Luna E-6 No.6

Luna E-6 No.6
Mission type Lunar lander
Mission duration Failed to orbit
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type E-6
Manufacturer OKB-1
Launch mass 1,422 kilograms (3,135 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date 21 March 1964, 08:15:35 (1964-03-21UTC08:15:35Z) UTC
Rocket Molniya-M 8K78M s/n T15000-20
Launch site Baikonur 1/5

Luna E-6 No.6, sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1964A,[1] was a Soviet spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1964. It was a 1,422-kilogram (3,135 lb) Luna E-6 spacecraft,[2] the fourth of twelve to be launched,[3] It was intended to be the first spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon, a goal which would eventually be accomplished by the final E-6 spacecraft, Luna 9.

Luna E-6 No.6 was launched at 08:15:35 UTC on 21 March 1964, atop a Molniya-M 8K78M carrier rocket,[3] flying from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.[4] The rocket failed to achieve orbit, and the spacecraft disintegrated when it reentered the atmosphere shortly afterwards.[5] Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been an attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon.[1]

External links

References

  1. 1 2 Williams, David R. (6 January 2005). "Tentatively Identified Missions and Launch Failures". NASA NSSDC. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Luna E-6". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  3. 1 2 Krebs, Gunter. "Luna E-6". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  4. ↑ McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  5. ↑ Wade, Mark. "Soyuz". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 26 July 2010.


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