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| Zenit Launch Failures
This table lists all occasions where a Zenit satellite failed to reach orbit through some fault of the launch vehicle.
Where the launch vehicle was destroyed early in the mission, the Zenit was likely destroyed too. In at least one instance where the failure occurred at high altitude, the cabin separated and was was recovered.
Zenit-2 11Ф61 № 1 |
1961 Dec 11, 09:39 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8K72K |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when launch vehicle upper stage cutoff prematurely at T+407 seconds and the spacecraft destruct system activated. The descent module would have landed in Siberia but it was not found. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 № 3 |
1962 Jun 1, 09:38 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8A92 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when a first-stage problem caused the launcher to explode 300 m above the pad. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 №12 |
1963 Jul 10, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8A92 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when a launch vehicle first-stage strap-on engine shut down at T+1.9s as it cleared the pad. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 №14 |
1963 Nov 28, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8A92 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when launch vehicle third stage failed, spacecraft destroyed by automatic system. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 №28 |
1965 Jul 13, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8A92 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when launch vehicle second-stage guidance failed. |
Zenit-4 11Ф69 |
1966 May 17, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 №40 |
1966 Sep 16, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Vostok 8A92 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost when the launch vehicle core-stage failed. |
Zenit-4 11Ф69 |
1967 Jun 20, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4 11Ф69 |
1967 Jul 21, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2 11Ф61 №51 |
1967 Sep 1, 10:30 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - lost on failure of third stage at T+296s, impact near Novaya Zemlya. |
Zenit-4 11Ф69 |
1970 Jul 21, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor |
1971 Mar 5, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. Carried Nauka autonomous module that contained infrared and microwave telescope to study radiation from the Earth. |
Zenit-4M 11Ф691, Rotor |
1971 Jun 25, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance and an orbit adjustment motor - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4M 11Ф691, Rotor |
1971 Aug 19, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance and an orbit adjustment motor - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor |
1971 Dec 3, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. Carried Nauka autonomous module for electric field studies. |
Zenit-4M 11Ф691, Rotor |
1972 Sep 2, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance and an orbit adjustment motor - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4M 11Ф691, Rotor |
1973 Jul 4, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance and an orbit adjustment motor - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4MK 11Ф692, Germes |
1974 Apr 12, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Variant of the manoeuvrable Zenit-4M imaging satellite but with higher resolution film cameras - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor |
1974 Aug 30, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Voskhod, 11A57 |
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Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. Also carried a test re-entry capsule for Yantar. |
Zenit-4MKT 11Ф635, Fram |
1976 Oct 4, 11:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Variant of the Zenit-4 imaging satellite equipped with multi-spectral film cameras for Earth Resources photography and environmental monitoring - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4MK 11Ф692, Germes |
1977 Feb 22, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Variant of the manoeuvrable Zenit-4M imaging satellite but with higher resolution film cameras - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-4MKM 11Ф692M, Gerakl |
1977 Aug 10, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance. Uprated version of the Zenit-4MK with improved cameras and systems - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-2M 11Ф690, Gektor |
1979 Feb 16, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Second Generation imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance - failed to reach orbit. Carried Nauka autonomous module. |
Zenit-6 11Ф645, Argon |
1979 Oct 12, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance. Universal capability for both high and low resolution photography missions - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-6 11Ф645, Argon |
1982 May 15, 00:00 UTC Plesetsk Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance. Universal capability for both high and low resolution photography missions - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-6 11Ф645, Argon |
1982 Jun 12, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance. Universal capability for both high and low resolution photography missions - failed to reach orbit. |
Zenit-8 17Ф116, Oblik |
1986 Mar 26, 00:00 UTC Baikonur Cosmodrome Soyuz-U 11A511U |
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Imaging satellite equipped with film cameras for photo-reconnaissance. Capable of photographing at high slant angles. Launcher exploded 95s after ignition. |
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