Luna 1964B
Encyclopedia
Luna E-6 No.5, sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1964B, was a Soviet
spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1964. It was a 1422 kilograms (3,135 lb) Luna E-6 spacecraft, the fifth of twelve to be launched, 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.5 was launched at 08:08:28 UTC on 20 April 1964, atop a Molniya-M
8K78M carrier rocket, flying from Site 1/5
at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
. The power system on the upper stage malfunctioned 340 seconds into the flight, causing the engine to cut off before reaching orbit. The upper stage and spacecraft disintegrated upon reentry into the atmosphere
shortly afterwards. 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.
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1964. It was a 1422 kilograms (3,135 lb) Luna E-6 spacecraft, the fifth of twelve to be launched, It was intended to be the first spacecraft to perform a soft landing
Soft landing (rocketry)
A soft landing is any type of aircraft or rocket landing that does not result in the destruction of the vehicle or anything onboard. Unlike a hard landing, soft landings are very smooth and steady. They are often called 'good landings' because of the smooth way the aircraft lands....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, a goal which would eventually be accomplished by the final E-6 spacecraft, Luna 9
Luna 9
Luna 9 was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Union's Luna program. On February 3, 1966 the Luna 9 spacecraft was the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on any planetary body other than Earth and to transmit photographic data to Earth.The automatic lunar station that achieved the...
.
Luna E-6 No.5 was launched at 08:08:28 UTC on 20 April 1964, atop a Molniya-M
Molniya-M
The Molniya-M , designation 8K78M, was a Russian carrier rocket derived from the R-7 Semyorka ICBM. First launched in 1964, it had replaced its predecessor, Molniya, by the end of 1965...
8K78M carrier rocket, flying from Site 1/5
Gagarin's Start
Gagarin's Start is a launch site at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, used for the Soviet space program and now managed by the Russian Federal Space Agency....
at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
. The power system on the upper stage malfunctioned 340 seconds into the flight, causing the engine to cut off before reaching orbit. The upper stage and spacecraft disintegrated upon reentry into the atmosphere
Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
shortly afterwards. 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.