Ye-6/3
| Launch Date | Feb. 3, 1963 |
| Launch Site | Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Russia | Launch Site 1 |
| Destination | Earth’s Moon |
| Type | Lander |
| Status | Unsuccessful |
| Nation | Soviet Union |
| Alternate Names |
Goals
This was the second of three Soviet spacecraft designed to make a survivable landing on the Moon in 1963. The 100 kilogram (220 pound) egg-shaped lander carried an imaging system and an instrument to measure radiation.
Accomplishments
None. A failure in the guidance system sent the spacecraft and its upper booster stages crashing into the Pacific Ocean near Midway Island.
Key Dates
Feb. 3, 1963: Launch
In Depth
This was the second Soviet attempt to accomplish a soft-landing on the Moon.
This time, the spacecraft failed to reach Earth orbit. Following separation of the second stage, the booster lost attitude control and deposited its third and fourth stages in the Pacific Ocean near Midway Island.
Later investigation indicated that the I-100 guidance system provided incorrect information to the booster's trajectory control system.
Spacecraft
Launch Vehicle: 8K78 (no. G103-10)
Spacecraft Mass: 1,420 kg
- Spacecraft Instruments:
- imaging system
- radiation detector
Selected References
Siddiqi, Asif A. Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000, NASA, 2002.
