Soviet Lunar Program
Previously I have written about History of Solar wind, Solar wind. And also I have made summary of Apollo program. Now I have decided to move to the Soviet lunar program as well. They have achieved many milestones in the space history.
The Soviet Lunar Program had 20 successful missions to the Moon: first probe to impact the Moon, first flyby and picture of the far side of the Moon by Luna 3, first soft landing on the Moon, first lunar orbiter, first probe return to the Earth. Those mission consisted of two series: Luna missions (all together 24) and Zond missions (5 missions).
The Luna Missions
The first in-situ observation of the solar wind and first lunar flyby was made by Luna 1 (more details in the article) in 1959 from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The planned impact to the Moon was made by next mission Luna 2 launched on September 12, 1959. Luna 2 was similar to Luna 1 design. The mission for example confirmed that Moon had no appreciable magnetic field.
Luna 3 was launched on October 4, 1959. This was the first mission which took images from the far side of the Moon. It has shown that the terrain of the Moon on the far side is different from the near side and rather mountainous.
Luna 4 was launched on April 2, 1963, lunar flyby. This was the beginning of the second generation of lunar program.
Luna 5 was launched on May 9, 1965 and made impact on the Moon. Object of the mission was to study the soft landing.
Luna 6 was launched on June 8, 1965 and continued to study the soft landings.
Luna 7 was launched on October 4, 1965 and was intended to make a soft landing but due to the failure it impacted lunar surface.
Luna 8 was launched on December 3, 1965. It was again intended to make a soft landing but due to the broken airbag it started to spin and impacted the lunar surface.
Luna 9 was launched on January 31, 1966 and it was the first spacecraft to achieve the soft landing on the lunar surface, transmitting photos of the lunar surface. U.S. Surveyor 1 soft landing happened only about 4 months later.
Luna 10 was launched on March 31, 1966. It was the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
Luna 11 was launched on August 24, 1966. It has made 277 orbits before battery failure. It has provided plenty of scientific measurements, such as lunar gamma- and X-ray emissions, lunar gravitational anomalies etc.
Luna 12 was launched on October 22, 1966 and made 602 lunar orbits.
Luna 13 was launched on December 21, 1966. It made soft landing and made television transmission of the lunar surface.
Luna 14 was launched on April 7, 1968. This was the final flight of the second generation. It tested stability of radio communication at different orbital positions.
Luna 15 was launched on July 13, 1969. It was placed in an intermediate Earth orbit before it was sent to the Moon. It impacted the lunar surface.
Luna 16 was launched on September 12, 1970. It was the first robotic probe to land on the Moon and return a sample to Earth. It was the first lunar sample for the Soviet Union, and third overall after Apollo 11 and Apollo 12.
Luna 17 was launched on November 10, 1970. The spacecraft made soft landing on lunar surface. It had lunar vehicle Lunokhod 1 onboard. Lunokhod was powered by a solar cell array.
Luna 18 was launched on September 2, 1971. It was sent towards the Moon surface using braking rackets.
Luna 19 was launched on September 28, 1971. The spacecraft extended the systematic study of gravitational fields locations of mass concentrations.
Luna 20 was launched on February 14, 1972. It made soft landing on the Moon. It used drilling apparatus to obtain lunar samples.
Luna 21 was launched on January 8, 1973. It landed on the Moon and deployed second lunar rover Lunokhod 2.
Luna 22 was launched on June 2, 1974. It was lunar orbit mission to study Moon's magnetic field.
Luna 23 was launched on October 28, 1974 and crashed on the lunar surface.
Luna 24 was launched on August 14, 1976 and it was the last of Luna series spacecraft. It has collected samples using the drill apparatus.
The Zond Missions
Zond (probe in English) consisted of two series of Soviet unmanned space program.
Zond 1 - 3 were planetary probe based missions.
Zond 3 was launched on July 18, 1965.
Zond 4 - 8 were test flights during the Moon race. The majority of test flights exhibited problems during re-entry.
Zond 4 was launched on March 2, 1968.
Zond 5 was launched on September 15, 1968.
Zond 6 was launched on November 10, 1968.
Zond 7 was launched on August 7, 1969.
Zond 8 was launched on October 20, 1970.
