Luna Mission Summaries, 1959 - 1976
Courtesy of NASA's National Space Science Data Center
Table of Contents
Luna
2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24
Launch Date: 1959-09-12
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation (Longer) Upper Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 390.20 kg. (854.4 lb.)
Description
Luna 2 was the second of a series of spacecraft launched in the direction
of the Moon. The instrument package reached the surface of the Moon on
September 14, 1959. The first spacecraft to land on the Moon, it impacted
the lunar surface east of Mare Serenitatis near the Aristides, Archimedes,
and Autolycus craters. Some 30 minutes after Luna 2, the last stage of its
rocket also impacted the Moon.
Launch Date/Time: 1959-10-04 at 02:24:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 1st Generation Upper Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 278.50 kg. (612.7 lb.)
Description
Luna 3, an automatic interplanetary station, was equipped with radio
communication and telemetering systems, a television system with an
automatic film processing unit, a set of scientific instruments, systems
for orientation relative to the sun and moon, solar cells for electric
power supply, and a temperature control system. This spacecraft was
controlled by radio command from Earth. It was launched on a trajectory
that bent over the Moon (closest approach to the Moon was 6,200 kilometers or 3,850 miles) and
was stabilized while in optical view of the far side of the Moon.
On October 7, 1959, the television system obtained a series of photographs
that were developed on-board the spacecraft. The photographs were scanned
and were radio transmitted to ground stations in facsimile form on
October 18, 1959, as the spacecraft, in a barycentric orbit, returned
near to the Earth. The photographs were to be retransmitted at another
point close to Earth but were not. The spacecraft returned very indistinct
pictures, but, through computer enhancement, a tentative atlas of the
lunar farside was produced.
The purpose of this experiment was to obtain photographs of the lunar
surface as the spacecraft flew by the moon. It was particularly desirable to
get photographs of parts of the moon not seen well or never seen from the
earth, such as the limb and farside of the moon, to gain knowledge of the
characteristics of the unseen hemisphere of the moon.
Launch Date/Time: 1966-01-31 at 11:45:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 1,580.00 kg. (3,476 lb.)
Description
The Luna 9 spacecraft was the first spacecraft to achieve a lunar soft
landing and to transmit photographic data to Earth. The automatic lunar
station that achieved the soft landing weighed 99 kilograms (218 pounds).
It was a
hermetically sealed container with radio equipment, a program timing
device, heat control systems, scientific apparatus, power sources, and a
television system. The Luna 9 payload was carried to Earth orbit by an
A-2-E vehicle and then conveyed toward the Moon by a fourth stage rocket
that separated itself from the payload. Flight apparatus separated from
the payload shortly before Luna 9 landed.
After landing in the Ocean of
Storms on February 3, 1966, the four petals, which formed the spacecraft,
opened outward and stabilized the spacecraft on the lunar surface.
Spring-controlled antennas assumed operating positions, and the television
camera rotatable mirror system, which operated by revolving and tilting,
began a photographic survey of the lunar environment. Seven radio
sessions, totaling 8 hours and 5 minutes, were transmitted as were three
series of TV pictures. When assembled, the photographs provided a
panoramic view of the nearby lunar surface. The pictures included views of
nearby rocks and of the horizon 1.4 kilometers (.9 miles) away from the spacecraft.
The purpose of this experiment was to obtain information on the
characteristics of the lunar surface. These characteristics include the
amount of cratering, structure and size of craters, the amount,
distribution, and sizes of ejecta, mechanical properties of the surface such
as bearing strength, cohesiveness, compaction, etc. Determination and
recognition of processes operating to produce the lunar surface features
also were among the objectives of this photographic experiment.
Launch Date/Time: 1966-03-31 at 10:48:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 540.00 kg. (1,188 lb.)
Description
The Luna 10 spacecraft was launched towards the Moon from an Earth orbiting
platform. The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on April 4, 1966. Scientific
instruments included a gamma-ray spectrometer for energies between 0.3--3
MeV, a triaxial magnetometer, a meteorite detector, instruments for
solar-plasma studies, and devices for measuring infrared emissions from the
Moon and radiation conditions of the lunar environment. Gravitational
studies were also conducted. The spacecraft played back to Earth the
Internationale during the Twenty-third Congress of the Communist Party of
the Soviet Union. Luna 10 was battery powered and operated for 460 lunar
orbits and 219 active data transmissions before radio signals were
discontinued on May 30, 1966.
Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer
Luna 10 measured the magnetic field of the moon intermittently for 2 months.
