# 1976 in spaceflight

The following is an outline of 1976 in spaceflight.

## Launches

| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | Launch site | LSP | LSP |
| Date and time (UTC) | | Payload | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| January ||||||||
| 6 January 04:52 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 6 January 04:52 | | Kosmos 787 (Tselina-O 27) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 12 December 1980 | Successful |
| 7 January 15:34 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 7 January 15:34 | | Kosmos 788 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 54) | GRU USSR | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 20 January | Successful |
| 15 January 05:34:00 | Titan IIIE/Star-37 | Titan IIIE/Star-37 | | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | NASA | NASA |
| 15 January 05:34:00 | | Helios-B | NASA / DFVLR | Heliocentric | Solar probe | In orbit | Successful |
| Achieved a closest approach to the Sun of 43.432 million km (0.29 AU) on 17 April 1976, the closest approach achieved by an artificial satellite; it was succeeded by the Parker Solar Probe in 2018. ||||||
| 17 January 23:27 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D-119 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | | |
| 17 January 23:27 | | CTS Hermes | NASA / CSA | Geosynchronous | Experimental communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 January 17:07 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 20 January 17:07 | | Kosmos 789 (Parus 5) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 January 11:38 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 22 January 11:38 | | Molniya-1K 32 | | Molniya orbit | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 January 22:26 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 22 January 22:26 | | Kosmos 790 (Tselina-O 30) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 12 November 1980 | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 791 (Strela-1M 105) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 792 (Strela-1M 106) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 793 (Strela-1M 107) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 794 (Strela-1M 108) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 795 (Strela-1M 109) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 796 (Strela-1M 110) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 797 (Strela-1M 111) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 January 10:39 | | Kosmos 798 (Strela-1M 112) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 29 January 08:30 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 29 January 08:30 | | Kosmos 799 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 64) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 10 February | Successful |
| 29 January 23:56 | Atlas-SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | Atlas-SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | AC-37 | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | | |
| 29 January 23:56 | | Intelsat IVA F-2 | Intelsat | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| February ||||||||
| 3 February 08:16 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 3 February 08:16 | | Kosmos 800 (Zaliv 20) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 4 February 06:00 | M-3C | M-3C | | Kagoshima Space Center LP-M | Kagoshima Space Center LP-M | ISAS | ISAS |
| 4 February 06:00 | | Corsa A | ISAS | Low Earth | X-ray astronomy | 4 February | Failure |
| 5 February 14:30 | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 5 February 14:30 | | Kosmos 801 (DS-P1-I 17) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 5 January 1978 | Successful |
| 11 February 08:50 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 11 February 08:50 | | Kosmos 802 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 55) | GRU | Low Eath | Reconnaissance | 25 February | Succsessful |
| 12 February 13:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 12 February 13:00 | | Kosmos 803 (DS-P1-M 8) | | Low Earth | ASAT target | In orbit | Successful |
| Target for Kosmos 804 and 814 ||||||
| 16 February 08:29 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 16 February 08:29 | | Kosmos 804 (IS-A 1) | | Low Earth | ASAT test | 16 February | Successful |
| 19 February 07:52 | Thor-LV2F Burner-2A | Thor-LV2F Burner-2A | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-10W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-10W | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 19 February 07:52 | | DMSP-5C F3 (OPS 5140) | USAF | Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) | Weather | 19 February | Failure |
| Thor stage not loaded with enough fuel due to typo in engine data sheet. The satellite was placed in much lower orbit and re-entered after one orbit ||||||
