Editing Luna 6

{{Short description|Space probe}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = ''Luna 6''
| image                 = 
| image_caption         =

| mission_type          = Lunar lander
| operator              = Soviet space program
| COSPAR_ID             = 1965-044A 
| SATCAT                = 
| mission_duration      = 10 days

| spacecraft_type       = [[Ye-6]]
| manufacturer          = [[OKB-1]]
| dry_mass              = 
| launch_mass           = {{Convert|1442|kg}}<ref name=Luna6/>
| dimensions            = 
| power                 =

| launch_date           = {{start-date|8 June 1965, 07:41:00|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC<ref name=Luna6/>
| launch_rocket         = [[Molniya-M]] 8K78M
| launch_site           = [[Baikonur Cosmodrome|Baikonur]] [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 1|1/5]]
| launch_contractor     = 
| last_contact          = Cosmic radiation measurement ended 18 June 1965<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lyubimov|first1=G. P.|title=Measurement of the Intensity of Cosmic Radiation During the Flights of Automatic Interplanetary Stations Zond-1, Zond-2, Zond-3, Luna-5, Luna-6|date=11 October 1967 |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19670029993.pdf|access-date=25 December 2019|at=From last graph of Fig. 1}}</ref>

| orbit_epoch           = 
| orbit_reference       = [[Heliocentric orbit|Heliocentric]]
| orbit_periapsis       = 
| orbit_apoapsis        = 
| orbit_inclination     = 
| apsis                 =

| programme             = '''[[Luna programme]]'''
| previous_mission      = [[Luna 5]]
| next_mission          = [[Luna 7]]

|interplanetary         = 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
   |type                = lander_flyby
   |object              = [[Moon|Lunar]]
   |arrival_date        = 11 June 1965
   |distance            = {{convert|160000|km}}
 }}
}}
'''''Luna 6''''', or '''E-6 No.7''' (Ye-6 series) was an uncrewed [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] spacecraft which was intended to perform a landing on the [[Moon]] as part of the [[Luna program]]. Due to the failure of a mid-course correction manoeuvre, ''Luna 6'' failed to land, instead flying past the Moon at a distance of {{convert|160000|km}}.

==Launch==
''Luna 6'' was launched by a [[Molniya-M]] carrier rocket flying from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 1|Site 1/5]] at the [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]]. Liftoff occurred at 07:40 UTC on 8 June 1965, with the spacecraft and [[Blok L]] upper stage entering a [[low Earth orbit|low Earth]] [[parking orbit]], before the upper stage propelled the spacecraft into a [[heliocentric orbit]] passing the Moon.

==Failure==
The ''Luna 6'' mission proceeded as planned until a scheduled mid-course correction late on 9 June. Although the spacecraft's [[S5.5A]] main engine ignited on time, it failed to cut off and continued to fire until its propellant supply was exhausted. An investigation later determined that the problem had been due to a command which had been mistakenly sent to the timer that ordered the main engine to shut down.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zak|first1=Anatoly|title=Russia's Unmanned Missions|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/spacecraft_planetary_lunar.html|website=Russian Space Web|access-date=2 December 2016}}</ref>

Despite the spacecraft being unable to land on the Moon, controllers used the spacecraft to simulate a landing; a task which was satisfactorily accomplished. ''Luna 6'' flew past the Moon late on 11 June,<ref name=Luna6>{{cite web|last1=NASA|title=Luna 6|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1965-044A|website=NASA|access-date=2 December 2016}}</ref> with a closest approach of {{convert|159612.8|km}}. Contact was maintained to a distance of {{convert|600000|km}} from Earth.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
* [http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Luna.php Zarya - Luna programme chronology]

{{Luna programme}}
{{Moon spacecraft}}
{{Orbital launches in 1965}}

[[Category:Luna programme|Luna 06]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1965]]
[[Category:1965 in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched by Molniya-M rockets]]
[[Category:Derelict satellites in heliocentric orbit]]