Luna 13 (E-6M series) was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 13. The Luna 13 spacecraft was launched toward the Moon from an earth-orbiting platform and accomplished a soft landing on December 24, 1966, in the region of Oceanus Procellarum. USSR Luna lander bus (NASA) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... NPO Lavochkin is a Russian satellite manufacturer. ... Planetary science, also known as planetology or planetary astronomy, is the science of planets, or planetary systems, and the solar system. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precision atomic time standard. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The elements of an orbit are the parameters needed to specify that orbit uniquely, given a model of two ideal masses obeying the Newtonian laws of motion and the inverse-square law of gravitational attraction. ... In geometry, the semi-major axis (also semimajor axis) a applies to ellipses and hyperbolas. ... In astrodynamics, under standard assumptions any orbit must be of conic section shape. ... Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction. ... It has been suggested that Space probe be merged into this article or section. ... The Luna programme was a series of 24 unmanned space missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... The Ocean of Storms of the Moon. ...

Luna 13 soft landing capsule

The petal encasement of the spacecraft was opened, antennas were erected, and radio transmissions to Earth began four minutes after the landing. On December 25 and December 26, 1966, the spacecraft television system transmitted panoramas of the nearby lunar landscape at different Sun angles. Each panorama required approximately 100 minutes to transmit. The spacecraft was equipped with a mechanical soil-measuring penetrometer, a dynamograph, and a radiation densitometer for obtaining data on the mechanical and physical properties and the cosmic ray reflectivity of the lunar surface. Transmissions from the spacecraft ceased on December 28, 1966. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Cosmic rays can loosely be defined as energetic particles originating outside of the Earth. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

Luna 13 became the second Soviet spacecraft to successfully soft-land on the surface of the Moon. The probe landed in the Ocean of Storms at 18:01 UT on 24 December 1966, between the Krafft and Seleucus craters at 18°52' north latitude and 62°3' west longitude. Unlike its predecessor, the heavier Luna 13 lander (113 kilograms) carried a suite of scientific instruments in addition to the usual imaging system. is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ...

A three-axis accelerometer within the pressurized frame of the lander recorded the landing forces during impact to determine the soil structure down to a depth of 20 to 30 centimeters. A pair of spring-loaded booms was also deployed. One of these booms carried a penetrometer, designed to measure the forces required to penetrate the lunar regolith - the penetrating force being supplied by a minute explosive charge. The other boom carried a backscatter densitometer that was used to infer the density of the lunar near-surface regolith. Four radiometers recorded infrared radiation from the surface indicating a noon temperature of 117 ±3 °C while a radiation detector indicated that radiation levels would be less than hazardous for humans.

The lander returned a total of five panoramas of the lunar surface, showing a more smooth terrain than seen by Luna 9. One of the two cameras (intended to return stereo images) failed, but this did not diminish the quality of the photographs. After a fully successful mission, contact was lost at 06:13 UT on 28 December when the onboard batteries were exhausted. is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Launch Date/Time: 1966-12-21 at 10:19:00 UTC
• On-orbit dry mass: 1700 kg

A photo shot from Luna 13 on the surface.

A panorama shot from Luna 13 on the moon

Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... View from the Luna 13 lander ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... View from the Luna 13 lander ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Luna 13 surface panorama ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Luna 13 surface panorama ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Luna 12 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 12. ... The Luna programme (occasionally called Lunik) was a series of unmanned space missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. ... Luna 1968A (E-6LS series) was a Soviet attempt to orbit a spacecraft around the Moon. ...

External Links

• Zarya - Luna 13 chronology
• Soviet Lunar Images

 

Luna programme
Luna 1958A | Luna 1958B | Luna 1958C | Luna 1 | Luna 1959A | Luna 2 | Luna 3 | Luna 1960A | Luna 1960B | Sputnik 25 | Luna 1963B | Luna 4 | Luna 1964A | Luna 1964B | Cosmos 60 | Luna 1965A | Luna 5 | Luna 6 | Luna 7 | Luna 8 | Luna 9 | Cosmos 111 | Luna 10 | Luna 1966A | Luna 11 | Luna 12 | Luna 13 | Luna 1968A | Luna 14 | Luna 1969A | Luna 1969B | Luna 1969C | Luna 15 | Cosmos 300 | Cosmos 305 | Luna 1970A | Luna 1970B | Luna 16 | Luna 17 | Luna 18 | Luna 19 | Luna 20 | Luna 21 | Luna 22 | Luna 23 | Luna 1975A | Luna 24

