# 1973 in spaceflight

1973 saw the launch of the first American Space station known as Skylab on a Saturn V rocket.

## Launches

* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| January ||||||||
| 8 January 06:55 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 8 January 06:55 | | Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 | MOM | Selenocentric | Lunar rover | 15 January 1973 (At Moon) | Successful |
| 11 January 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 11 January 10:00 | | Kosmos 543 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 24 January 1973 | Successful |
| 20 January 03:36 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 20 January 03:36 | | Kosmos 544 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 15 June 1980 | Successful |
| 24 January 11:44 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 24 January 11:44 | | Kosmos 545 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 31 July 1973 | Successful |
| 26 January 11:44 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Kapustin Yar Site 107 | Kapustin Yar Site 107 | | |
| 26 January 11:44 | | Kosmos 546 (Zaliv mockup) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Boilerplate | In orbit | Successful |
| February ||||||||
| 1 February 08:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 1 February 08:30 | | Kosmos 547 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 February 1973 | Successful |
| 3 February 05:48 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 3 February 05:48 | | Molniya 1-23 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 23 October 1977 | Successful |
| 8 February 13:15 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 8 February 13:15 | | Kosmos 548 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 February 1973 | Successful |
| 15 February 01:11 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 15 February 01:11 | | Prognoz-3 | MOM | Molniya | Solar flare detection | 31 December 1976 | Successful |
| 26 February 04:37 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 26 February 04:37 | | Kosmos 549 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 29 June 1980 | Successful |
| March ||||||||
| 1 March 12:40 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 1 March 12:40 | | Kosmos 550 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 March 1973 | Successful |
| 6 March 09:20 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 6 March 09:20 | | Kosmos 551 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 20 March 1973 | Successful |
| 6 March 09:30 | Atlas SLV-3A Agena-D | Atlas SLV-3A Agena-D | | Cape Canaveral SLC-13 | Cape Canaveral SLC-13 | | |
| 6 March 09:30 | | Rhyolite 2 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 9 March 21:00 | Titan IIID | Titan IIID | | Vandenberg SLC-4E | Vandenberg SLC-4E | | |
| 9 March 21:00 | | KH-9 | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 17 March 1973 | Successful |
| 20 March 11:20 | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 March 11:20 | | Meteor 1-14 | MOM | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 March 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 22 March 10:00 | | Kosmos 552 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 April 1973 | Successful |
| 22 March 10:00 | | Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Technology | 9 April 1973 | Successful |
| April ||||||||
| 3 April 09:00 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 3 April 09:00 | | Salyut 2 (Almaz) | MOM | Low Earth | Space Station | 28 May 1973 | Spacecraft failure |
| Depressurised before crew launch could occur ||||||
| 5 April 11:11 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 5 April 11:11 | | Molniya 2-5 | MOM | Molniya | Communications | 6 January 1979 | Successful |
| 6 April 02:11 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | | |
| 6 April 02:11 | | Pioneer 11 (Pioneer G) | NASA | Heliocentric to Solar escape | Planetary probe | In orbit | Successful |
| First spacecraft to visit Saturn Maiden flight of Atlas SLV-3D Centaur rocket. ||||||
| 12 April 11:49 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 12 April 11:49 | | Kosmos 553 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 11 November 1973 | Successful |
| 19 April 08:59 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 19 April 08:59 | | Kosmos 554 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 May 1973 | Successful |
| Destroyed in orbit after deactivation ||||||
| 19 April 10:19 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Kapustin Yar Site 86 | Kapustin Yar Site 86 | | |
| 19 April 10:19 | | Interkosmos 9 (Kopernik 500) | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Solar radiation detection | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 April 23:47 | Delta 1914 | Delta 1914 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | | |
| 20 April 23:47 | | Anik A2 | Telesat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90 | Baikonur Site 90 | | |