The instrumentation consisted of a triaxial fluxgate magnetometer with a
dynamic range of -50 to +50 gammas. No independent attitude determination
system was employed, so only the magnitude of the magnetic field and the
components parallel and perpendicular to the spin axis were determined. The
magnetometer was located at the end of a boom 1.5 meters (5 feet)
from the spacecraft
surface. The sampling rate of the vector magnetic field was once every 128
seconds. The accuracy of the measurements was estimated from inflight data to be
9 gammas for the component parallel to the spin axis and 2.5 gammas for the
component perpendicular to the spin axis, yielding a residual error of 10
gammas for the magnitude.
Launch Date/Time: 1966-08-24 at 08:09:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 3,616.00 kg. (7,955 lb.)
Description
Luna 11 was launched towards the Moon from an earth-orbiting platform and
entered lunar orbit on August 28, 1966. The objectives of the mission
included the study of: (1) lunar gamma- and X-ray emissions in order to
determine the Moon's chemical composition; (2) lunar gravitational
anomalies; (3) the concentration of meteorite streams near the Moon; and,
(4) the intensity of hard corpuscular radiation near the Moon. A total of
137 radio transmissions and 277 orbits of the Moon were completed before the
batteries failed on October 1, 1966.
Launch Date/Time: 1966-10-22 at 08:38:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 1620.00 kg. (3,564 lb.)
Description
Luna 12 was launched towards the Moon from an earth-orbiting platform and
achieved lunar orbit on October 25, 1966. The spacecraft was equipped with a
television system that obtained and transmitted photographs of the lunar
surface. The photographs contained 1100 scan lines with a maximum resolution
of 14.9 to 19.8 meters (49 to 65 feet). Pictures of the lunar surface were returned on October 27, 1966. The number of photographs is not known. Radio transmissions from Luna 12 ceased on January 19, 1967, after 602 lunar orbits and 302 radio
transmissions.
Launch Date/Time: 1966-12-21 at 10:19:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 1700.00 kg. (3,740 lb.)
Description
The Luna 13 spacecraft was launched toward the Moon from an earth-orbiting
platform and accomplished a soft landing on December 24, 1966, in the region
of Oceanus Procellarum. The petal encasement of the spacecraft was opened,
antennas were erected, and radio transmissions to Earth began four minutes
after the landing. On December 25 and 26, 1966, the spacecraft television
system transmitted panoramas of the nearby lunar landscape at different sun
angles. Each panorama required approximately 100 minutes to transmit. The
spacecraft was equipped with a mechanical soil-measuring penetrometer, a
dynamograph, and a radiation densitometer for obtaining data on the
mechanical and physical properties and the cosmic-ray reflectivity of the
lunar surface.
The purpose of this experiment was to obtain information on the
characteristics of the lunar surface. These characteristics included the
amount of cratering, structure and size of craters, the amount,
distribution, and sizes of ejecta, mechanical properties of the surface such
as bearing strength, cohesiveness, compaction, etc. Determination and
recognition of processes operating to produce the lunar surface features
also were among the objectives of this photographic experiment.
It is believed that transmissions from the spacecraft ceased
before the end of December 1966.
Launch Date: 1968-04-07
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Modified SS-6 (Sapwood) with 2nd Generation Upper Stage +
Escape Stage
On-orbit dry mass: 1700.00 kg. (3,740 lb.)
Description
The Luna 14 spacecraft entered lunar orbit on April 10, 1966. The spacecraft
instrumentation was similar to that of Luna 10 and provided data for studies
of the interaction of the earth and lunar masses, the lunar gravitational
field, the propagation and stability of radio communications to the
spacecraft at different orbital positions, solar charged particles and
cosmic rays, and the motion of the Moon. This flight was the final flight of
the second generation of the Luna series.
Launch Date: 1970-09-12
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 5600.00 kg. (12,320 lb.)
Description
Luna 16 was launched toward the Moon from a preliminary earth orbit and
entered a lunar orbit on September 17, 1970. On September 20, the spacecraft
soft landed on the lunar surface in Mare Foecunditatis (the Sea of
Fertility) as planned. According to the Bochum Radio Space Observatory in
the Federal Republic of Germany, strong and good quality television pictures
were returned by the spacecraft. However, such pictures were not made
available to the U.S. by any sources so there is question as to the
reliability of the Bochum report. The spacecraft was equipped with an
extendable arm with a drilling rig for the collection of a lunar soil
sample. After 26 hours and 25 minutes on the lunar surface, the ascent
stage, with a hermetically sealed soil sample container, left the lunar
surface. It landed in the Soviet Union on September 24, 1970. The lower
stage of Luna 16 remained on the lunar surface and continued transmission of
lunar temperature and radiation data.
Launch Date: 1970-11-10
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 5600.00 kg. (12,320 lb.)
