COPY NO. 3
[Mil
mini
SPACE EVENT REPORT
5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SPACE EVENT REPORT5
SUMMARY
nother Soviet probe intended to soft land on the moon, was launched from the Tyuratam Missile Test Range3he vehicle was Initially placedarking orbit and then ejectedranslunaridcourse correction was successfully accomplishedecember.
arked the eighteenth failure in twentyidentified with the Soviet lunar program. According to TASS announcements2 kilograms, as compared6 kilograms for Luna-7.
BB Tnc Soviet Union today launched an automatic lunar probe, Luna-8. The main purpose of tho launch is the further refinement of the elementsoft lunar landing andstudios. The probe2 kilograms.
The previous probe, calledas launched When tho probe was near the moon most of the operations nec-cessary tooft landing on the lunar sufrace were carried out. Some operations, however, were not performed and needrefinement. The flight ofupplied large practicalfor further work.
arries scientific, telemetering and other measuring equipment which Is automatically switched on according to the flight program and also on commands from the oarth. Preliminaryshow that the probe is movingrajectory closa toll the equipment aboard the station is functioning normally.
Tho flight is trackedpecial ground-measuring complex. All the Incoming data is being processed by the coordinationcenter.
0 hours Moscow0 kilometers away from the earthoint on tho earth's surface with coordinates:egreesinutes northern latitude, andegreesinutes eastern longitude.
|ours Moscow tlmo today
asistanceilometers from the earth. This moon probe was launched on Friday.
Four communications sessions have already been held with the station. Telemetric information and trajectory measurements were obtained during these sessions. According to this information all systems on board ore working normally and the trajectory Is close to the planned one.
The main purpose of this probe is the further refinement of the system of soft landing on the moon.
: Ukrainian Academician Nikolay Barabashov described the launching of the Sovietutomatic station as an important stage in the study of the moon.
The scientist recalled that after the launching of9 and thoutomatic station in5 Soviet scientists had obtained photographs of ]ubc about the entire surface of the lunar sphere. Now only five percent of the moon's surface remainsonk spot."
Barabashov emphasizedoft landing on the moonomplex scientific and technical task and thats primarily intended to perfect this. Tho successful solution of this problem will open up colossal opportunities for research. It will, inbe possible to transmit to earth reports on tho minutest details of the lunar surface, data on its physical properties and chemical composition. Such Information Is required by the designers of futuro scientific stations on the moon.
Barabashov said that he did not doubttation would
eventually appear on the moon.
0 Moscow timeorrection of the trajectory of the flight of the automatic stationas carried out.
The station is proceeding along close to the projectedwhich willeeting with the moonpecifiedThs astro-navigational system and the correcting propulsion device worked in accordance with calculations. All systems are
working normally.
At six o'clock in the morning Moscow timeecember
he station receded from the earthistance
kilometers.
ec: Two communications sosslons were held today with the Soviet moor, probe Luna-8. Trajectory measurements were made and telemetry information received.
All systems on board are functioning normally. The results of the trajectory measurements conducted after the correction have confirmed that trajectory is as planned.
Thetation will reach the surface of the moon in the area ol ihe Sea of Storms at0 Moscow Urnsecember.
The coordinating and computing center is continuing tothe incoming Information.
ecB; ecember1 hourseconds Moscow time, the automatic stationeached the surface of the moon at theinutes north latitude and minusegreesinutes longitude.
As the station was approaching the moon the functioning of the soft landing system was checked. The check showed that the systems of the station were functioning normally at all stages of the landing
except the final touchdown.
esult of ihe flight of the stationurther stop
was made toward the realizationoft landing.
Original document.
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