NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Failure

Cosmos 300

Launch Time
Tue Sep 23, 1969 14:07 UTC

A valve of Block D did not close correctly following the first burn of the stage, and caused a spinning movement. The stage engines ignited automatically to stop this rotation, this until depletion of the propellants. The stage cannot perform the planned second ignition.

Rocket

Proton-K/Block D
RVSN USSR
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 8,840 kN
Payload to LEO: 18,900 kg
Payload to GTO: 9,000 kg
Stages: 4
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 56.14 m
Fairing Diameter: 3.9 m
Fairing Height: 8.9 m

Mission Details

Cosmos 300

The Ye-8-5 is a version of the Ye-8 to drill a small sample of lunar soil and return it to earth. This could be launched in coordination with the L3S. Although not a manned lunar landing, it would provide a Soviet crew in orbit around the moon, and return of lunar soil to earth, nearly matching the Apollo mission. The last chance to upstage the Americans was a combined launch of the N1-L3S and Ye-8-5 before Apollo 11 in July.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 5,600.0 kg
Trans Lunar Injection

Location

Site 81/24, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

Stats

1969

93rd orbital launch attempt

Proton-K

17th mission
8th mission of 1969
9th failed mission