| 19 February 22:32 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D-120 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | | |
| 19 February 22:32 | | Marisat-1 | Marisat | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 February 14:01 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 20 February 14:01 | | Kosmos 805 (Yantar-2K/Feniks 4) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 March | Successful |
| 29 February 03:30:00 | N-I | N-I | | Tanegashima LA-N | Tanegashima LA-N | ISAS | ISAS |
| 29 February 03:30:00 | | Ionospheric Sounding Satellite (ISS) Ume | ISAS | Low Earth | Ionospheric research | In orbit | Successful |
| First launch completed on February 29 ||||||
| March ||||||||
| 10 March 08:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 10 March 08:00 | | Kosmos 806 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 56) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 March | Successful |
| 11 March 19:45 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | | |
| 11 March 19:45 | | Molniya-1K 33 | | Molniya | Communications | 10 October 1990 | Successful |
| 12 March 13:30 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 12 March 13:30 | | Kosmos 807 (Taifun-1 4) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 March 01:25:40 | Titan III(23)C | Titan III(23)C | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | NASA | NASA |
| 15 March 01:25:40 | | LES-8 | MIT Lincoln Laboratory | Geostationary | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 March 01:25:40 | | LES-9 | MIT Lincoln Laboratory | Geostationary | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 March 01:25:40 | | SOLRAD 11A | NRL | High Earth orbit | Heliophysics | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 March 01:25:40 | | SOLRAD 11B | NRL | High Earth orbit | Heliophysics | In orbit | Successful |
| LES-8 was decommissioned in 2004; LES-9, the last Lincoln Experimental Satellite, continued functioning for 44 years and was finally decommissioned in 2020. ||||||
| 16 March 17:22 | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | | |
| 16 March 17:22 | | Kosmos 808 (Tselina-D 9) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 20 November 1993 | Successful |
| 18 March 09:15 | Kosmos 809 | Kosmos 809 | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 18 March 09:15 | | Kosmos 809 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 65) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 30 March | Successful |
| 19 March 19:31 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 19 March 19:31 | | Molniya-1K 34 | | Molniya | Communications | 14 May 1985 | Successful |
| 22 March 18:14 | Titan III(24)B | Titan III(24)B | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 22 March 18:14 | | KH-8 46 (Gambit-3 46, OPS 7600) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 18 May | Successful |
| 26 March 15:00 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 26 March 15:00 | | Kosmos 810 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 57) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 8 April | Successful |
| 26 March 22:47 | Delta 3914 | Delta 3914 | D-121 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | | |
| 26 March 22:47 | | Satcom 2 | RCA Americom | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 31 March 12:50 | Soyuz-M | Soyuz-M | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | | |
| 31 March 12:50 | | Kosmos 811 (Zenit-4MT/Orion 10) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 April | Successful |
| April ||||||||
| 6 April 04:14 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 6 April 04:14 | | Kosmos 812 (Tselina-O 31) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 30 October 1980 | Successful |
| 7 April 13:05 | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | | |
| 7 April 13:05 | | Meteor-1 24 | | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 9 April 08:30 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 9 April 08:30 | | Kosmos 813 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 66) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 April | Successful |
| 13 April 17:15 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 13 April 17:15 | | Kosmos 814 (IS-A 2) | | Low Earth | ASAT test | 13 March | Successful |
| 22 April 20:46 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D-122 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | Cape Canaveral SLC-17B | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 22 April 20:46 | | NATO 3A | NATO | Geostationary | Military communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 April 09:30 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 28 April 09:30 | | Kosmos 815 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 58) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 11 May | Successful |
