Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration

Ye-6S, Ye-6LF, Ye-6LS series: scientific outcomes (with Zond 3)
Very weak magnetic field around the moon (distortion of the interplanetary magnetic field?).
No lunar magnetic poles.
No differences in radiation emission levels between lunar lowlands and highlands.
Cosmic radiation at 5 particles/cm 2 /sec.
198 meteoroid impacts (Luna 10).
No gaseous atmosphere around moon found.
Finding of anomalous zones of mass concentrations below lunar surface disturbing the lunar
orbit (mascons) (Luna 10); characterization of such zones (Luna 14).
Broad composition of lunar rocks (basaltic).
Selection of landing sites for manned and rover landings.
Infrared, ultraviolet scan of lunar surface (Zond 3).
Assessment of reflectivity of lunar surface and inferred density.
ORBITERS, IN CONCLUSION
During 1966-8, the Soviet Union sent up seven orbiters to explore the lunar environment
and map the surface. Of these, two failed (Cosmos 111, 7th February 1968) and
one partly failed (Luna 11). Only one photographic mission succeeded (Luna 12), but
we do not have access to the archive which it assembled. Luna 10, despite being
improvised, appears to have returned a substantial amount of scientific information.
The Russians also ran a series of communications missions, the Ye-6LS, which shows
their thoroughness in approaching the moon project and which have no direct
American comparison.
There was discussion, in the Western popular press, as to the need for proceeding
to manned flights to the moon when so much useful information had been already
retrieved by automatic probes. Later, when the Russians were beaten in the moon
race, they raised the question in retrospective justification for their use of automatic
probes. In reality, this important discussion was given little airing within the two
respective space programmes themselves, for the political decision had already been
taken to go for a manned flight around the moon and to its surface. This decision had
little to do with a calculation of the best way to obtain a scientific return, but, as
President Kennedy himself put it, would be the approach 'most impressive to mankind'.
It is back to this larger project that we now turn (Chapter 5).
REFERENCES
[1] Surkov, Yuri: Exploration of terrestrial planets from spacecraft - instrumentation, investigation,
interpretation, 2nd edition. Wiley/Praxis, Chichester, UK, 1997.
[2] Tyulin, Georgi: Memoirs, in John Rhea (ed.): Roads to space - an oral history of the Soviet
space programme. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1995.
[3] Ivanovsky, Oleg: Memoirs, in John Rhea (ed.): Roads to space - an oral history of the
Soviet space programme. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1995.