| 25 April | | US-A | MO SSSR | Intended: Low Earth | Ocean surveillance | 25 April 1973 | Failure |
| Engine failure ||||||
| 25 April 10:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 April 10:45 | | Kosmos 555 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 May 1973 | Successful |
| 25 April 10:45 | | Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Scientific research | 9 May 1973 | Successful |
| May ||||||||
| 5 May 07:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 5 May 07:00 | | Kosmos 556 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 14 May 1973 | Successful |
| 11 May 00:20 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 11 May 00:20 | | Kosmos 557 (Salyut / Zarya) | MOM | Low Earth | Space Station | 22 May 1973 | Failure |
| Loss of control in orbit ||||||
| 14 May 17:30 | Saturn V | Saturn V | | Kennedy LC-39A | Kennedy LC-39A | NASA | NASA |
| 14 May 17:30 | | Skylab | NASA | Low Earth | Space Station | 11 July 1979 | Successful |
| First American Space Station Last flight of the Saturn V rocket Damaged during launch, but repaired ||||||
| 16 May 16:40 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Titan IIIB (24B) | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 16 May 16:40 | | OPS 2093 (KH-8) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 June 1973 | Successful |
| 17 May 13:19 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 17 May 13:19 | | Kosmos 558 (DS-P1-Yu) | MOM | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 22 December 1973 | Successful |
| 18 May 11:00 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 18 May 11:00 | | Kosmos 559 (Zenit-4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 May 1973 | Successful |
| Maiden flight of Soyuz-U carrier rocket ||||||
| 21 May 08:47 | Diamant-B | Diamant-B | | Kourou | Kourou | SEREB | SEREB |
| 21 May 08:47 | | Castor | CNES | Intended:Low Earth | Technology | 21 May 1973 | Failure |
| 21 May 08:47 | | Pollux | CNES | Intended:Low Earth | Technology | | |
| Final flight of Diamant-B Fairing failed to separate ||||||
| 23 May 10:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 23 May 10:30 | | Kosmos 560 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 5 June 1973 | Successful |
| 24 May 02:00 | K63D | K63D | | Vladimirovka test range, near Kapustin Yar | Vladimirovka test range, near Kapustin Yar | | |
| 24 May 02:00 | | BOR-3 No.301 | | Suborbital | Re-entry test for Spiral program | 22 May | Failure |
| Subscale model of the Spiral spaceplane. Payload fairing failed at about 5 km altitude. Apogee: 20 km ||||||
| 25 May | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 25 May | | Zaliv (Tsiklon) | RVSN | Intended: Low Earth | Navigation | 25 May 1973 | Failure |
| Failed to reach orbit ||||||
| 25 May 13:00 | Saturn IB | Saturn IB | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | NASA |
| 25 May 13:00 | | Apollo CSM-116 (Skylab 2) | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 22 June 1973 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with 3 astronauts, first crewed flight to Skylab ||||||
| 25 May 13:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 May 13:30 | | Kosmos 561 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 June 1973 | Successful |
| 25 May 13:30 | | Nauka | MOM | Low Earth | Gamma ray telescope | 20 June 1973 | Successful |
| 29 May 10:16 | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 29 May 10:16 | | Meteor 1-15 | MOM | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| June ||||||||
| 5 June 11:26 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 5 June 11:26 | | Kosmos 562 (DS-P1-Yu) | MOM | Low Earth | | 7 January 1974 | Successful |
| 6 June 11:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 6 June 11:30 | | Kosmos 563 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 18 June 1973 | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 564 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 565 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 566 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 567 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 568 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 569 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 570 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 15:50 | | Kosmos 571 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 10 June 10:10 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 10 June 10:10 | | Kosmos 572 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 June 1973 | Successful |
| 10 June 14:13 | Delta 1913 | Delta 1913 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | | |
| 10 June 14:13 | | Explorer 49 (RAE) | NASA | Selenocentric | Astronomy | In orbit | Successful |
| 12 June 07:14 | Titan IIIC | Titan IIIC | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | | |
| 12 June 07:14 | | DSP F-4 (IMEWS 4) | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Missile early warning | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 June 06:00 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 15 June 06:00 | | Kosmos 573 (Soyuz 7K-T) | MOM | Low Earth | Test spacecraft | 17 June 1973 06:01 | Successful |
| 20 June 06:16 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 20 June 06:16 | | Kosmos 574 (Zaliv/Tsiklon) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 June 13:29 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 21 June 13:29 | | Kosmos 575 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 July 1973 | Successful |
| 26 June 01:22 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 26 June 01:22 | | Tselina-O | RVSN | Intended: Low Earth | SIGINT | Never left ground | Failure |
| Exploded on pad after fuelling error; 9 killed ||||||
| 26 June 17:00 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Titan IIIB (24B) | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 26 June 17:00 | | OPS 4018 (KH-8) | US Air Force | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 26 June 1973 | Failure |
| Agena upper stage malfunction; Failed to reach orbit ||||||
| 27 June 11:50 | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 27 June 11:50 | | Kosmos 576 (Zenit-4MT / Orion) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 July 1973 | Successful |
| July ||||||||
| 4 July | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk Site 43 | Plesetsk Site 43 | | |
| 4 July | | (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Intended: Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 July 1973 | Failure |
| 11 July 09:58 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 11 July 09:58 | | Molniya 2-6 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 5 August 1978 | Successful |
| 13 July 20:24 | Titan IIID | Titan IIID | | Vandenberg SLC-4E | Vandenberg SLC-4E | | |
| 13 July 20:24 | | OPS 8261 (KH-9) | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 October 1973 | Successful |
| 16 July 17:10 | Delta 0300 | Delta 0300 | | Vandenberg SLC-2W | Vandenberg SLC-2W | | |
| 16 July 17:10 | | ITOS E | NASA / NOAA | Intended: Low Earth | Weather | 16 July 1973 | Failure |
| Second stage malfunction ||||||
| 21 July 19:30 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 21 July 19:30 | | Mars 4 | MOM | Intended: Areocentric Actual: Heliocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Failure |
| Retro-rockets failed, did not enter Martian orbit ||||||
| 25 July 11:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 July 11:30 | | Kosmos 577 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 August 1973 | Successful |
| 25 July 18:55 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 25 July 18:55 | | Mars 5 | MOM | Areocentric | Mars orbiter | In orbit | Partial Failure |
| Computer malfunction a few days after entering Martian orbit ||||||
| 28 July 11:10 | Saturn IB | Saturn IB | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | NASA |
| 28 July 11:10 | | Apollo CSM-117 (Skylab 3) | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 25 September 1973 | Partial Failure |
| Crewed flight with 3 astronauts. Thruster malfunction, nearly required rescue mission ||||||
| August ||||||||
| 1 August 14:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 1 August 14:00 | | Kosmos 578 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 August 1973 | Successful |
| 5 August 17:45 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 5 August 17:45 | | Mars 6 | MOM | Heliocentric | Mars lander | 12 March 1974 | Failure |
| Disappeared shortly before landing ||||||
| 8 August 17:00 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81 | Baikonur Site 81 | | |
| 8 August 17:00 | | Mars 7 | MOM | Heliocentric | Mars lander | In orbit | Failure |
| Missed planet due to premature separation ||||||
| 17 August 04:49 | Thor-LV2F Burner-2A | Thor-LV2F Burner-2A | | Vandenberg SLC-10W | Vandenberg SLC-10W | | |
| 17 August 04:49 | | DMSP 5B F-4 | US Air Force | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 August 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 21 August 12:30 | | Kosmos 579 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 September 1973 | Successful |
| 21 August 16:07 | Titan IIIB (33B) | Titan IIIB (33B) | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 21 August 16:07 | | OPS 7724 (Jumpseat 3) | NRO / US Air Force | Molniya | SIGINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 August 11:24 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 22 August 11:24 | | Kosmos 580 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | | 1 April 1974 | Successful |
| 23 August 22:57 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | | Cape Canaveral LC-36A | Cape Canaveral LC-36A | | |
| 23 August 22:57 | | Intelsat IV F7 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 24 August 10:59 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 24 August 10:59 | | Kosmos 581 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 September 1973 | Successful |
| 28 August 10:08 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 28 August 10:08 | | Kosmos 582 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | ELINT | 5 September 1980 | Successful |
| 30 August 00:07 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 30 August 00:07 | | Molniya 1-24 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 5 December 1979 | Successful |
| 30 August 10:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 30 August 10:30 | | Kosmos 583 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 September 1973 | Successful |
| September ||||||||
| 6 September 10:40 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 6 September 10:40 | | Kosmos 584 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 20 September 1973 | Successful |
| 8 September 01:50 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 8 September 01:50 | | Kosmos 585 (Sfera) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | | In orbit | Successful |
| 14 September 00:31 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 14 September 00:31 | | Kosmos 586 (Tsiklon) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 18 September | Feng Bao 1 | Feng Bao 1 | | Jiuquan LA-2B | Jiuquan LA-2B | | |
| 18 September | | JSSW | | Intended: Low Earth | Unknown | 18 September | Failure |
| First orbital launch of Feng Bao 1. ||||||
| 21 September 13:05 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 21 September 13:05 | | Kosmos 587 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 October 1973 | Successful |
| 27 September 12:18 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 27 September 12:18 | | Soyuz 12, 2 Cosmonauts | MOM | Low Earth | Crewed orbital flight | 29 September 1973 | Successful |
| Return-to-flight after Soyuz 11 incident ||||||
| 27 September 17:15 | Titan IIIB (24B) | Titan IIIB (24B) | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 27 September 17:15 | | OPS 6275 (KH-8) | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 October 1973 | Successful |
| October ||||||||
| 2 October 21:46 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 588 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 589 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 590 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 591 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 592 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 593 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 594 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 October 21:46 | | Kosmos 595 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 3 October 13:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 3 October 13:00 | | Kosmos 596 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 October 1973 | Failure |
| 3 October 13:00 | | Nauka | RVSN | Low Earth | Magnetosphere | 9 October 1973 | Successful |
| Parachute failed to deploy during recovery ||||||
| 6 October 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 6 October 12:30 | | Kosmos 597 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 October 1973 | Successful |
| 10 October 10:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 10 October 10:45 | | Kosmos 598 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 16 October 1973 | Successful |
| 15 October 08:45 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 15 October 08:45 | | Kosmos 599 (Zenit 2M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 October 1973 | Successful |
| 16 October 12:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 16 October 12:00 | | Kosmos 600 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 October 1973 | Successful |
| 16 October 14:00 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 16 October 14:00 | | Kosmos 601 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | | 15 August 1984 | Successful |
| 19 October 10:26 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 19 October 10:26 | | Molniya 2-7 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 8 July 1983 | Successful |
| 20 October 10:14 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 October 10:14 | | Kosmos 602 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 October 1973 | Successful |
| 26 October 02:26 | Delta 1913 | Delta 1913 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | | |
| 26 October 02:26 | | Explorer 50 (IMP) | NASA | High Earth | Magnetosphere | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 October 11:09 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 27 October 11:09 | | Kosmos 603 (Zenit 4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 9 November 1973 | Successful |
| 29 October 14:00 | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | Vostok-2M (R-7 8A92M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 29 October 14:00 | | Kosmos 604 (Tselina) | MOM | Low Earth | SIGINT | 19 January 1992 | Successful |
| 30 October 00:37 | Scout A-1 | Scout A-1 | | Vandenberg SLC-5 | Vandenberg SLC-5 | Vought | Vought |