| 28 April 13:30 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 28 April 13:30 | | Kosmos 816 (Taifun-2 1) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 24 November 1979 | Successful |
| 28 April 13:30 | | 24 Romb subsatellites | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 1977 | Successful |
| 30 April 19:12 | Atlas F MSD | Atlas F MSD | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-3W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-3W | | |
| 30 April 19:12 | | MSD 1 | US Navy | Low Earth | Satellite deployment | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 April 19:12 | | NOSS 1A | US Navy | Low Earth | Ocean surveillance, ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 April 19:12 | | NOSS 1B | US Navy | Low Earth | Ocean surveillance, ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 April 19:12 | | NOSS 1C | US Navy | Low Earth | Ocean surveillance, ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
| May ||||||||
| 4 May 08:00 | Delta 2913 / Star-24 | Delta 2913 / Star-24 | D-123 | Vandenberg AFB SLC-2W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-2W | | |
| 4 May 08:00 | | LAGEOS-1 | NASA | Medium Earth orbit | Geodesy | In orbit | Successful |
| 5 May 07:50 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 5 May 07:50 | | Kosmos 817 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 59) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 18 May | Successful |
| 12 May 17:57 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | | |
| 12 May 17:57 | | Molniya-3 16L | | Molniya | Communications | 4 February 1990 | Successful |
| 13 May 22:28 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | AC-38 | Cape Canaveral SLC-36A | Cape Canaveral SLC-36A | | |
| 13 May 22:28 | | Comstar 1A (D1) | COMSAT | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 May 13:30 | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 15 May 13:30 | | Meteor-Priroda 2-1 (Meteor-1 25) | | Low Earth | Weather, Earth observation | In orbit | Successful |
| 18 May 10:59 | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 18 May 10:59 | | Kosmos 818 (DS-P1-Yu 78) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 7 March 1977 | Successful |
| 20 May 09:00 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 20 May 09:00 | | Kosmos 819 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 67) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 1 June | Successful |
| 21 May 07:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 21 May 07:00 | | Kosmos 820 (Zenit-4MKT/Fram 2) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 2 June | Successful |
| 22 May 07:42 | Scout B-1 | Scout B-1 | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-5 | Vandenberg AFB SLC-5 | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 22 May 07:42 | | Wideband (P76-5) | STP | Low Earth | Ionosphere research | In orbit | Successful |
| 26 May 09:00 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 26 May 09:00 | | Kosmos 821 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 60) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 8 June | Successful |
| 28 May 15:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 28 May 15:00 | | Kosmos 822 (Taifun-1/Vektor 5) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 8 August 1978 | Successful |
| June ||||||||
| 2 June 20:56 | Titan III(34)B | Titan III(34)B | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | | |
| 2 June 20:56 | | Quasar 1 (SDS 1, OPS 7837) | NRO | Highly elliptical | Data relay | In orbit | Successful |
| 2 June 22:30 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 2 June 22:30 | | Kosmos 823 (Zaliv 21) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 June 07:00 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 8 June 07:00 | | Kosmos 824 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 61) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 June | Successful |
| 10 June 00:09 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D-124 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | | |
| 10 June 00:09 | | Marisat 2 | Marisat | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| | | Kosmos 825 (Strela-1M 113) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 826 (Strela-1M 114) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 827 (Strela-1M 115) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 828 (Strela-1M 116) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 829 (Strela-1M 117) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 830 (Strela-1M 118) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 831 (Strela-1M 119) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| | | Kosmos 832 (Strela-1M 120) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 16 June 13:09 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 16 June 13:09 | | Kosmos 833 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 62) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 June | Successful |
