Luna 1960B
Encyclopedia
Luna E-3 No.2, sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1960B, was a Soviet
spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1960. It was a 279 kilograms (615.1 lb) Luna E-3 spacecraft, the second of two to be launched, both of which were lost in launch failures. It was intended to fly around the moon on a circumlunar trajectory
in order to image the surface of the Moon
, including the far side
. The E-3 spacecraft were similar in design to the E-2A which had been used for the earlier Luna 3
mission, however they carried higher resolution cameras, and were intended to make closer flybys.
Luna E-3 No.2 was launched at 16:07:41 UTC on 16 April 1960, atop a Luna
8K72 carrier rocket, flying from Site 1/5
at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
. The Blok-B strap-on booster failed to generate sufficient thrust, and sheered away from the core stage around 0.4 seconds into the flight. This caused the other strap-ons to separate prematurely as well, leaving the rocket with insufficient thrust to achieve orbit. Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been an attempted circumlunar imagery mission.
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 1960. It was a 279 kilograms (615.1 lb) Luna E-3 spacecraft, the second of two to be launched, both of which were lost in launch failures. It was intended to fly around the moon on a circumlunar trajectory
Circumlunar trajectory
A Circumlunar trajectory, Trans-Lunar trajectory or Lunar free return is a type of free return trajectory which takes a spacecraft from Earth, around the far side of the Moon, and back to Earth.-Background:...
in order to image the surface of 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...
, including the far side
Far side of the Moon
The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that is permanently turned away, and is not visible from the surface of the Earth. The far hemisphere was first photographed by the Soviet Luna 3 probe in 1959, and was first directly observed by human eyes when the Apollo 8 mission orbited the Moon...
. The E-3 spacecraft were similar in design to the E-2A which had been used for the earlier Luna 3
Luna 3
The Soviet space probe Luna 3 of 1959 was the third space probe to be sent to the neighborhood of the Moon, and this mission was an early feat in the spaceborne exploration of outer space...
mission, however they carried higher resolution cameras, and were intended to make closer flybys.
Luna E-3 No.2 was launched at 16:07:41 UTC on 16 April 1960, atop a Luna
Luna (rocket)
The Luna 8K72 vehicles were carrier rockets used by the Soviet Union for nine space probe launch attempts in the Luna programme between 1958-09-23 and 1960-04-16...
8K72 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 Blok-B strap-on booster failed to generate sufficient thrust, and sheered away from the core stage around 0.4 seconds into the flight. This caused the other strap-ons to separate prematurely as well, leaving the rocket with insufficient thrust to achieve orbit. Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been an attempted circumlunar imagery mission.