Apr 3 1966
From The Space Library
Sir Bernard Lovell, director of Jodrell Bank Experimental Station, told the press that LUNA X spacecraft had gone into orbit around the moon, but that "all may not be well" with it. He suggested that LUNA X was tumbling uncontrollably in orbit around moon at distance of 300 or 400 mi.; this theory evolved after Jodrell Bank detected a series of maneuvers beginning at 12:50 p.m. EST-15 min. after Jodrell Bank had first picked up LUNA X's signals. Frequency of the signals had begun to decrease, indicating the probe was under the moon's gravitational pull at a distance of about 2,000 mi.; signals then faded out entirely, suggesting that the retrorockets had been fired and the probe had landed. At that point Lovell said: "We think Luna 10 landed at 1:44 P.M. [EST]." Minutes later, however, signals again picked up and the situation became extremely obscure." He concluded: "At last hearing our signals could be interpreted as coming from a tumbling spacecraft. We find it difficult to believe that it is meant to be tumbling." U.S.S.R. had announced LUNA X's lunar-orbit mission after March 31 launch. Sir Bernard`s theory came a day before Soviet announcement of mission results [see April 41. (NYT, 4/4/66, 9; AP, Balt. Sun, 4/4/66; Wash. Post, 4/4/66, A1)
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