Zond 1967A
Encyclopedia
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L, sometimes identified by NASA as Zond 1967A, was a Soviet
spacecraft which was launched in 1967 as part of the Zond program
me. It was a 5390 kilograms (11,882.9 lb) Soyuz 7K-L1
spacecraft, the first of nine to be launched. It was intended to perform a circumlunar flyby of the Moon before returning to the Earth for landing, however it failed to achieve orbit.
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L was launched at 22:11:54 UTC on 27 September 1967 atop a Proton-K
8K78K carrier rocket with a Blok D
upper stage, flying from Site 81/23
at the Baikonur Cosmodrome
. During first stage flight one of the rocket's six engines failed, which caused the rocket to deviate from its planned trajectory sixty seven seconds into the flight. The spacecraft separated from the rocket by means of the SAS launch escape system
, and came down between 50 and 60 km (31.1 and 37.3 mi) downrange. It was collected by a Mil Mi-6
helicopter
and returned to Baikonur. Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been a test of a spacecraft intended for manned Lunar flights, however they were unsure whether it was intended to reach the Moon itself..
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 launched in 1967 as part of the Zond program
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...
me. It was a 5390 kilograms (11,882.9 lb) 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...
spacecraft, the first of nine to be launched. It was intended to perform a circumlunar flyby of the Moon before returning to the Earth for landing, however it failed to achieve orbit.
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L was launched at 22:11:54 UTC on 27 September 1967 atop a Proton-K
Proton-K
The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index, 8K82K, is a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and is launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan...
8K78K carrier rocket with a Blok D
Block D
Blok D is an upper stage used on Soviet and later Russian expendable launch systems, including the N1, Proton-K and Zenit. There were plans to use it for some other rockets as well ....
upper stage, flying from Site 81/23
Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81
Site 81 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a launch site used, along with Site 200, by Proton rockets. It consists of two launch pads, areas 23 and 24. Area 24 is currently used for Proton-K and Proton-M launches, while Area 23 is currently inactive....
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...
. During first stage flight one of the rocket's six engines failed, which caused the rocket to deviate from its planned trajectory sixty seven seconds into the flight. The spacecraft separated from the rocket by means of the SAS launch escape system
Launch escape system
A Launch Escape System is a top-mounted rocket connected to the crew module of a crewed spacecraft and used to quickly separate the crew module from the rest of the rocket in case of emergency. Since the escape rockets are above the crew module, an LES typically uses separate nozzles which are...
, and came down between 50 and 60 km (31.1 and 37.3 mi) downrange. It was collected by a Mil Mi-6
Mil Mi-6
|-Facts:*Test pilot N.B. Leshin has set the world record of speed. This event was awarded by the American Helicopter Society.*Small numbers are still in service, most in Siberia plus a small number with the People's Republic of China...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and returned to Baikonur. Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been a test of a spacecraft intended for manned Lunar flights, however they were unsure whether it was intended to reach the Moon itself..