This article contains material that originally came from a NASA website. According to their site usage guidelines, "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". For more information, please review NASA's use guidelines. The Luna programme (occasionally called Lunik) was a series of unmanned space missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. ... Image File history File links Luna-9_spacecraft. ... Luna 1958A (E-1 series) was the first Soviet spacecraft which was using for mission to the Moon. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Luna 1958C (E-1 series) was the third Soviet spacecraft which was used for mission to the Moon. ... Luna 1 is the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and the first of the Luna programme of Soviet automatic interplanetary stations successfully launched in the direction of the Moon. ... Luna 2. ... Luna 2 (E-1A series) was the second of the Soviet Unions Luna program spacecraft launched in the direction of the Moon. ... Luna 3 (E-3 series) was the third spacecraft sent successfully to the moon and was an early triumph in the human exploration of outer space. ... Luna 1960A (E-3 series) was the second Soviet attempt to photograph the far side of the Moon. ... Luna 1960B (E-3 series) was the third Soviet attempt to photograph the far side of the Moon. ... The mission of the Soviet spacecraft Sputnik 25 was an attempted lunar soft landing, with the purpose of returning data on the mechanical characteristics of the lunar surface, the hazards presented by the topology such as craters, rocks, and other obstructions, and radiation, in preparation for future manned landings. ... Luna 1963B (E-6 series) was the second Soviet attempt to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon. ... Luna 4 was the USSRs first successful spacecraft of their second generation Luna program. ... Luna 1964A (E-6 series) was the fourth Soviet attempt to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon. ... Luna 1964B (E-6 series) was the fifth Soviet attempt to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon. ... The Cosmos 60 probe, launched by the Soviet Union on March 12, 1965, was intended to be a lunar soft-landing mission, with a design similar to that of Luna 4. ... Luna 1965A (E-6 series) was the seventh Soviet attempt to land an unmanned spacecraft on the Moon. ... Luna 5 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 5. ... Luna 6 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 6. ... Luna 7 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 7. ... Luna 8 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 8. ... Luna 9 (E-6 series), also known as Lunik 9 (internal name E-6 N. 13), was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Unions Luna program. ... Luna 10 spacecraft. ... Luna 10 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 10. ... Luna 1966A was the third Soviet attempt to orbit a spacecraft around the Moon (the first attempt being the unsuccessful Cosmos 111 mission and the second being the successful Luna 10 mission). ... Luna 11 was an unmanned space mission of the Soviet Unions Luna program. ... Luna 12 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 12. ... Luna 1968A (E-6LS series) was a Soviet attempt to orbit a spacecraft around the Moon. ... Luna 14 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program run by the Soviet Union. ... Lunakhod Luna 1969A (Ye-8 series) was the first attempt to land a Lunokhod rover on the Moon. ... Luna 1969B was the first Soviet attempt at an unmanned lunar sample return. ... Luna 1969C (Ye-8-5 series) was the second Soviet attempt at an unmanned lunar sample return. ... Luna 15 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 15. ... Cosmos 300 (Ye-8-5 series) was the fourth Soviet attempt at an unmanned lunar sample return. ... Cosmos 305 (Ye-8-5 series) was the fifth Soviet attempt at an unmanned lunar sample return. ... Luna 1970A (Ye-8-5 series) was the sixth Soviet attempt at an unmanned lunar sample return. ... Luna 1970B was an attempted lunar orbiter. ... Luna 16 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 16. ... Luna 17 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 17. ... Luna 18 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 18. ... Luna 19 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 19. ... Luna 20 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 20. ... Luna 21 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 21. ... Luna 22 was an unmanned space mission, part of the Soviet Luna program, also called Lunik 22. ... Luna 23 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 23. ... Luna 1975A was a Soviet unmanned space mission, part of the Luna program, and similar to the later Luna 24 mission which successfully collected and returned to Earth a sample of lunar material. ... Luna 24 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 24. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ...