Luna E-6LS No.112

{{Short description|Soviet space probe (Luna 1968A)}}

{{Infobox spaceflight

| name = E-6LS No.112

| image =

| image_caption =

| mission_type = Lunar orbiter
Technology

| operator = Soviet space program

| mission_duration = Failed to orbit

| spacecraft_type = E-6LS

| manufacturer = OKB-1

| dry_mass =

| launch_mass = {{convert|1700|kg}}

| power =

| launch_date = {{start-date|7 February 1968, 10:43:54|timezone=yes}} UTC

| launch_rocket = Molniya-M 8K78M {{nowrap|s/n Ya716-57}}

| launch_site = Baikonur 1/5

| programme = Luna programme

| previous_mission = Luna 13

| next_mission = Luna 14

}}

Luna E-6LS No.112, sometimes identified by NASA as Luna 1968A,{{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 1968. It was a {{convert|1700|kg|adj=on}} Luna E-6LS spacecraft, the second of three to be launched. The spacecraft was intended to enter Selenocentric orbit, where it would study the Moon, and demonstrate technology for future crewed Lunar missions.{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae6ls.htm|title=Luna E-6LS|last=Wade|first=Mark|publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|accessdate=27 July 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906230521/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae6ls.htm|archivedate=6 September 2010}}

Luna E-6LS No.112 was launched at 10:43:54 on 7 February 1968, atop a Molniya-M 8K78M carrier rocket with a Blok-L upper stage,{{cite web|url=http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/molniya-m_blok-l.htm|title=Molniya-M Blok-L|last=Krebs|first=Gunter|publisher=Gunter's Space Page|accessdate=27 July 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=27 July 2010}} During third stage flight, a fuel valve or inlet became stuck, resulting in the gas generator consuming fuel at a higher rate than normal. The rocket ran out of fuel 524.6 seconds after launch, and consequently failed to reach orbit.{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |title=Soyuz |last=Wade |first=Mark |publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica |accessdate=27 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107163113/http://astronautix.com/lvs/soyuz.htm |archivedate=7 January 2010 }} Prior to the release of information about its mission, NASA correctly identified that it had been an attempt to place a spacecraft into orbit around the Moon, and that the later Luna 14 spacecraft had the same configuration.