March 31, 1966 from the Baikonur cosmodrome launched a launch vehicle «Lightning-M» with an automatic station «Moon-10»: It was this apparatus that was destined to become the world’s first artificial satellite of the moon.
Apparatus «Moon-10» was developed and produced by a machine -building factory. WITH.A. Lavochkina (today FSUE «NGO to them. WITH.A. Lavochkina»). Flight «Moon-10» preceded the emergency launch of the first similar station, which was launched on March 1, 1966. The rocket was used to launch «Lightning-M», The first three steps of which ensured the withdrawal of the head unit consisting of a spacecraft and an accelerated unit «L», to the support orbit of an artificial Earth satellite. However, the earth — The moon did not come out: on the area of the engine engine operation «L» There was a loss of stabilization, and the automatic station remained in the near -Earth orbit under the name «Cosmos-111».
Launch «Moon-10», carried out exactly 50 years ago, turned out to be successful. As a result, on April 3, 1966, for the first time in the world, an artificial satellite entered orbit around the moon.
For 56 days of the active existence of the satellite in the orbit of the moon, 219 communication sessions were held and valuable scientific information was obtained. In particular, the station «Moon-10» For the first time I received data on the general chemical composition of the moon in terms of gamma radiation of its surface. Analysis of the disturbances of the trajectory of the station made it possible to preliminary determine the parameters of the gravitational field of the moon.
Station «Moon-10» set records registered and confirmed by the diplomas of the International Aviation Federation FAI: the world record of the maximum mass delivered to lunar orbit;The absolute world record of the duration of the active existence of an automatic station in the lunar orbit and the world record of the duration of active existence in lunar orbit.
May 29, 1966 station «Moon-10» fell to the surface of the moon.
Sources:
- NGO to them. WITH.A. Lavochkina
- Roscosmos