| 19 June 16:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 19 June 16:00 | | Interkosmos 15 (AUOS-Z-T-IK 1) | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Test spacecraft | 18 November 1979 | Successful |
| Cooperative project of Czechoslovakia, the GDR, Hungary, Poland and the USSR ||||||
| 22 June 18:04:00 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81/23 | Baikonur Site 81/23 | | |
| 22 June 18:04:00 | | Salyut 5 (Almaz OPS-3) | | Low Earth | Space station | 8 August 1977 | Successful |
| Visited by three crews, one of which failed to dock ||||||
| 24 June 07:10 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 24 June 07:10 | | Kosmos 834 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 68) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 July | Successful |
| 26 June 03:00 | Titan III(23)C | Titan III(23)C | | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | | |
| 26 June 03:00 | | DSP 6 (OPS 2112) | USAF | Geostationary | Missile early warning | In orbit | Successful |
| 29 June 07:20 | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 29 June 07:20 | | Kosmos 835 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 63) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 12 July | Successful |
| Final flight of the Voskhod ||||||
| 29 June 08:12 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 29 June 08:12 | | Kosmos 836 (Strela-2M 12) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| July ||||||||
| 1 July 08:05 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 1 July 08:05 | | Kosmos 837 (Molniya-2) | | Molniya (planned) Low Earth (achieved) | Communications | 18 November 1983 | Partial failure |
| Malfunction of Blok ML upper stage, the satellite placed in the much lower orbit ||||||
| 2 July 10:30 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/19 | Baikonur Site 90/19 | | |
| 2 July 10:30 | | Kosmos 838 (US-P 3) | | Low Earth | Ocean surveillance, ELINT | 23 August 1977 | Successful |
| 6 July 12:08:45 | Soyuz | Soyuz | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 6 July 12:08:45 | | Soyuz 21 | | Low Earth (Salyut 5) | Salyut expedition | 24 August 18:32:17 | Partial mission failure |
| Crewed flight with two cosmonauts, final flight of Soyuz 11A511, returned early due to crew illness ||||||
| 8 July 18:30 | Titan IIID | Titan IIID | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4E | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4E | | |
| 8 July 18:30 | | KH-9 12 (Hexagon, OPS 4699) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 December | Successful |
| 8 July 18:30 | | Ursala 3 (P-11 4430, OPS 5366) | | Low Earth | ELINT, SIGINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 July 18:30 | | S3 3 (S74-2, OPS 3986) | STP | Highly elliptical | Magnetosphere research | 24 April 1986 | Successful |
| Ursala was deployed from KH-9 ||||||
| 8 July 21:08 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 8 July 21:08 | | Kosmos 839 (DS-P1-M 9) | | Low Earth | ASAT target | In orbit | Successful |
| Target for Kosmos 843 ||||||
| 8 July 23:31 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D-125 | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | | |
| 8 July 23:31 | | Palapa A1 | Perumtel | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| First Indonesian satellite ||||||
| 14 July 09:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 14 July 09:00 | | Kosmos 840 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 69) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 26 July | Successful |
| 15 July 13:11 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 15 July 13:11 | | Kosmos 841 (Strela-2M 13) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 July 10:20 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk 132/1 | Plesetsk 132/1 | | |
| 21 July 10:20 | | Kosmos 842 (Sfera 15) | | Low Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 July 15:14 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/19 | Baikonur Site 90/19 | | |
| 21 July 15:14 | | Kosmos 843 (IS-A 3) | | Low Earth | ASAT test | 22 July | Successful |
| 22 July 15:40 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | | | | |
| 22 July 15:40 | | Kosmos 844 (Yantar-2K/Feniks 5) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 30 August | Successful |
| 22 July 22:04 | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | Atlas SLV-3D Centaur-D1AR | AC-40 | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | Cape Canaveral SLC-36B | | |
| 22 July 22:04 | | Comstar 1B (D2) | COMSAT | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 July 15:49 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 23 July 15:49 | | Molniya-1K 35 | | Molniya | Communications | 30 May 1987 | Successful |
| 27 July 05:21 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 27 July 05:21 | | Kosmos 845 (Tselina-O 32) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 15 November 1980 | Successful |
