# 1970 in spaceflight

Japan and China each launched their first satellites in 1970, bringing the total number of nations with independent launch capability to five.
Apollo 13 was launched; after suffering an explosion in deep space it had to circumnavigate the moon and use the LM as a life boat. Apollo 13 was a successful disaster in which the crew survived. The Soviet space program continued its Luna program with Luna 17, which delivered the robotic Lunokhod 1 rover to the lunar surface, and Luna 16, which achieved the first uncrewed lunar sample return. The Soviets also continued the success of the Venera Venus probes with Venera 7, the first man-made spacecraft to successfully land on another planet and to transmit data back to Earth, though it only survived 23 minutes on the surface.

## Orbital Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1970.
* ← 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 | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome |
| Remarks ||||||
| January ||||||||
| 9 January | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 9 January | | Kosmos 318 (Zenit-2M №7, Gektor №7) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 14 January | Titan IIIB Agena-D | Titan IIIB Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 14 January | | OPS 6531 KH-8 4325 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 January | Delta M | Delta M | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | | |
| 15 January | | Intelsat III F6 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 January | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 15 January | | Kosmos 319 (DS-P1-Yu №29) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 16 January | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Kapustin Yar LC-86/4 | Kapustin Yar LC-86/4 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 16 January | | Kosmos 320 (DS-MO №2, Opticheski №2) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 January | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 20 January | | Kosmos 321 (DS-U2-MG №1) | | Low Earth Orbit | Magnetospheric Astronomy | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 January | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | Plesetsk Site 41/1 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 21 January | | Kosmos 322 (Zenit-4 №68) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 January | Delta N6 | Delta N6 | | Vandenberg SLC-2W | Vandenberg SLC-2W | | |
| 23 January | | TIROS M (ITOS 1) | NOAA | Low Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 January | | Australis | University of Melbourne | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 30 January | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | RVSN RF | RVSN RF |
| 30 January | | DS-P1-I №7 | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Failure |
| February ||||||||
| 4 February | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-2E | Vandenberg SLC-2E | | |
| 4 February | | SERT 2 | NASA Lewis research center | Low Earth | Technology Demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| 6 February | Proton K / D | Proton K / D | | Pad 81/23, Baikonur | Pad 81/23, Baikonur | MOM | MOM |
| 6 February | | Ye-8-5 No.405 | MOM | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | In orbit | Failure |
| 10 February | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 10 February | | Kosmos 323 (Zenit-4 #69) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 February | Lambda-4S | Lambda-4S | | Kagoshima | Kagoshima | Japan | Japan |
| 11 February | | Ohsumi | Tokyo University | Low Earth | Technology | 2 August 2003 | Successful |
| First satellite launched by Japan, final flight of L-4S ||||||
| 11 February | Thor LV-2F Burner 2 | Thor LV-2F Burner 2 | | Vandenberg SLC-10W | Vandenberg SLC-10W | | |
| 11 February | | OPS 0054 DMSP-5A F1 | | SSO | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 February | Molniya-M/ML | Molniya-M/ML | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 19 February | | Molniya-1 13 | | Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 February | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 27 February | | Kosmos 324 (DS-P1-Yu #30) | | Low Earth Orbit | Calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| March ||||||||
| 4 March | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 4 March | | Kosmos 325 (Zenit-2 #79) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 4 March | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Vandenberg SLC-3W | | |
| 4 March | | OPS 0440 KH-4B 1109 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 4 March | | OPS 3402 Tivoli 3 | USAF | Low Earth | ELINT | In orbit | Successful |
| 10 March 12:20 | Diamant B | Diamant B | | Kourou ELD | Kourou ELD | CNES | CNES |
| 10 March 12:20 | | DIAL-WIKA | DFVLR | Elliptical low Earth | Upper athmosphere research | 5 October 1978 | Successful |
| 10 March 12:20 | | DIAL-MIKA | DFVLR | Elliptical low Earth | Launch vehicle evaluation | 9 September 1974 | Spacecraft failure |
| Maiden flight of Diamant B, the first orbital launch from Kourou and South America in general ||||||