| 30 October 00:37 | | Transit-O 20 | US Navy | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| Final flight of Scout A rocket ||||||
| 30 October 19:00 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 30 October 19:00 | | Interkosmos 10 (DS-U2-IK) | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Geophysics | 1 July 1977 | Successful |
| 31 October 18:24 | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | Soyuz-U (R-7 11A511U) | | Plesetsk Site 43 | Plesetsk Site 43 | | |
| 31 October 18:24 | | Kosmos 605 (Bion 1) | MOM | Low Earth | Biology | 22 November 1973 | Successful |
| November ||||||||
| 2 November 13:01 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk Site 41 | Plesetsk Site 41 | | |
| 2 November 13:01 | | Kosmos 606 (Oko) | MOM | Molniya | Missile Early Warning | In orbit | Successful |
| 3 November 05:45 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur | | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | | |
| 3 November 05:45 | | Mariner 10 | NASA | Heliocentric | Planetary probe | 24 March 1975 | Successful |
| Flybys of Venus and Mercury First spacecraft to visit Mercury ||||||
| 6 November 17:02 | Delta 0300 | Delta 0300 | | Vandenberg SLC-2W | Vandenberg SLC-2W | NASA | NASA |
| 6 November 17:02 | | NOAA 3 (ITOS-F) | NASA / NOAA | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| Final flight of Delta 0100 series ||||||
| 10 November 12:38 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 10 November 12:38 | | Kosmos 607 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 22 November 1973 | Successful |
| 10 November 20:09 | Titan IIID | Titan IIID | | Vandenberg SLC-4E | Vandenberg SLC-4E | | |
| 10 November 20:09 | | OPS 6630 (KH-9) | NRO / CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 March 1974 | Successful |
| 10 November 20:09 | | OPS 7705 (SSF) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | SIGINT | 26 December 1978 | Successful |
| 10 November 20:09 | | OPS 6630 P/L 2 (SSF) | NRO / US Air Force | Low Earth | SIGINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 14 November 20:40 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 14 November 20:40 | | Molniya 1-25 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 26 May 1979 | Successful |
| 16 November 14:01 | Saturn IB | Saturn IB | | Kennedy LC-39B | Kennedy LC-39B | NASA | NASA |
| 16 November 14:01 | | Apollo CSM-118 (Skylab 4) | NASA | Low Earth, docked to Skylab | Crewed orbital flight | 8 February 1974 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with 3 astronauts. Final flight of Skylab programme ||||||
| 20 November 12:29 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 20 November 12:29 | | Kosmos 608 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 10 July 1974 | Successful |
| 21 November 10:00 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Baikonur | Baikonur | | |
| 21 November 10:00 | | Kosmos 609 (Zenit-4M) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 December 1973 | Successful |
| 27 November 00:08 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 27 November 00:08 | | Kosmos 610 (Tselina-O) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | SIGINT / ELINT | 15 September 1980 | Successful |
| 28 November 09:29 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 28 November 09:29 | | Kosmos 611 (DS-P1-Yu) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 19 June 1974 | Successful |
| 28 November 11:43 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 28 November 11:43 | | Kosmos 612 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 December 1973 | Successful |
| 30 November 05:20 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 30 November 05:20 | | Kosmos 613 (Soyuz 7K-T) | MOM | Low Earth | Test spacecraft | 29 January 1974 05:29 | Successful |
| 30 November 13:08 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 30 November 13:08 | | Molniya 1-26 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 9 June 1985 | Successful |
| December ||||||||
| 4 December 15:00 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 4 December 15:00 | | Kosmos 614 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 13 December 11:10 | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | Kosmos-2I (R-12 11K63) | | Plesetsk Site 133 | Plesetsk Site 133 | | |
| 13 December 11:10 | | Kosmos 615 (DS-P1-I) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | | 17 December 1975 | Successful |
| 13 December 23:57 | Titan IIIC | Titan IIIC | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | | |
| 13 December 23:57 | | DSCS II F-3 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communication | 1 August 1982 | Successful |
| 13 December 23:57 | | DSCS II F-4 | US Air Force | Geosynchronous | Communication | 20 December 1993 | Successful |
| 16 December 06:18 | Delta 1900 | Delta 1900 | | Vandenberg SLC-2W | Vandenberg SLC-2W | NASA | NASA |
| 16 December 06:18 | | Explorer 51 (AE-C) | NASA | Low Earth / Medium Earth | Atmospheric | 12 December 1978 | Successful |
