Soviet Luna Missions Options

[PhilHorzempa]

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I thought that it was time to start up a discussion of what we know, or
would like to know, about the Soviet Luna Missions.

To start off, I have heard many a reference to the landing system utilized
by the early landers, such as Luna 9. However, I have yet to find a report,
or even a diagram, that shows the sequence of events, or such details as
the air bags. If such references do not exist, I hope that some of the UMSF
community have Russian contacts that could lead us to the source material
before it ends up in the dust bin of history.

In addition, I heard of an effort several years ago to obtain ALL of the imagery
from Lunakhods 1 and 2. Does anyone know if that effort was able to
secure that data?

Also, as far as Lunas 15, 18 and 23, the sample-return missions that didn't
quite make it home, are there any official reports "out there" that detail what
actually occurred to those missions? Or will we have to wait for the
high-resolution images from the LRO to determine their fates?


Another Phil

[ljk4-1]

Check this out - a scale model of Luna 24 complete with actual lunar surface
samples attached to the base:

http://www.maxuta.biz/luna_24_soil/

It was a gift to some guy named Leonid Brezhnev for his 70th birthday in 1976.

And it's actually a model of the Luna 16-20 versions, but what the hey.

[Guest_DonPMitchell_*]

Check this out - a scale model of Luna 24 complete with actual lunar surface
samples attached to the base:

http://www.maxuta.biz/luna_24_soil/

It was a gift to some guy named Leonid Brezhnev for his 70th birthday in 1976.

I've encountered Soviet Moon samples for sale, usually in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Caveat Emptor! That's a lot of money to spend for a grain of black rock, which may just be a pebble pried out of someone's shoe.

One thing I have spent some money on are the limited edition spacecraft pennants. Planetary and Lunar landers all had a pennant attached to them, and a few hundred of these would be made and distributed to top officials and engineers. They're hard to find, and generally go for about $1000 a piece.

[attachment=6035:attachment]

[tedstryk]

I've encountered Soviet Moon samples for sale, usually in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. Caveat Emptor! That's a lot of money to spend for a grain of black rock, which may just be a pebble pried out of someone's shoe.

One thing I have spent some money on are the limited edition spacecraft pennants. Planetary and Lunar landers all had a pennant attached to them, and a few hundred of these would be made and distributed to top officials and engineers. They're hard to find, and generally go for about $1000 a piece.

[attachment=6035:attachment]

I have a small collection of Soviet Pennants and stamps, some space, some not. Most I bought from streat vendors in the old East in the 1990s.