| 27 July 12:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Kapustin Yar Site 107/2 | Kapustin Yar Site 107/2 | | |
| 27 July 12:00 | | Interkosmos 16 (DS-U3-IK 6) | Interkosmos | Low Earth | Aeronomy, solar research | 10 July 1979 | Successful |
| Cooperative project of Czechoslovakia, the GDR, Sweden and the USSR ||||||
| 29 July 17:07 | Delta 2310 | Delta 2310 | D-126 | Vendenberg AFB SLC-2W | Vendenberg AFB SLC-2W | | |
| 29 July 17:07 | | NOAA-5 (ITOS-H) | NOAA | SSO | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 29 July 20:02 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 29 July 20:02 | | Kosmos 846 (Zaliv 22) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| August ||||||||
| 4 August 13:40 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Sie 43/4 | Plesetsk Sie 43/4 | | |
| 4 August 13:40 | | Kosmos 847 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 64) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 17 August | Successful |
| 6 August 22:21 | Titan III(34)B | Titan III(34)B | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | | |
| 6 August 22:21 | | Quasar 2 (SDS 2, OPS 7940) | NRO | Highly elliptic | Data relay | 18 April 2020 | Successful |
| 9 August 12:08:45 | Proton-K/D | Proton-K/D | | Baikonur 81/23 | Baikonur 81/23 | | |
| 9 August 12:08:45 | | Luna 24 | | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | 22 August | Successful |
| Third uncrewed lunar sample return, Third Soviet lunar sample return ||||||
| 12 August 13:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 12 August 13:30 | | Kosmos 848 (Zenit-2M/Gektor #70) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 25 August | Successful |
| 12 August 13:30 | | Nauka-19KS 1L | | Low Earth | Research | 25 August | Successful |
| 18 August 09:30 | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 18 August 09:30 | | Kosmos 849 (DS-P1-I 18) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 24 April 1978 | Successful |
| 26 August 10:59 | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 26 August 10:59 | | Kosmos 850 (DS-P1-Yu 79) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 16 May 1977 | Successful |
| 27 August 14:34 | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 27 August 14:34 | | Kosmos 851 (Tselina-D 10) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 5 August 1989 | Successful |
| 28 August 09:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 28 August 09:00 | | Kosmos 852 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 65) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 10 September | Successful |
| 30 August 11:45 | Feng Bao 1 | Feng Bao 1 | | Jiuquan LA-2B (Site 138) | Jiuquan LA-2B (Site 138) | | |
| 30 August 11:45 | | JSSW-3 (CK 3) | | Elliptical low Earth orbit | Unknown | 25 November 1978 | Successful |
| Apogee much higher than intended. ||||||
| September ||||||||
| 1 September 03:23 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 1 September 03:23 | | Kosmos 853 (Molniya-2) | | Molniya (intended) Low Earth (achieved) | Communications | 31 December | Partial failure |
| Malfunction of the Blok ML upper stage, the satellite placed to the much lower orbit ||||||
| 1 September 21:14 | Scout D-1 | Scout D-1 | | Veandenberg AFB SLC-5 | Veandenberg AFB SLC-5 | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 1 September 21:14 | | Triad 3 (TIP 3) | US Navy | Low Earth | Navigation | 30 May 1981 | Successful |
| 3 September 09:20 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 3 September 09:20 | | Kosmos 854 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 66) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 16 September | Successful |
| 11 September 08:00 | Thor-LV2F Star-37XE Star-37S-ISS | Thor-LV2F Star-37XE Star-37S-ISS | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-10W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-10W | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 11 September 08:00 | | DMSP-5D1 F1 (OPS 5721) | USAF | SSO | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 September 18:24 | Proton-K/Blok DM | Proton-K/Blok DM | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | | |
| 11 September 18:24 | | Raduga 2 (Gran 12L) | | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 September 09:48:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 15 September 09:48:30 | | Soyuz 22 | | Low Earth | Salyut expedition | 23 September 07:40:47 | Successful |
| Crewed flight with two cosmonauts ||||||
| 15 September 18:50 | Titan III(24)B | Titan III(24)B | | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | Vandenberg AFB SLC-4W | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 15 September 18:50 | | KH-8 47 (Gambit-3, OPS 8533) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 5 November | Successful |
