Mars-2M #521 Heliocentric (intended) Mars orbiter
Third stage engine failure due to rotor imbalance.
2 April 1969
10:33 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 233-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Mars-2M #522 Heliocentric (intended) Mars orbiter
Missing drain plug caused a first stage engine failure and thrust section fire at liftoff. Booster impacted the ground 40 seconds after launch.
14 June 1969
04:00 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 238-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Luna E-8-5 #402 Highly elliptical (intended) Lunar sample return
Blok D ignition failure
13 July 1969
02:54 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 242-01 Site 81/24 Successful
Luna 15 (Luna E-8-5 #401) Highly elliptical Lunar sample return
Spacecraft later failed
7 August 1969
23:48 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 243-01 Site 81/23 Successful
Zond 7 (Soyuz 7K-L1 #11) Highly elliptical Spacecraft test
23 September 1969
14:07 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 244-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Kosmos 300 (Luna E-8-5 #403) Highly elliptical (intended)
Low Earth (achieved) 		Lunar sample return
Blok D failure due to defective LOX valve
22 October 1969
14:09 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 241-01 Site 81/24 Failure
Kosmos 305 (Luna E-8-5 #404) Highly elliptical (intended)
Low Earth (achieved) 		Lunar sample return
Upper control system malfunctioned
28 November 1969
09:00 		Proton-K/D 8K82K/11S824 245-01 Site 81/23 Failure
Soyuz 7K-L1E #1 Medium Earth (intended) Test flight
Third stage engine failure T+556 seconds due to resonant vibration causing the rupture of a propellant feed line.[1]

References

  • McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  • Wade, Mark. "Proton". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  1. ^ Wade, Mark. "Soyuz 7K-L1E". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.