| 17 December 12:00 | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | Soyuz-M (R-7 11A511M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 17 December 12:00 | | Kosmos 616 (Zenit 4MT) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 December 1973 | Successful |
| 18 December 11:55 | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | Soyuz (R-7 11A511) | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 18 December 11:55 | | Soyuz 13, 2 Cosmonauts | MOM | Low Earth | Crewed orbital flight | 26 December 1973 | Successful |
| Orion 2 Astrophysics / Astronomy ||||||
| 19 December 09:43 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 617 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 618 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 619 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 620 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 621 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 622 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 623 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 December 09:43 | | Kosmos 624 (Strela) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 December 12:30 | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | Voskhod (R-7 11A57) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 21 December 12:30 | | Kosmos 625 (Zenit 4MK) | MOM | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 January 1974 | Successful |
| 25 December 11:17 | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | Molniya-M (R-7 8K78M) | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 December 11:17 | | Molniya 2-8 | MOM | Molniya | Communication | 24 November 1985 | Successful |
| 26 December 16:30 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 26 December 16:30 | | Aureole 2 (DS-U2-GKA) | MO SSSR / CNES | Low Earth | Auroral research | 30 April 1974 | Successful |
| 27 December 20:19 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90 | Baikonur Site 90 | | |
| 27 December 20:19 | | Kosmos 626 (US-A / RORSAT) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Ocean Reconnaissance | 22 March 1974 | Successful |
| 29 December 04:12 | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | Kosmos-3M (R-14 11K65M) | | Plesetsk Site 132 | Plesetsk Site 132 | | |
| 29 December 04:12 | | Kosmos 627 (Zaliv) | MO SSSR | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Deep Space Rendezvous

| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
| 15 January | Luna 21 | Delivered Lunokhod 2 between Mare Serenitatis and the Taurus Mountains | |
| 15 June | Explorer 49 | Entered Selenocentric orbit | Radio telescope |
| 3 December | Pioneer 10 | Flyby of Jupiter | Closest approach: 130,354 kilometres (80,998 mi) |

## EVAs

| Start Date/Time | Duration | End Time | Spacecraft | Crew | Remarks |
| 26 May 00:40 | 40 minutes | 01:20 | CM-116 SLM-1 | Paul J. Weitz | Using a 10-foot (3.0 m) long tool, Weitz stood in the open hatch of the Command Module (as Joe Kerwin held onto his legs) and tried to remove a strap preventing the release of a solar panel on Skylab. |
| 7 June 15:15 | 3 hours 25 minutes | 18:40 | Skylab SLM-1 | Pete Conrad Joseph P. Kerwin | Used long-handled cable cutters to remove debris that prevented the solar array system from deploying and then forced the solar array system to deploy, providing the Skylab with electrical power needed to operate. |
| 19 June 10:55 | 1 hour 36 minutes | 12:31 | Skylab SLM-1 | Pete Conrad Paul J. Weitz | Replaced exposed film cassettes with fresh film and repaired an electrical contact. |
| 6 August 17:30 | 6 hours 31 minutes | 7 August 00:01 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Jack R. Lousma | Erected a twin-pole solar shield to improve temperature control in Skylab, replaced film cassettes in the solar observatory and installed micrometeoroid detection panels. |
| 24 August 16:24 | 4 hours 31 minutes | 20:55 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Jack R. Lousma | Installed a new gyroscope selection box, and replaced the film in the solar observatory. |
| 22 September 11:18 | 2 hours 41 minutes | 13:59 | Skylab SLM-2 | Owen K. Garriott Alan Bean | Replaced the film on the solar observatory and collected the Thermal Coatings Experiment Panel for return to Earth. |
| 22 November 17:42 | 6 hours 33 minutes | 23 November 00:15 | Skylab SLM-3 | Edward Gibson William R. Pogue | Replaced the film on the solar observatory and repaired the antenna for the Earth resources experiment package. |
| 25 December 16:00 | 7 hours 1 minute | 23:01 | Skylab SLM-3 | Gerald P. Carr William R. Pogue | Used the extreme ultraviolet electronographic camera and the coronagraph contamination camera to photograph Comet Kohoutek. They also replaced the film on the solar observatory. |
| 29 December 17:00 | 3 hours 29 minutes | 20:29 | Skylab SLM-3 | Gerald P. Carr Edward Gibson | Photographed Comet Kohoutek as it appeared from behind the Sun and recovered the Thermal Control Coatings Experiment panel. |