| 21 September 11:40 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 21 September 11:40 | | Kosmos 855 (Zenit-4MT/Orion 11) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 3 October | Successful |
| 22 September 09:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 22 September 09:30 | | Kosmos 856 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 71) & Nauka | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 5 October | Successful |
| 22 September 09:30 | | Nauka | | Low Earth | Research |
| 24 September 15:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 24 September 15:00 | | Kosmos 857 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 67) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 7 November | Successful |
| 29 September 07:04 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 29 September 07:04 | | Kosmos 858 (Strela-2M 14) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| October ||||||||
| 4 October 11:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 4 October 11:00 | | Zenit-4MKT/Fram 3 | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 4 October | Failure |
| One of liquid rocket boosters prematurely detached from the core stage, the launch vehicle lost stability. Thrust termination command was issued at T+94 s ||||||
| 10 October 09:35 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 10 October 09:35 | | Kosmos 859 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 68) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 October | Successful |
| 14 October 17:39:18 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 14 October 17:39:18 | | Soyuz 23 | | Low Earth (Intended: Salyut 5) | Salyut expedition | 16 October 17:45:53 | Spacecraft failure |
| Crewed flight with two cosmonauts, failed to dock with Salyut 5 ||||||
| 14 October 22:44 | Delta 2914 | Delta 2914 | D- | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | Cape Canaveral SLC-17A | | |
| 14 October 22:44 | | Marisat 3 | Marisat | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 October 22:59 | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | Plesetsk Site 43/3 | | |
| 15 October 22:59 | | Meteor-1 26 | | Low Earth | Weather | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 October 18:06 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/19 | Baikonur Site 90/19 | | |
| 17 October 18:06 | | Kosmos 860 (US-A 12) | | Low Earth | Radar ocean surveillance | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 October 16:53 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/19 | Baikonur Site 90/19 | | |
| 21 October 16:53 | | Kosmos 861 (US-A 13) | | Low Earth | Radar ocean surveillance | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 October 09:11 | Molniya-M/Blok 2BL | Molniya-M/Blok 2BL | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 22 October 09:11 | | Kosmos 862 (US-K 5) | | Molniya | Missile early warning | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 October 14:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 25 October 14:30 | | Kosmos 863 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 69) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 5 November | Successful |
| 26 October 14:50 | Proton-K/Blok DM | Proton-K/Blok DM | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | | |
| 26 October 14:50 | | Ekran 1 (Ekran 11L) | | Geostationary | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 29 October 12:39 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 29 October 12:39 | | Kosmos 864 (Parus 6) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| November ||||||||
| 1 November 11:20 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 1 November 11:20 | | Kosmos 865 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 72) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 13 November | Successful |
| 10 November 09:05 | Feng Bao 1 | Feng Bao 1 | | Jiuquan LA-2B (Site 138) | Jiuquan LA-2B (Site 138) | | |
| 10 November 09:05 | | JSSW | | Low Earth | Unknown | 10 November | Failure |
| Engine on the second stage malfunctioned, reducing thrust. ||||||
| 11 November 10:45 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 11 November 10:45 | | Kosmos 866 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 70) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 23 November | Successful |
| 23 November 16:27 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 23 November 16:27 | | Kosmos 867 (Zenit-6U/Argon 1) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 6 December | Successful |
| 25 November 03:59 | Molniya-M/Blok SO-L | Molniya-M/Blok SO-L | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 25 November 03:59 | | Prognoz 5 | | Highly elliptical | Magnetoshpere and solar research | 12 July 1979 | Successful |
| 26 November 14:30 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/20 | Baikonur Site 90/20 | | |
| 26 November 14:30 | | Kosmos 868 (US-P 4) | | Low Earth | Ocean surveillance, ELINT | 8 July 1978 | Successful |
