ROSCOSMOS logo.
05.02.2011
Forty five years ago, on February 3rd, 1966, to be more precise, automatic station Luna-9 (Е6 Project) performed soft landing on Moon's surface for the first time in the world cosmonautics history and transmitted to the ground TV images of that surface from the landing site.
First image of the landing site of Luna-9
The flights of automatic stations Luna-2 (Е1 Project) and Luna-3 (Е2 Project) came before the successful performance of the above task with the Luna-9. At the time, in 1959, we were also the first to perform transfer flight from Earth to Moon and reach its surface by hard landing chart (with the pennant delivered) and get photographic images of this celestial body reverse side.
Luna-9 Spacecraft
In implementing Е6 Project, the team of OKB-1 (RSC Energia now) under the direction of S.P. Korolev and in cooperation with subcontracting entities created the following:
Autonomous automatic lunar station (ALS) with radio complex, command and telemetry channels to operate the station on the Moon, small-size TV camera, its own thermal control system, automatics and chemical sources of current; shock-absorbing system with pneumatic jackets to be pressurized; correcting-braking propulsion system for automatic station flight trajectory correction and its braking during lunar landing; Луну; two equipment sections to be detached prior to deceleration near the Moon.
Luna-9 landing deployment
The Е6 Project - related activities started in 1961; at the end of 1965, OKB after S.A. Lavochkin and the manufacturing plant after S.A. Lavochkin were involved in the E6 Project; in so doing, all the documentation under the E6 Project had been handed over to them, with OKB-1 remaining responsible for solving the task of soft landing.
Launched January 31, 1966, Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to conduct a soft landing on the Moon. (Illustration Richard Kruse, 2002)
We congratulate all those who contributed to building automatic interplanetary station Luna-9 and performance of its soft landing on Earth satellite surface, as well as veterans and employees of the enterprise and space industry on the important event in the national cosmonautics history.
We wish You, our dear veterans and developers of new advanced space systems, robust health, happiness and further creative successes!
Luna-9 Mission in Orbiter Space Flight Simulator
For reference:
Mass of ALS delivered to the Moon is 100 kg.
Station Luna-9 was launched on January 31, 1966 at 14 hours : 41 minutes : 37 seconds Moscow Time; landing on the Moon took place on February 03, 1966 at 21 hour : 45 minutes : 04 seconds.
During the flight time 13 communication sessions with a total duration of 4 hours 40 min were conducted; 182 commands were generated by radio command link; six settings for autonomous flight control were established.
During the period of February 3 through 7, 1966 the ALS TV camera unit was activated six times, which made it possible for the first time to get all-round view of lunar surface in the vicinity of the landing site.
Orbiter Space Flight Simulator, Luna-9 add-on autor site: http://www.pin-plus.ca/orbiter/
Orbithangar Orbiter add-on's:
http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=2844
http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3299
http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3761
Images, Text, Video, Credits: ROSCOSMOS / RSC-Energia PAO / Richard Kruse / YouTube.com.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
