Molniya 8K78 | Luna-8
Launch Successful
L - -- : -- : -- : --
Instantaneous launch window.
Launch Window
Dec. 3, 1965, 10:46 a.m. - Dec. 3, 1965, 10:46 a.m.
Instantaneous launch window.
Dec. 3, 1965, 10:46 a.m. - Dec. 3, 1965, 10:46 a.m.
Ye-6 series probe designed to land on the Moon. Spun out of control during the final parts of the descent, resulting in the spacecraft impacting the lunar surface on December 6.
The Molniya was a modification of the well-known R-7 Semyorka rocket and had four stages. The 8K78 resulted from a crash program by the Korolev Bureau to develop a booster for launching planetary probes. A larger third stage was added along with a fourth stage (Blok L) that was designed to fire in-orbit to send the payload out of LEO. The basic R-7 core was also structurally strengthened and given more powerful engines. A rushed development produced multiple malfunctions of the upper stages, which led to its being replaced by the improved Molniya-M in 1964, but there were enough 8K78s left to continue flying them into 1967.
The Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation are a separate-troops branch of the Russian Armed Forces that control Russia's land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
WIKIA batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Next generation Chinese ocean salinity measurements satellite to study ocean climatic changes and its effects on ecology and biological cycles.
A batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
The Koreasat 6A spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, will have 20 transponders for fixed satellite services and six for TV broadcasting to repla…
Launch of 15 satellites on share-ride to SSO: * Shiyan 26 A/B/C * Jilin-1 High Resolution-05B * Jilin-1 Platform-02A-03 * Yunyao-1 31-36 * Xig…
A batch of 20 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
4 X-band synthetic-aperture radar Earth observation satellites for the Chinese Earth observation satellite company PIESAT.
A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Launch of a yet to identified satellite to SSO for an undisclosed customer. The customer is highly likely to be Low Earth Orbit communication satelli…