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Luna E-3
Luna 3 / E-3
Luna 3 / E-3
Credit: © Mark Wade
Russian lunar flyby probe. The E-3 was designed to loop around the moon and photograph the Moon's far side.

AKA: E-2A;E-3. Status: Operational 1959. First Launch: 1959-10-04. Last Launch: 1960-04-16. Number: 3 . Gross mass: 279 kg (615 lb).

The craft was a cylindrically shaped canister which was equipped with radio communication and telemetry systems, an imaging system with an automatic film processing unit, a set of scientific instruments, three solar cells for electric power supply, and a temperature control system.

It had gas jets for stabilization and photoelectric cells to maintain orientation with respect to the Sun and Moon. This spacecraft was controlled by radio command from Earth. It was launched on a figure-eight trajectory which brought it over the Moon (closest approach to the Moon was 6200 km) and around the far side, which was sunlit at the time. It was stabilized while in optical view of the far side of the Moon. The spacecraft returned very indistinct pictures, but, through computer enhancement, a tentative atlas of the lunar farside was produced. These first views of the lunar far side showed mountainous terrain, very different from the near side, and two dark regions which were named Mare Moscovrae (Sea of Moscow) and Mare Desiderii (Sea of Dreams).


More at: Luna E-3.

Family: Lunar Flyby, Moon. Country: Russia. Spacecraft: Luna E-3. Launch Vehicles: R-7, Vostok-L 8K72. Projects: Luna. Launch Sites: Baikonur, Baikonur LC1. Agency: Korolev bureau. Bibliography: 16, 175, 2, 296, 3840, 445, 6, 4801, 12772.
Photo Gallery

Luna Ye-3Luna Ye-3
Credit: Manufacturer Image



1959 October 4 - . 00:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Vostok-L 8K72.
1960 April 15 - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Vostok-L 8K72. FAILURE: The third stage RO-5 engine either did not reach full thrust or shut down early.. Failed Stage: 3.
1960 April 16 - . 16:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Vostok-L 8K72. FAILURE: Strap-on B reached only 75 percent of thrust at ignition. Four tenths of a second after liftoff it broke away from the core.. Failed Stage: 2.
1962 October 22 - .

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