Luna E-3 No.1

Luna E-3 No.1
Mission typeLunar flyby
OperatorSoviet space program
Mission durationFailed to orbit
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft typeE-3
ManufacturerOKB-1
Launch mass279 kilograms (615 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date15 April 1960, 15:06:45 (1960-04-15UTC15:06:45Z) UTC
RocketLuna 8K72 s/n L1-9
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5

Luna E-3 No.1,[1] sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1960A,[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 first 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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference LL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Williams, David R. (6 January 2005). "Tentatively Identified Missions and Launch Failures". NASA NSSDC. Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  3. ^ Wade, Mark. "Luna E-3". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  4. ^ a b Krebs, Gunter. "Luna E-3". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 July 2010.