Luna 20

space probe

Key facts

Mission type: Lunar sample return
Operator: Soviet space program
Cospar id: 1972-007A
Mission duration: 11 days (day of launch to day of landing)
Bus: Ye-8-5
Manufacturer: GSMZ Lavochkin
Launch mass: 5,725 kilograms (12,621 lb)
Dry mass: 5,600 kilograms (12,300 lb)
Launch date: 14 February 1972, 03:27:58 ( 1972-02-14UTC03:27:58Z ) UTC
Rocket: Proton-K / D
Launch site: Baikonur 81/24
Landing date: 25 February 1972, 19:19 ( 1972-02-25UTC19:20Z ) UTC
Landing site: 47°24′N 68°36′E / 47.400°N 68.600°E / 47.400; 68.600 , 40 km north of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan
Reference system: Selenocentric
Semi major axis: 6,477.8 kilometres (4,025.1 mi)
Periselene altitude: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
Aposelene altitude: 100 kilometres (62 mi)
Inclination: 65 degrees

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Mass: 5600
Image: Luna 20 descent stage.png

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Commons category: Luna 20
UTC date of spacecraft launch: 1972-02-14

Sources (1)

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Article

Luna 20 was the second of three successful Soviet lunar sample return missions. It was flown as part of the Luna program as a robotic competitor to the six successful Apollo lunar sample return missions.

Luna 20 was placed in an intermediate Earth parking orbit and from this orbit was sent towards the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on 18 February 1972. On 21 February 1972, Luna 20 soft landed on the Moon in a mountainous area known as the Terra Apollonius (or Apollonius highlands) near Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility), 120 km from where Luna 16 had landed.