| 13 March | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 13 March | | Kosmos 326 (Zenit-2 #80) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 March | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 17 March | | Meteor-1 3 | | Low Earth Orbit | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 18 March | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Site 133/1, Plesetsk | Site 133/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 18 March | | Kosmos 327 (DS-P1-I #8) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 March | Delta M | Delta M | | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | Cape Canaveral LC-17B | | |
| 20 March | | NATO 2A | NATO | Geosynchronous | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 March | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 27 March | | Kosmos 328 (Zenit-2MK #2, Germes #2) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| April ||||||||
| 3 April | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 3 April | | Kosmos 329 (Zenit-2M #8, Gektor #8) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 April | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 7 April | | Kosmos 330 (Tselina O #6) | | Low Earth Orbit | SIGNIT | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 April | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-2E | Vandenberg SLC-2E | | |
| 8 April | | Nimbus 4 | NOAA / NASA | Medium Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 April | | Topo 1 | US Army | Medium Earth | Geodesy | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 April | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 8 April | | Kosmos 331 (Zenit-4 #70) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 April | Titan IIIC | Titan IIIC | | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | Cape Canaveral LC-40 | | |
| 8 April | | OPS 7033 Vela 11 | USAF | | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 8 April | | OPS 7044 Vela 12 | USAF | | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 April | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 11 April | | Kosmos 332 (Zaliv #5) | | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 11 April 19:13 | Saturn V (C-5) | Saturn V (C-5) | | Kennedy LC-39A | Kennedy LC-39A | NASA | NASA |
| 11 April 19:13 | | Apollo 13 CSM Odyssey | NASA | Intended: Lunar orbit Actual: Lunar free return | Crewed lunar orbit. | 15 April 1970 | Failure |
| 11 April 19:13 | | Apollo 13 LM Aquarius | NASA | Intended: Lunar landing Actual: Lunar free return | Crewed lunar landing | 15 April 1970 | Failure |
| Explosion in Service Module crippled spacecraft, resulting in mission abort. Mission aborted due to CSM malfunction. LM used to help bring crew back to Earth. ||||||
| 15 April | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 15 April | | Kosmos 333 (Zenit-4M #4, Rotor #4) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 15 April | Titan IIIB Agena-D | Titan IIIB Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 15 April | | OPS 2863 KH-8 4326 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 April | Delta M | Delta M | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | | |
| 23 April | | Intelsat III F7 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 April | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 23 April | | Kosmos 334 (DS-P1-Yu #31) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 24 April 13:35 | Long March 1 | Long March 1 | Y1 | Jiuquan LA-2A | Jiuquan LA-2A | CASC | CASC |
| 24 April 13:35 | | Dong Fang Hong I | CAST | Medium Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful |
| First satellite launched by China. ||||||
| 24 April | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | | |
| 24 April | | Kosmos 335 (DS-U1-R #1) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Research | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 336 (Strela-1M #1) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 337 (Strela-1M #2) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 338 (Strela-1M #3) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 339 (Strela-1M #4) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 340 (Strela-1M #5) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 341 (Strela-1M #6) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 342 (Strela-1M #7) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | | Kosmos 336 (Strela-1M #8) | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 April | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 28 April | | Meteor-1 4 | | Medium Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| May ||||||||
| 12 May | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 12 May | | Kosmos 344 (Zenit-2 #81) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 May | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 20 May | | Kosmos 345 (Zenit-4 #71) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 May | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Vandenberg SLC-3W | | |
| 20 May | | OPS 4720 KH-4B 1110 | CIA | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 May | | OPS 8520 Tripos 4 / Sousea 3 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 May | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 22 May | | DS-P1-Yu #32 | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Failure |
| June ||||||||
