Today in the history of astronomy, the race for the moon continues.
While Apollo 11 astronauts were still on the surface of the moon, Luna 15 crashed in a lunar mountain. Credit: NASA
- Luna 15 was a Soviet spacecraft that aims to collect the moon’s rocks and return to Earth.
- Its mission was a race against the American Apollo 11 mission.
- NASA and the Soviet Union collaborated to avoid radio intervention.
- “Both countries made adjustments.” Frank Borman said.
On July 13, 1969, the Soviet Union launched Luna 15, a unmanned spacecraft as a rival of the American Apollo 11 mission, which was launched just three days later. The goal of Luna 15 was to land on the moon, collect rock samples and return to Earth before Apollo astronauts. But the increased moment of competition also gave rise to extraordinary cooperation: anxious that Luna would intervene with radio broadcasting to Apollo 11, NASA Apollo 8 Astronauts reached through the official Musticlav Kelish of the Soviet space through the Soviet space’s official Musticlav Kelish. Kaldish provided orbital details to ensure the safety of astronauts – without disclosing any details of the goals of the mission – and the two nations made adjustments. Luna reached Lunar Orbit on 15 July 17, but fell into a lunar mountain on July 21, 1969, and Apollo crashed two hours before the 11 crew, causing Americans to become the winner of the moon race.
