Zond 3

LunarOrbiter
Name=Zond 3


Organization=Soviet Union
Contractors=OKB-1
MissionType=Planetary Science
LaunchDate=July 18, 1965 at 14:38:00 UTC
LaunchVehicle=SS-6/R-7 (8K72)
MissionHighlight=Fly-by of Moon on
July 20, 1965
at distance of 9,200 km
MissionDuration=?
Mass=960 kg
NSSDC_ID=1965-056A
Web= [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1965-056A NASA NSSDC Master Catalog]
SatelliteOf=Sun
SemiMajor=1 AU
Eccentricity=0.2683
Inclination=0.5°
Period=500 d
Apo=1.56 AU
Peri=0.9 AU
Orbits=
LunarLandingDate=
LunarLandingCoords=
LunarLiftoffDate=
Instruments="f/"106 mm Camera and TV system with automatic inflight film processing
Magnetometer
Ultraviolet (0.25–0.35 µm and 0.19–0.27 µm) spectrograph
Infrared (3–4 µm) spectrograph
Radiation sensors (gas-discharge and scintillation counters)
Radiotelescope
Micrometeoroid instrument
Experimental ion engine

Zond 3, a member of the Soviet Zond program, was the first Zond spacecraft to successfully complete its mission (a Lunar flyby) and took a number of amazing photographs for its time. It is believed that Zond 3 was initially designed as a companion spacecraft to Zond 2 to be launched to Mars during the 1964 launch window. The opportunity to launch was missed, and the spacecraft was launched on a Mars trajectory, although Mars was no longer attainable, as a spacecraft test.

Spacecraft design

The spacecraft design was similar to Zond 2, in addition to the imaging equipment it carried a magnetometer, ultraviolet (0.25 to 0.35 micrometre and 0.19 to 0.27 micrometre) and infrared (3 to 4 micrometre) spectrographs, radiation sensors (gas-discharge and scintillation counters), a radiotelescope and a micrometeoroid instrument. It also had an experimental ion engine.

Mission

), thus proving the ability of the communications system. After the lunar flyby, Zond 3 continued space exploration in a heliocentric orbit.

"This article was originally based on material from [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/database/MasterCatalog?sc=1965-056A NASA (NSSDC) information on Zond 3] "

External links

* [http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Luna/Zond3.php Zarya - Zond 3]
* [http://www.mentallandscape.com/C_CatalogMoon.htm Soviet Lunar Images]
* [http://astrosurf.com/nunes/explor/explor_zond3.htm Processed images from the Zond 3 mission]

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