Zond 4
Encyclopedia
Zond 4, a formal component of the Soviet Zond program
and unmanned version of Soyuz 7K-L1
manned Moon-flyby spacecraft, was one of the first Soviet experiments towards manned circumlunar spaceflight. It was launched to test the spaceworthiness
of the new capsule and to gather data about flights in circumterrestrial space. It was launched away from the Moon either to avoid trajectory complications from its gravitational pull, or, according to NASA, probably unintentionally.http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1968-013A
The spacecraft was successfully launched into a 330,000 km apogee orbit 180 degrees away from the Moon, however on re-entry the L1's guidance system failed. It hit the atmosphere precisely at the calculated time, but was not guided to generate lift and fly out of the atmosphere again. A ballistic re-entry would mean no recovery on Soviet soil, so the APO destruct system automatically blew up the capsule at 10 to 15 km altitude, 180-200 km off the African coast at Guinea.
Zond program
Zond was the name given to two distinct series of Soviet unmanned space program undertaken from 1964 to 1970. The first series based on 3MV planetary probe was intended to gather information about nearby planets...
and unmanned version of Soyuz 7K-L1
Soyuz 7K-L1
The Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft was designed to launch men from the Earth to circle the Moon without going into lunar orbit in the context of the Soviet manned moon-flyby program in Moon race. It was based on the Soyuz 7K-OK with several components stripped out to reduce the vehicle weight...
manned Moon-flyby spacecraft, was one of the first Soviet experiments towards manned circumlunar spaceflight. It was launched to test the spaceworthiness
Spaceworthiness
Spaceworthiness, or aerospaceworthiness, by extension of the concepts of seaworthiness, for boats and ships, and of airworthiness, for aircraft, is a property, or ability of a spacecraft to perform safe flight, or navigate safely in space or in the atmosphere as a part of a journey to or from...
of the new capsule and to gather data about flights in circumterrestrial space. It was launched away from the Moon either to avoid trajectory complications from its gravitational pull, or, according to NASA, probably unintentionally.http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1968-013A
The spacecraft was successfully launched into a 330,000 km apogee orbit 180 degrees away from the Moon, however on re-entry the L1's guidance system failed. It hit the atmosphere precisely at the calculated time, but was not guided to generate lift and fly out of the atmosphere again. A ballistic re-entry would mean no recovery on Soviet soil, so the APO destruct system automatically blew up the capsule at 10 to 15 km altitude, 180-200 km off the African coast at Guinea.