Talk:Luna 15

Untitled
This is a strange article, I am not sure where to start to rewrite. The otherwise probably factual second paragraph states that this was the 3rd Soviet attempt to return lunar sample. To my knowledge, it was a first such attempt. Their previous lunar probe, Luna 14 was a much smaller, less capable spacecraft.

In contrast, the first paragraph of the article is written in the criptic language of the Soviet propaganda of that time and gives no hint about the simple fact that the sole purpose of the prove was the sample return, which failed.


 * The confusion results from the Soviet practice of only designating each probe "Luna" after it had successfully been launched into orbit. There was at least one previous attempt (with the same design) which failed to reach orbit and thus did not officially exist. The date listed corresponds to Luna 1969B (which, I believe, is an unofficial Western designation) which is in Wikipedia. Also in Wikipedia is Luna 1969C, another unsuccessful attempt which would make Luna 15 the third such effort at a sample return. I have also heard doubts about whether or not Luna 15, had it been successful, would have been able to return it's sample to Earth before Apollo 11 anyway, but I'm not sure of the veracity of such statements. Given the relative sizes of the samples returned by the Luna program, one is also left to wonder to what degree Luna 15 could have possibly trumped the successful landing and return of Apollo 11.
 * 209.244.31.35 (talk) 23:52, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

One thing that I'm left unclear on is why the article states that Luna 15 was launched 3 days before Apollo 11. Luna 15 reached orbit on the 17th. I take it that it was launched the previous day, ie: July 16. Apollo 11 Launched on July 16. I gather the "3 days before" comes from the fact that Luna 1969B went up on July 14. Fuzzwah (talk) 01:12, 18 July 2009 (UTC)

With regard to "The simultaneous missions became one of the first instances of Soviet–American space cooperation...", Various references, including the currently cited reference in the article, as well as PBS American Experience "Chasing the Moon", convey that this communication was in no proper sense cooperation. The Soviets were trying to gate crash or scoop the Americans. Any communication was along the lines of Track 400 m dash where runner competing with each other 'agree' to stay in their one lanes. Such runners are definitely competing with each other, not cooperating, even if they agree not to crash into each other. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jaredroach (talk • contribs) 07:48, 21 August 2019 (UTC)

Apollo 11
In that Luna 15 was in orbit at the same time as Apollo 11, it would be worthwhile to mention if either one made direct observation of the other. A quick google didn't turn up any mention of this, but also no statement to the contrary. Either way it would be an interesting factoid for the article. Wyvern (talk) 09:06, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

Luna 15 is mentioned twice in the 4h long transmission footage on Apollo 11 in German television at the end of first 2h part in youtube: (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDcMyDUdcR0&t=1017s) One of the panel guy's (Mr. Lothar Loewe then Moscow corresponedent for major German television) comments on manual steering of Amstrong around when landing (1:57:38) with qouted news from Moscow as they say (he mentions) whatever you do with manned spaceships can be done with automated robots. Comments and scienctific article claim "Luna 15" is such an automatic station "Luna 15 is / the press hints / this, such a station and could land on the moon perform some experiments and return to earth." In the follow he adds that combination man and machine seems superior (refering to the manual and not automated landing); the failure of Luna 15 mission was for sure unkown at the moment) Around 1:59:10 he says there is no new news about Luna 15 and one has to wait on the newspaper of next day.... BTW: utmost strange, that there is not yet an Wiki article in German language on Luna 15;-) Frame dragging (talk)

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 * Luna-16.jpg

Intermediate orbit
The article says "Luna 15 was placed in an intermediate Earth orbit": can anybody confirm that it is the same orbit describes in Medium Earth orbit ? Thanks --FabC (talk) 14:39, 2 May 2020 (UTC)