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Luna 15

NSSDC ID: 1969-058A

Description

Luna 15 was placed in an intermediate earth orbit after launch and was then sent toward the Moon. The spacecraft was capable of studying circumlunar space, the lunar gravitational field, and the chemical composition of lunar rocks. It was also capable of providing lunar surface photography. After completing 86 communications sessions and 52 orbits of the Moon at various inclinations and altitudes, the spacecraft impacted the lunar surface on July 21, 1969.

Alternate Names

  • Lunik 15
  • 04036

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1969-07-13
Launch Vehicle: Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R
Mass: 2718.0 kg

Funding Agency

  • Unknown (U.S.S.R)

Disciplines

  • Planetary Science
  • Space Physics

Additional Information

Experiments on Luna 15

Data collections from Luna 15

Questions or comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Dr. David R. Williams.

 

Personnel

Name Role Original Affiliation E-mail
Mr. Artem Ivankov General Contact Lavochkin Association artem.ivankov@laspace.ru

Selected References

Harvey, B., The new Russian space programme from competition to collaboration, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England, 1996.

Johnson, N. L., Handbook of soviet lunar and planetary exploration - volume 47 science and technology series, Amer. Astronau. Soc. Publ., 1979.

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