Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-04-06
Lunik Misses Moon;
Landing Failure Seen
Red Vehicle
Passes at
5,281 Miles

The Russians announced today
their Lunik-4 passed the moon
at a distance Of $500 kilometers
1921 miles, on a course that
will eventually make it an arti-
fetal satellite Of the sun.
Tass said the lh-ton vehicle,
launched Tuesday as a part OF
the Soviet space race with the
United States, passed the moon
at 4:26 am. Moscow time 1925
pm. Friday EST.
without specifying exactly
what Russian scientists had
hoped Lunik-4 would accom-
plish, the Soviet news agency
said experiments and measure
ments have been carried out"
1t said radio contact will be
maintained for several more
days.
Landing Failure Seen
In Jodrell Bank, England,
the director of the Jodrell Bank
radio telescope said today the
Russians had aimed Lunik-IV
for a landing on the moon and
failed.
CIT is my opinion that the
present exercise by the Russian
moon rocket was not intended"
Sir Bernard Lowell said.
(Sir Bernard said he believes
the moonshot began as "a seri-
GUS attempt at soft landings Of
instruments"
CIT looks as If the guidance
had too much error in it to al
low the necessary corrections to
be made. or that there was some
fault in the equipment" he
said.
owe shall now witness a
succession Of Russian efforts to
achieve this task.
C"If the Russians do not
succeed in making soft landings
OF instruments in the next six
months, then their time scale
In the manned moon program
will begin to 60 very much
astray.")
To Circle Earth First
Tass said extensive expert
mental material has been OBJ
tanned which will be of great
Importance for the solution Of
a number Of technical prob
lens connected with the con-
quest Of the moon. The data
was reported being studied at
cosmic space research centers.
Tass said the lunar prober,
"in the further course of its
flight" will circle the earth on
an elongated orbit in 1868.
Maximum distance of the
station from the earth on its
first circuit will be zoo, 900 kilo-
meters (434,0 miles, and the
minimum distance 10000 kilo-
meters (56,927 miles,. It said.
The report added that. as a
result Of the gravitational pull
of the sun and the moon. the
orbit will gradually suffer con-
siderable distortion and, as a
result. the station will leave
the sphere Of the earth's gravi-
rational pull and become a
satellite Of the sun.
Hint Of Trouble Seen
Tass said today's commu-
nique would be the last an
nouncement on the Lunik-4
flight.
The tone OF the commu-
nique heightened suspicion
among foreigners in Moscow
that the moon probe had not
been fully successful.
Observers at Jodrell Bank
Radio Observatory in Britain
last night reported that the
rocket had made a series Of
complicated maneuvers. Jo-
drell Bank lost radio contact
with the device after record
ing A minutes Of beeps. The
craft at that time was reported
within 10000 miles Of the
moon. -.-
Tass never disclosed what
Lunik-4 had been intended 10
accomplish. There had been
hints In the Soviet press that
It's mission was 10 photograph
the moons surface or TO at
tempt a soft landing OF an In
strument package.
Soviet propaganda organs.
breaking with their usual prac-
tice. have all but relegated the
space flight TO the back pages.
This was interpreted by West
erners here as a sign Of trou-
bic In connection with the OPP