Molniya-1 No.2, a
Molniya-1 satellite, was the first
Soviet communications satellite to be launched. However, it failed to achieve orbit due to a malfunction of the rocket which was carrying it.
It was intended to operate in a
Molniya orbit, from where it would be used to demonstrate communications between parts of the
USSR.
Launch
Molniya-1 No.2 was launched at 04:00 GMT on 4 June 1964, atop a
Molniya 8K78 launch vehicle, flying from
Site 1 at the
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome ( kk, Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, translit=Baiqoñyr ğaryş ailağy, ; russian: Космодром Байконур, translit=Kosmodrom Baykonur, ) is a spaceport in an area of southern Kazakhstan leased to R ...
.
A motor circuit in the
servo controlling the core stage throttle failed 104 seconds into the flight, resulting in the throttle becoming jammed closed and the fuel supply to the engines being stopped.
Prior to the release of information about its mission,
NASA had incorrectly identified the launch of Molniya-1 No.2 as a failed attempt to launch a
Zond spacecraft on a
circumlunar technology demonstration mission, and assigned it the placeholder designation ''
Zond 1964A
Zond program (Зонд; Russian for "probe") was a Soviet robotic spacecraft program launched between 1964 and 1970, using two spacecraft series, one for interplanetary exploration, and the other for lunar exploration.
Program details
The pro ...
''.
[ ]
References
Spacecraft launched in 1964
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