Soviet Luna 16

Whilst looking around for some information for another thread I come across a list on Wikipedia listing all of the space craft that was landed (or impacted) on other planets and the moon.
This is where I came across a Soviet unmanned probe, Luna 16 (Lunnik 16). [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a5d7f4beb342.jpg[/atsimg]

This mission is of note because it was the first automated probe to return samples of the moon back to earth. Something until a few minutes ago I didn't know was achieved. It's true you do learn something new every day!

Less than an hour after landing, at 06:03 UT, an automatic drill penetrated the lunar surface to collect a soil sample. After drilling for 7 minutes, the drill reached a stop at 35 centimeters depth and then withdrew its sample and lifted it in an arc to the top of the spacecraft, depositing the lunar material in a small spherical capsule mounted on the main spacecraft bus. The column of regolith in the drill tube was then transferred to the soil sample container.

Finally, after 26 hours and 25 minutes on the lunar surface at 07:43 UT on 21 September, the spacecraft’s upper stage lifted off from the Moon. The lower stage of Luna 16 remained on the lunar surface and continued transmission of lunar temperature and radiation data. Three days later on 24 September, after a direct ascent traverse with no midcourse corrections, the capsule, with its 101 grams of lunar soil, reentered Earth’s atmosphere at a velocity of 11 kilometers per second. The capsule parachuted down 80 kilometers southeast of the town of Jezkazgan in Kazakhstan at 05:25 UT on 24 September 1970.

Quite an impressive feat for the time if you ask me but there is another interesting thing to note from this mission.

Analysis of the dark basalt material indicated a close resemblance to soil recovered by the American Apollo 12 mission.

This is an interesting finding, particularly for those who believe the Apollo missions were faked.


Anyway, hope you found this as interesting as I did!





Further reading:

en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
www.zarya.info...
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov...

Russia put up the first satellite.
Russia went around the Moon and sent back photo of the Dark Side.
Some rock group made a song about the dark side on the moon.
Russia sent a remote lander on the Moon.
America sent remote lander on the Moon.
America sets foot on the Moon.
Apollo 12 mission had samples.

Russia goes up and gets samples.
Russia asks America how shall we report on our samples.
Now we have great space cooperation.

reply to post by TeslaandLyne


Don't forget the cold war was thrown into the mix.

I'd say the Soviet and US scientists may have been cooperative and/or friendly but the governments certainly weren't.

Originally posted by TeslaandLyne
Russia goes up and gets samples.
Russia asks America how shall we report on our samples.
Now we have great space cooperation.

I was following you until this point. Could you elaborate?
What was the reason for cooperation on the reporting of Moon samples?

Don't forget that Russia also sent two impact missions, the first one missed and the second one hit the moon.

Here is an interesting site of Russian space missions.

Soviet Space Image Catalog

The Russian Venera missions to Venus are second to none, btw, still to this day.

Soviet Venus Images

reply to post by Devino


Thanks for the links, some interesting information and pics there.

reply to post by Devino


Don't think about conspiracy is my motto.
What was I thinking.

reply to post by TeslaandLyne


Personally I didn't pay much attention to the Moon until I bought a nice telescope and actually looked at the surface. Ever since then I have been trying to understand what I was looking at.

So, I might not be a believer of conspiracy theories but I do know that some things "just don't look right".

Originally posted by Chadwickus
reply to post by Devino

 

Thanks for the links, some interesting information and pics there.

I found that site when I was doing some research on Venus and I still have a difficult time with the idea of suppression of information. "Suppression" might be a strong word indicating an active intent but never-the-less the accomplishments from the Russian space program should be in some of the space documentaries that are on TV.

reply to post by Devino


Did you ever see the Moon videos from that GRIDKEEPER fellow.
Seeing the Moon on video from Earth was at least interesting.

I did use a small reflector on the top of a University Physics
buildings, the top rolled back from the scope area.
I know the Moon can be bright.
Stars are like pin heads of light.
Nebula are fuzz light balls.

It might be nice to see these vehicles that landed but seems
impossible.

reply to post by TeslaandLyne


If you have access to a good telescope then observe the Moon when the shadows are waxing and waning. Of particular interest to me is what is seen after full moon when the shadow just starts to wane. The craters and mountains really stand out giving a 3-D look. I have seen some features on the Moon that do not look natural. Not enough information to confirm whether it's natural or not so all I can say is it just doesn't look right.

Regardless of what these things are the shadows really bring out some contrast to the Moon that is almost scary at first sight. I can only imagine how Galileo must have felt.

Originally posted by Devino
I found that site when I was doing some research on Venus and I still have a difficult time with the idea of suppression of information. "Suppression" might be a strong word indicating an active intent but never-the-less the accomplishments from the Russian space program should be in some of the space documentaries that are on TV.

It is a shame that so many of the Russian space missions have been largely ignored.

Despite my interest and (limited) knowledge in space exploration I had no idea about many of these Russian missions, so you can imagine how much the average Joe on the street knows!

reply to post by Chadwickus

The exploration of space and the goal of understanding of the Universe around us is a non-political issue that the governments of the world have managed to make political. I suppose that 'political agendas' are at least merging with a desire for an understanding of the Universe which is a step in the correct direction.


[edit on 10/18/2009 by Devino]