Luna 7

Launch data: Designation 01610 / 65077A Launch date 04 Oct 1965 - 07:56:40 UT Launch site B, LC1 Launch vehicle Molniya 8K78 Satellite type  E-6 (#11) Mission Higlight Lunar impact on October 7, 1965 Maximum distance from Earth 400.000 km All-burnt velocity 10,94 km/sec

Failed to achieve soft Moon landing; crashed 7 Oct 1965 at 22h 08m 24s (UT).
Impact: 9.8°N - 47.8°W

Specifications:

Mission details:

• Luna 7 (E-6 series) was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 7. The Luna 7 spacecraft was intended to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. However, due to premature retrofire and cutoff of the retrorockets, the spacecraft impacted the lunar surface in Oceanus Procellarum.
• Soft-land attempt successfully placed in parking orbit of 272 x 124 km at 64,8° and period 88,4 min before being placed in orbit with 400000 km apogee. Unlike its predecessors, Luna 7 successfully carried out its midcourse correction on October 5, and the 1506 kg stage with its half-tonne spacecraft with 100 kg sphere made an 86hr 6min flight to the moon.
• Unfortunately, immediately prior to planned retro-fire during the approach to the lunar surface, the spacecraft suddenly lost attitude control and failed to regain it. Automatic programmed systems then prevented the main engine from firing. As controllers observed helplessly, Luna 7 plummeted to the lunar surface at a very high speed, crashing at 22:08:24 UT on October 7, 1965, west of the Kepler crater, relatively near the actual intended target. Impact coordinates were 9° N 49° W. Later investigation indicated that the optical sensor of the astronavigation system had been set at the wrong angle and had lost sight of Earth during the critical attitude-control maneuver. It was the tenth consecutive failure in the Ye-6 program.