Much more Zond missions were planned or attempted, but mostly failed shortly after the launch, or were cancelled.
The Soviet Lunar Program had 20 successful missions to the Moon: first probe to impact the Moon, first flyby and picture of the far side of the Moon by Luna 3, first soft landing on the Moon, first lunar orbiter, first probe return to the Earth. Those mission consisted of two series: Luna missions (all together 24) and Zond missions (5 missions).
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| Soviet Space Program |
The Luna Missions
The first in-situ observation of the solar wind and first lunar flyby was made by Luna 1 (more details in the article) in 1959 from Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The planned impact to the Moon was made by next mission Luna 2 launched on September 12, 1959. Luna 2 was similar to Luna 1 design. The mission for example confirmed that Moon had no appreciable magnetic field.
Luna 3 was launched on October 4, 1959. This was the first mission which took images from the far side of the Moon. It has shown that the terrain of the Moon on the far side is different from the near side and rather mountainous.
Luna 4 was launched on April 2, 1963, lunar flyby. This was the beginning of the second generation of lunar program.
Luna 5 was launched on May 9, 1965 and made impact on the Moon. Object of the mission was to study the soft landing.
Luna 6 was launched on June 8, 1965 and continued to study the soft landings.
Luna 7 was launched on October 4, 1965 and was intended to make a soft landing but due to the failure it impacted lunar surface.
Luna 8 was launched on December 3, 1965. It was again intended to make a soft landing but due to the broken airbag it started to spin and impacted the lunar surface.
Luna 9 was launched on January 31, 1966 and it was the first spacecraft to achieve the soft landing on the lunar surface, transmitting photos of the lunar surface. U.S. Surveyor 1 soft landing happened only about 4 months later.
Luna 10 was launched on March 31, 1966. It was the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
Luna 11 was launched on August 24, 1966. It has made 277 orbits before battery failure. It has provided plenty of scientific measurements, such as lunar gamma- and X-ray emissions, lunar gravitational anomalies etc.
Luna 12 was launched on October 22, 1966 and made 602 lunar orbits.
Luna 13 was launched on December 21, 1966. It made soft landing and made television transmission of the lunar surface.
Luna 14 was launched on April 7, 1968. This was the final flight of the second generation. It tested stability of radio communication at different orbital positions.
Luna 15 was launched on July 13, 1969. It was placed in an intermediate Earth orbit before it was sent to the Moon. It impacted the lunar surface.
Luna 16 was launched on September 12, 1970. It was the first robotic probe to land on the Moon and return a sample to Earth. It was the first lunar sample for the Soviet Union, and third overall after Apollo 11 and Apollo 12.
Luna 17 was launched on November 10, 1970. The spacecraft made soft landing on lunar surface. It had lunar vehicle Lunokhod 1 onboard. Lunokhod was powered by a solar cell array.
Luna 18 was launched on September 2, 1971. It was sent towards the Moon surface using braking rackets.
Luna 19 was launched on September 28, 1971. The spacecraft extended the systematic study of gravitational fields locations of mass concentrations.
Luna 20 was launched on February 14, 1972. It made soft landing on the Moon. It used drilling apparatus to obtain lunar samples.
Luna 21 was launched on January 8, 1973. It landed on the Moon and deployed second lunar rover Lunokhod 2.
Luna 22 was launched on June 2, 1974. It was lunar orbit mission to study Moon's magnetic field.
Luna 23 was launched on October 28, 1974 and crashed on the lunar surface.
Luna 24 was launched on August 14, 1976 and it was the last of Luna series spacecraft. It has collected samples using the drill apparatus.
The Zond Missions
Zond (probe in English) consisted of two series of Soviet unmanned space program.
Zond 1 - 3 were planetary probe based missions.
Zond 3 was launched on July 18, 1965.
Zond 4 - 8 were test flights during the Moon race. The majority of test flights exhibited problems during re-entry.
Zond 4 was launched on March 2, 1968.
Zond 5 was launched on September 15, 1968.
Zond 6 was launched on November 10, 1968.
Zond 7 was launched on August 7, 1969.
Zond 8 was launched on October 20, 1970.
Much more Zond missions were planned or attempted, but mostly failed shortly after the launch, or were cancelled.
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