Luna 15

Luna 15 was launched on July 13, 1969, three days before Apollo 11, in a bold Soviet effort to achieve the first automated return of lunar soil samples before the US crew returned. It entered lunar orbit on July 17 and performed orbital adjustments while Apollo 11 landed. On July 21, while Armstrong and Aldrin were still on the lunar surface, Luna 15 fired its retro-rockets for descent but crashed into a mountain slope in Mare Crisium at ~480 km/h.

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Agency / Country

Soviet Space Program (USSR) (Soviet Union)

Mission Status

IMPACT

Launch / Target Year

1969

Spacecraft / Type

Luna E-8-5 No.401

Landing Site Zone

Mare Crisium (Luna 15 Impact Site)

Surface Coordinates

Lat 17.0°, Lon 60.0°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Luna 15 photograph 1: Soviet Space Program / Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics — Luna E-8-5 sample return spacecraft (Public Domain) — Soviet Space Program / Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics — Luna E-8-5 sample return spacecraft (Public Domain)

Primary Achievement

Soviet automated sample-return attempt that orbited the Moon simultaneously with Apollo 11 before impacting Mare Crisium.

Mission Objectives

Execute automated soft landing in Mare Crisium
Drill regolith core sample and seal in return capsule
Launch ascent stage back to Earth for recovery in the Soviet Union

Timeline Events

1969-07-13 — Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Proton-K rocket.
1969-07-17 — Entered lunar orbit, circling the Moon concurrently with Apollo 11.
1969-07-21 — Deorbit burn initiated; altimeter malfunction caused impact in Mare Crisium at 15:50 UTC.

Related Missions

Apollo 11 (1969) · NASA
Luna 16 (1970) · USSR
Luna 20 (1972) · USSR

Historical & Technical Sources

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