| 1 June 19:00 | Soyuz (R-7/A-2) | Soyuz (R-7/A-2) | | Baikonur Site 1 | Baikonur Site 1 | RVSN | RVSN |
| 1 June 19:00 | | Soyuz 9 | RVSN | Low Earth | Crewed Orbital Spaceflight | 19 June 1970 11:58 | Successful |
| Longest Crewed flight involving only one spacecraft. (As of 09/06/06) ||||||
| 1 June 19:00 | Black Arrow | Black Arrow | | Woomera | Woomera | RAE | RAE |
| 1 June 19:00 | | Orba | RAE | Low Earth | Micrometeoroid detection satellite | In orbit | Failure |
| First British attempt to launch a satellite. Failed to reach orbit after premature 2nd stage cutout. ||||||
| 10 June | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 10 June | | Kosmos 346 (Zenit-4 #72) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 12 June | Europa 1 | Europa 1 | F9 | Woomera LC-6A | Woomera LC-6A | ELDO | ELDO |
| 12 June | | STV 3 | ELDO | Low Earth | Vehicle Evaluation | In orbit | Failure |
| Fairing failed to separate ||||||
| 12 June | Kosmos-2 | Kosmos-2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | | |
| 12 June | | Kosmos 347 (DS-P1-Yu #33) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 13 June | Kosmos 2 | Kosmos 2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 13 June | | Kosmos 348 (DS-U2-GK #2) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Research | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 June | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 17 June | | Kosmos 349 (Zenit-4 #73) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 June | Atlas-SLV3A Agena-D | Atlas-SLV3A Agena-D | | Cape Canaveral LC-13 | Cape Canaveral LC-13 | | |
| 19 June | | OPS 5346 Aquacade (Rhyolite 1) | NRO / CIA | Geosynchronous | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 June | Vostok-2M | Vostok-2M | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 23 June | | Meteor-1 5 | | Medium Earth | Meteorology | In orbit | Successful |
| 25 April | Titan IIIB Agena-D | Titan IIIB Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 25 April | | OPS 6820 KH-8 4327 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 26 June | Molniya-M / ML | Molniya-M / ML | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 26 June | | Molniya-1 14 (Molniya-1 21L) | | Molniya | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 26 June | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 26 June | | Kosmos 350 (Zenit-2M #9, Gektor #4) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 June | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | | |
| 27 June | | Kosmos 351 (DS-P1-Yu #34) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 June | Kosmos 2 | Kosmos 2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 27 June | | Strela-2M #1 | | Low Earth Orbit | Military Communication | In orbit | Failure |
| July ||||||||
| 7 July | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 7 July | | Kosmos 352 (Zenit-4 #72) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 9 July | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | Site 41/1, Plesetsk | | |
| 9 July | | Kosmos 353 (Zenit-2M #4, Gektor #10) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 21 July | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 21 July | | Zenit-4 #75 | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Failure |
| 23 July | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2H Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-3W | Vandenberg SLC-3W | | |
| 23 July | | OPS 4324 KH-4B 1111 | | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 23 July | Delta M | Delta M | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | | |
| 23 July | | Intelsat III F8 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 28 July | R-36-0 | R-36-0 | | Site 191/66, Baikonur | Site 191/66, Baikonur | | |
| 28 July | | Kosmos 354 (OGCh #22) | | Low Earth Orbit | Weapon System Test | In orbit | Successful |
| August ||||||||
| 7 August | Kosmos 2 | Kosmos 2 | | Kapustin Yar | Kapustin Yar | | |
| 7 August | | Interkosmos 3 (DS-U2-IK #1) | Interkosmos | Low Earth Orbit | Science | In orbit | Successful |
| 7 August | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | Site 43/4, Plesetsk | | |
| 7 August | | Kosmos 355 (Zenit-4 #76) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 10 August | Kosmos 2 | Kosmos 2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 10 August | | Kosmos 356 (DS-U2-MG #2) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Research | In orbit | Successful |
| 17 August | Molniya-M / MVL | Molniya-M / MVL | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 17 August | | Venera 7 | | Heliocentric to Venus orbit | Venus lander | In orbit | Successful |
| 18 August | Titan IIIB Agena-D | Titan IIIB Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-4W | Vandenberg SLC-4W | | |
| 18 August | | OPS 7874 KH-8 4328 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 August | Delta M | Delta M | | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | Cape Canaveral LC-17A | | |
| 19 August | | Skynet 1B | Ministry of Defence | Geosynchronous | Military Communication | In orbit | Successful |
| 19 August | Kosmos 2 | Kosmos 2 | | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | Plesetsk Site 133/1 | | |
