Mission Summary
The unnamed Luna mission launched on April 16, 1960, was the Soviet Union’s second attempt in two days to send an improved spacecraft around the Moon. Known as Luna E-3 No.2, it was designed as a follow-up to Luna 3 and aimed to capture sharper, more detailed photographs of the lunar far side.
The spacecraft carried an upgraded imaging system intended to expand the coverage and quality of far-side images returned by Luna 3 in 1959. However, the mission failed before reaching the Moon when its launch vehicle malfunctioned shortly after liftoff, preventing the spacecraft from entering its planned lunar trajectory.
Although unsuccessful, the E-3 missions showed the rapid pace of early lunar exploration during the Space Race. The attempts helped engineers refine spacecraft systems, launch vehicles, and mission designs that supported later Soviet achievements in robotic lunar exploration.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
