Luna E-3 No.2
Soviet space probe (Luna 1960B) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Luna E-3 No.2,[1] sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1960B,[2] was a Soviet spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1960. It was a 279-kilogram (615 lb) Luna E-3 spacecraft,[3] the second of two to be launched,[4] both of which were lost in launch failures.[4] 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.
Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...
Mission type | Lunar flyby |
---|---|
Operator | Soviet space program |
Mission duration | Failed to orbit |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | E-3 |
Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
Launch mass | 279 kilograms (615 lb) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 16 April 1960, 16:07:41 (1960-04-16UTC16:07:41Z) UTC |
Rocket | Luna 8K72 s/n L1-9A |
Launch site | Baikonur 1/5 |
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