| 19 August | | Kosmos 357 (DS-P1-Yu #35) | Yuzhnoye | Low Earth Orbit | Radar calibration | In orbit | Successful |
| 20 August | Kosmos-3M | Kosmos-3M | | Plesetsk | Plesetsk | | |
| 20 August | | Kosmos 358 (DS-P1-M #1) | | Low Earth Orbit | Weapon System Test | In orbit | Successful |
| 22 August | Molniya-M / MVL | Molniya-M / MVL | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 22 August | | Kosmos 359 (Venera 8a) | | Heliocentric to Venus orbit | Venus lander | In orbit | Failure |
| 26 August | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | Thorad-SLV2G Agena-D | | Vandenberg SLC-1W | Vandenberg SLC-1W | | |
| 26 August | | OPS 8329 Strawman 3 | USAF | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| 27 August | Scout A | Scout A | | Vandenberg | Vandenberg | | |
| 27 August | | Transit 19 | US Navy | | Navigation | In orbit | Successful |
| 29 August | Voskhod | Voskhod | | Site 31/6, Baikonur | Site 31/6, Baikonur | | |
| 29 August | | Kosmos 360 (Zenit-4M #5, Rotor #5) | GRU | Low Earth Orbit | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Successful |
| September ||||||||
| 2 September 00:34 | Black Arrow | Black Arrow | R2 | Woomera LA-5B | Woomera LA-5B | RAE | RAE |
| 2 September 00:34 | | Orba (X 2) | RAE | Suborbital | Atmosheric density research | 2 September | Failure |
| First orbital launch attempt of Black Arrow. Second stage shut down 13 seconds earlier than intended. ||||||
| 12 September 13:25 | Proton-K/D | Proton-K/D | | Baikonur 81/23 | Baikonur 81/23 | | |
| 12 September 13:25 | | Luna 16 | | Selenocentric | Lunar lander | 24 September | Successful |
| First uncrewed lunar sample return, first Soviet lunar sample return ||||||
| 25 September 05:00 | M-4S | M-4S | | Kagoshima LP-M | Kagoshima LP-M | | |
| 25 September 05:00 | | MS-F1 | ISAS | Low Earth | Solar, cosmic ray and ionosphere research | 25 September | Failure |
| First flight of M-4S. Fourth stage failed to ignite ||||||
| October ||||||||
| 20 October 19:55 | Proton-K/D | Proton-K/D | | Baikonur 81/23 | Baikonur 81/23 | | |
| 20 October 19:55 | | Zond 8 | | Highly elliptical | Spacecraft test | In orbit | Successful |
| Final circumlunar flight of the Zond program. ||||||
| November ||||||||
| 24 November 1970 11:00 | Soyuz-L | Soyuz-L | | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Baikonur Site 31/6 | | |
| 24 November 1970 11:00 | | Kosmos 379 (T2K No.1) | | Low Earth | Uncrewed test flight of LK lunar lander | 21 September 1983 | Successful |
| December ||||||||
| 12 December 10:54 | Scout B | Scout B | | San Marco mobile range, Kenya | San Marco mobile range, Kenya | CNR | CNR |
| 12 December 10:54 | | Explorer 42 (Uhuru) | NASA | Low Earth | X-ray astronomy | 5 April 1979 | Successful |
| First satellite dedicated to X-ray astronomy. ||||||
* ← Jan
* Feb
* Mar
* Apr
* May
* Jun
* Jul
* Aug
* Sep
* Oct
* Nov
* Dec →

## Suborbital Launches

This is a list of spaceflights launched in 1970.
| 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-March ||||||||
| 4 March 21:15 | Black Arrow | Black Arrow | R1 | Woomera LA-5B | Woomera LA-5B | RAE | RAE |
| 4 March 21:15 | | | RAE | Suborbital | Test flight | 4 March | Successful |
| Test flight with inert third stage. Apogee: 550 km ||||||
| April-June ||||||||
| 16 April 06:38 | Cockatoo | Cockatoo | | Woomera LA-2 HAD | Woomera LA-2 HAD | WRE | WRE |
| 16 April 06:38 | | WRE Cockatoo 101 (Sphere) | WRE | Suborbital | Aeronomy | 16 April | Successful |
| July-September ||||||||
| 31 July 02:00 | K63D | K63D | | Vladimirovka test range, near Kapustin Yar | Vladimirovka test range, near Kapustin Yar | | |
| 31 July 02:00 | | BOR-2 No.102 | | Suborbital | Re-entry test for Spiral program | 31 July | Successful |
| Subscale model of the Spiral spaceplane. Apogee: 100 km ||||||
| October-December ||||||||
| 1 October 13:46:12 | Nike Apache | Nike Apache | | Barreira do Inferno | Barreira do Inferno | MORABA | MORABA |
| 1 October 13:46:12 | | DLR N-NA-30 | DLR | Suborbital | Ionospheric research | 1 October | Successful |
| 31 October 10:32 | Aerobee 170 | Aerobee 170 | | White Sands Missile Range | White Sands Missile Range | NASA | NASA |
| 31 October 10:32 | | UVT-SDGS 3 | NASA | Suborbital | UV astronomy | 31 October | 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 ||||||
| 21 September 7:43 | Luna 16 Ascent stage | Luna 16 Ascent stage | | Mare Fecunditatis (Luna) | Mare Fecunditatis (Luna) | | |
| 21 September 7:43 | | Luna 16 Return capsule | | Highly elliptical | Sample return | 24 September 1970 | Successful |
| First uncrewed lunar sample return mission ||||||

## Deep Space Rendezvous

| Date (GMT) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks |
| 11 April 1970 | Apollo 13 S-IVB stage | Impacted the Moon | |
| 15 April | Apollo 13 | Lunar flyby at 254 kilometres (158 mi) | Intended lunar landing, forced to abort and return to Earth using lunar free return trajectory |
| 20 September | Luna 16 | 100gm from Mare Fecunditatis | First sample return mission |
| 24 October | Zond 8 | Circumlunar flight of the Moon 1,110 kilometres (690 mi) | |
| 17 November | Luna 17 | Delivered Lunokhod 1 at Mare Imbrium | First robotic Lunar rover |
| 15 December | Venera 7 | Atmospheric probe worked for 23 min on the Venerian surface | First soft landing on another planet |