| 29 November 16:04 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Baikonur Site 1/5 | | |
| 29 November 16:04 | | Kosmos 869 (Soyuz-T Test 3) | | Low Earth | Uncrewed test of Soyuz-T spacecraft | 17 December 10:31 | Successful |
| December ||||||||
| 2 December 00:17 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 2 December 00:17 | | Kosmos 870 (Tselina-O 33) | | Low Earth | SIGINT | 20 December 1980 | Successful |
| 2 December 02:44 | Molniya-M/Blok ML | Molniya-M/Blok ML | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 2 December 02:44 | | Molniya-2 16 | | Molniya | Communications | 18 January 1991 | Successful |
| 7 December 04:38 | Long March 2A | Long March 2A | | Jiquan LA-2B (Site 138) | Jiquan LA-2B (Site 138) | | |
| 7 December 04:38 | | FSW-0 2 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 2 December | Successful |
| Re-entry capsule recovered on 9 December ||||||
| 7 December 10:23 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 871 (Strela-1M 121) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 872 (Strela-1M 122) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 873 (Strela-1M 123) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 874 (Strela-1M 124) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 875 (Strela-1M 125) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 876 (Strela-1M 126) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 877 (Strela-1M 127) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 December 10:23 | | Kosmos 878 (Strela-1M 128) | | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 9 December 10:00 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 9 December 10:00 | | Kosmos 879 (Zenit-2M/Gektor 73) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 22 December | Successful |
| 9 December 20:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 9 December 20:00 | | Kosmos 880 (DS-P1-M 10) | | Low Earth | ASAT target | 31 August 1991 | Successful |
| Target for Kosmos 886 ||||||
| 15 December 01:30 | Proton-K | Proton-K | | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Baikonur Site 81/24 | | |
| 15 December 01:30 | | Kosmos 881 (TKS-VA 1) | | Low Earth | Uncrewed test of TKS-VA spacecraft | 15 December | Successful |
| 15 December 01:30 | | Kosmos 882 (TKS-VA 2) | | Low Earth | Uncrewed test of TKS-VA spacecraft | 15 December | Successful |
| Test flight of two VA capsules without FGB service modules ||||||
| 15 December 13:59 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 15 December 13:59 | | Kosmos 883 (Tsikada 1) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 December 09:30 | Soyuz-U | Soyuz-U | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 17 December 09:30 | | Kosmos 884 (Zenit-4MK/Germes 71) | GRU | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 29 December | Successful |
| 17 December 12:00 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | Plesetsk Site 132/2 | | |
| 17 December 12:00 | | Kosmos 885 (Taifun-2 2) | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 14 October 1979 | Successful |
| 17 December 12:00 | | 17 Romb subsatellites | | Low Earth | Radar calibration | 1977-1978 | Successful |
| 19 December 18:19 | Titan IIID | Titan IIID | | Vandenberg SLC-4E | Vandenberg SLC-4E | US Air Force | US Air Force |
| 19 December 18:19 | | KH-11 1 (Kennen, OPS 5705) | NRO | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 28 January 1979 | Successful |
| 27 December 12:05 | Tsyklon-2 | Tsyklon-2 | | Baikonur Site 90/19 | Baikonur Site 90/19 | | |
| 27 December 12:05 | | Kosmos 886 (IS-A 4) | | Low Earth | ASAT test | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 December 06:38 | Molniya-M/Blok BL | Molniya-M/Blok BL | | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | | |
| 28 December 06:38 | | Molniya-3 17L | | Molniya | Communications | 19 March 1990 | Successful |
| 28 December 07:49 | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 28 December 07:49 | | Kosmos 887 (Parus 7) | | Low Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |

## Launches from the Moon

| 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 ||||||
| 19 August 5:25 | Luna 24 Ascent stage | Luna 24 Ascent stage | | Mare Crisium (Luna) | Mare Crisium (Luna) | | |
| 19 August 5:25 | | Luna 24 Return capsule | | Highly elliptical | Sample return | 22 August 1976 | Successful |
| Third uncrewed lunar sample return mission ||||||

## Deep space rendezvous

| Date | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
| 19 June | Viking 1 | Areocentric orbit insertion | |
| 20 July | Viking 1 Lander | landed in Chryse Planitia | |
| 7 August | Viking 2 | Areocentric orbit insertion | |
| 18 August | Luna 24 | landed in Mare Crisium | sample return mission |
| 19 August | Luna 24 | lift-off from Mare Crisium | 170 grams (6.0 oz) |
| 3 September | Viking 2 Lander | landed in Utopia Planitia | |