Description
Luna 17 was launched from an earth parking orbit towards the Moon and
entered lunar orbit on November 15, 1970. The spacecraft soft landed on the
Moon in the Sea of Rains. The spacecraft had dual ramps by which the
payload, Lunokhod 1, descended to the lunar surface. Lunokhod 1 was a lunar
vehicle formed of a tub-like compartment with a large convex lid on eight
independently powered wheels. Lunokhod was equipped with a cone-shaped
antenna, a highly directional helical antenna, four television cameras, and
special extendable devices to impact the lunar soil for soil density and
mechanical property tests. An x-ray spectrometer, an x-ray telescope,
cosmic-ray detectors, and a laser device were also included. The vehicle was
powered by a solar cell array mounted on the underside of the lid. Lunokhod
was intended to operate through three lunar days but actually operated for
eleven lunar days. The operations of Lunokhod officially ceased on October
4, 1971, the anniversary of Sputnik 1. Lunokhod had traveled 10.54 kilometers (6.55 miles) and had transmitted more than 20,000 TV pictures and more than 200 TV panoramas. It had also conducted more than 500 lunar soil tests.
Launch Date: 1971-09-28
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 5,600.00 kg. (12,320 lb.)
Description
Luna 19 was placed in an intermediate earth parking orbit and, from this
orbit, was sent toward the Moon. It was placed in a lunar orbit on October
3, 1971. Luna 19 extended the systematic study of lunar gravitational fields
and location of mascons (mass concentrations). It also studied the lunar
radiation environment, the gamma-active lunar surface, and the solar wind.
Photographic coverage via a television system was also obtained.
Launch Date: 1972-02-14
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 5600.00 kg. (12,320 lb.)
Description
Luna 20 was placed in an intermediate earth parking orbit and, from this
orbit, was sent towards the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on February 18,
1972. On February 21, 1972, Luna 20 soft landed on the Moon in a mountainous
area near Mare Foecunditatis (Sea of Fertility), 120 kilometers (75 miles) from where Luna 16
had impacted. While on the lunar surface, the panoramic television system
was operated. Lunar samples were obtained by means of an extendable drilling
apparatus. Luna 20 was launched from the lunar surface on February 22, 1972,
and landed in the Soviet Union on February 25, 1972. The lunar samples were
recovered the following day.
TV Imaging
The Luna 20 TV photography experiment used two special panoramic
optico-mechanical TV cameras of the type used on the Lunokhod 1 moon rover
in 1971. The cameras were placed on the landing stage under the module that
returned to earth. They were positioned so that they were able to make
circular scans of the area with a viewing angle of 30 degrees. To determine the
position of the spacecraft relative to the meridian of the landing site, a
panoramic picture containing an image of the earth was obtained. All
operations of the drill experiment were photographed by the
optico-mechanical TV cameras.
Drill
The Luna 20 drill was a thin-walled tube carrying helical threads on its
outside surface and a crown on sharp teeth at its cutting end. The drill was
equipped with two special mechanisms, one for capturing hard core samples
and the other for holding loose material. It operated at 500 rpm, and it
took 30 minutes for the entire length of the drill to penetrate any kind of
soil. The drill was provided with thermal insulation and was hermetically
sealed to avoid the sticking together of metallic surfaces in contact and
the adhesion of lunar soil to it. It was opened only before drilling. This
made it possible to lubricate working mechanisims during drilling by oil
vapor, i.e., a substance that evaporates in a vacuum. Certain parts were
covered with a lubricant that lowered friction in a vacuum. The rod was
first put in a vertical position, and then was slowly moved counterclockwise
through a 180-degree angle. It was then lowered to the surface. If progress was
stopped, a standby motor was employed to overcome the obstacle. The drill
penetrated to a depth of 250 millimeters (10 inches) in the lunar surface, and its contents were
returned to earth on February 25, 1972. The sample was placed in a special
ampule and was hermetically sealed on the moon.
Launch Date: 1973-01-08
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 4850.00 kg. (10,670 lb.)
Description
Luna 21 delivered the Lunokhod 2 rover to the Sea of Serenity. The rover spent four months taking photographs and conducting experiments while traveling 37 kilometers (23 miles).
Launch Date: 1974-05-29
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 4000.00 kg. (8,800 lbs.)
Description
The main objectives of the launch were investigations of the Moon and of the
circumlunar area.
Launch Date/Time: 1976-08-09 at 14:04:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R.
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
On-orbit dry mass: 4800.00 kg. (10,560 lbs.)
Description
The last of the Luna series of spacecraft, the mission of the Luna 24 probe
was the third Soviet mission to retrieve lunar ground samples (the first two
were returned by Luna 16 and 20). The probe landed in the area known as Mare
Crisium (Sea of Crisis). The mission successfully returned the samples to
the Earth on August 22, 1976.
Space History
