Luna E-3 No.2
{{Short description|Soviet space probe (Luna 1960B)}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = Luna E-3 No.2
| image =
| image_caption =
| mission_type = Lunar flyby
| operator = Soviet space program
| mission_duration = Failed to orbit
| spacecraft_type = E-3
| manufacturer = OKB-1
| dry_mass =
| launch_mass = {{convert|279|kg}}
| power =
| launch_date = {{start-date|19 April 1960, 16:07:41|timezone=yes}} UTC
| launch_rocket = Luna 8K72 {{nowrap|s/n L1-9A}}
| programme = Luna programme
| previous_mission = Luna 1960A
| next_mission = Sputnik 25
}}
Luna E-3 No.2, sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1960B,{{cite web |url=http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/tent_launch.html |title=Tentatively Identified Missions and Launch Failures |publisher=NASA NSSDC|first=David R.|last=Williams|accessdate=30 July 2010|date=6 January 2005}} was a Soviet spacecraft which was lost in a launch failure in 1960. It was a {{convert|279|kg|adj=on}} Luna E-3 spacecraft,{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae3.htm|title=Luna E-3|last=Wade|first=Mark|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|accessdate=26 July 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129213010/http://astronautix.com/craft/lunae3.htm|archivedate=29 November 2010}} the second of two to be launched,{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/luna_e3.htm|title=Luna E-3|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|accessdate=26 July 2010}} 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.
Launch
Luna E-3 No.2 was launched at 16:07:41 UTC on 19 April 1960,"https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/beyond-earth-tagged.pdf atop a Luna 8K72 carrier rocket,{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |title=Soyuz |last=Wade |first=Mark |publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica |accessdate=26 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107163113/http://astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |archivedate=7 January 2010 }} flying from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.{{cite web|url=http://planet4589.org/space/log/launchlog.txt|title=Launch Log|last=McDowell|first=Jonathan|publisher=Jonathan's Space Page|accessdate=26 July 2010}} The Blok-B strap-on booster reached only 75% thrust and broke away from the booster almost immediately at liftoff. The launch vehicle climbed to an altitude of about 200 meters before the imbalanced thrust caused it to pitch over, the remaining strap-ons breaking off and scattering in random directions. Two of them plummeted to the ground while the third flew over the head of terrified spectators before impacting and exploding near the vehicle assembly building, shattering its windows. The core stage continued flying for some distance until crashing into a salt lake about two kilometers from the pad. Considerable damage to launch facilities resulted from this mishap. Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been an attempted circumlunar imagery mission.
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References
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
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External links
- [http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Luna.php Zarya - Luna programme chronology]
{{Luna programme}}
{{Orbital launches in 1960}}
Category:Spacecraft launched in 1960
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