Luna E-1A #1

Specifications:

Description:

• The Soviet Ye-1A probe, like the Ye-1, was designed for lunar impact. Engineers had incorporated some minor modifications to the scientific instruments (a modified antenna housing for the magnetometer, six instead of four gas-discharge counters, and an improved piezoelectric detector) as a result of information received from the first Cosmic Rocket (Luna 1) and the American Pioneer 4.
• Scientific Instruments:
  1) three-component magnetometer
  2) two gas-discharge counters
  3) piezoelectric detector
  4) scintillation counter
  5) ion traps

Mission:

• Luna 1959A (Ye-1A series) was the fifth Soviet attempt at an unmanned space mission to the Moon. It was an impactor spacecraft designed to crash into the Moon. It was similar in design to Luna 2.
• The launch was originally scheduled for 16 June but was postponed for two days as a result of the negligence of a young lieutenant who inadvertently permitted fuelling of the upper stage with the wrong propellant.
• Failed to reach Earth orbit.
• Soviet fifth Lunar hard-landing attempt ended after a guidance system failure attributed to gyroscopes in the upper stage failing at T+153 seconds after lift-off. The range safety officer then destructed the rocket.

Astrophilately covers:

Lunik launch , Memorial cancel Moscou