| Mission type | Lunar lander |
|---|---|
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| COSPAR ID | 1965-044A |
| SATCATno. | 01393 |
| Mission duration | 10 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Ye-6 |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
| Launch mass | 1,442 kilograms (3,179 lb)[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 8 June 1965, 07:41:00 (1965-06-08UTC07:41Z) UTC[1] |
| Rocket | Molniya-M 8K78M |
| Launch site | Baikonur1/5 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | Cosmic radiation measurement ended 18 June 1965[2] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Lunar flyby(failed landing) | |
| Closest approach | 11 June 1965 |
| Distance | 160,000 kilometres (99,000 mi) |
Luna 6, orE-6 No.7 (Ye-6 series) was an uncrewedSoviet spacecraft which was intended to perform a landing on theMoon as part of theLuna program. Due to the failure of a mid-course correction manoeuvre,Luna 6 failed to land, instead flying past the Moon at a distance of 160,000 kilometres (99,000 mi).
Luna 6 was launched by aMolniya-M carrier rocket flying fromSite 1/5 at theBaikonur Cosmodrome. Liftoff occurred at 07:40 UTC on 8 June 1965, with the spacecraft andBlok L upper stage entering alow Earthparking orbit, before the upper stage propelled the spacecraft into aheliocentric orbit passing the Moon.
TheLuna 6 mission proceeded as planned until a scheduled mid-course correction late on 9 June. Although the spacecraft'sS5.5A main engine ignited on time, it failed to cut off and continued to fire until its propellant supply was exhausted. An investigation later determined that the problem had been due to a command which had been mistakenly sent to the timer that ordered the main engine to shut down.[3]
Despite the spacecraft being unable to land on the Moon, controllers used the spacecraft to simulate a landing; a task which was satisfactorily accomplished.Luna 6 flew past the Moon late on 11 June,[1] with a closest approach of 159,612.8 kilometres (99,178.8 mi). Contact was maintained to a distance of 600,000 kilometres (370,000 mi) from Earth.
