Luna 10

Luna 10
	Luna 10 mockup, Le Bourget (France)
Mission type	Lunar orbiter
Operator	Soviet space program
COSPAR ID	1966-027A
SATCAT no.	02126
Mission duration	60 days
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	E-6S
Manufacturer	GSMZ Lavochkin
Launch mass	1,583.7 kg
Dry mass	540 kg
Start of mission
Launch date	31 March 1966, 10:46:59 UTC
Rocket	Molniya-M 8K78M
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 31/6
End of mission
Last contact	30 May 1966
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Selenocentric
Periselene altitude	349 km
Aposelene altitude	1015 km
Inclination	71.9°
Period	178.05 minutes
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertion	3 April 1966, 18:44 GMT
Instruments
	Magnetometer; Gamma-ray spectrometer; Five gas-discharge counters; Two ion traps/charged particle trap; Piezoelectric micrometeorite detector; Infrared detector; Low-energy x-ray photon counters
	Luna programme ← Kosmos 111 Luna 11 →

Luna 10 (or Lunik 10) was a 1966 Soviet lunar robotic spacecraft mission in the Luna program. It was the first artificial satellite of the Moon.^[2]

Luna 10 conducted extensive research in lunar orbit, gathering important data on the strength of the Moon's magnetic field,^[3] its radiation belts, and the nature of lunar rocks (which were found to be comparable to terrestrial basalt rocks),^[4] cosmic radiation, and micrometeoroid density. Perhaps its most important finding was the first evidence of mass concentrations (called "mascons") — areas of high density below the mare basins that distort lunar orbital trajectories.^[5]^[6] Their discovery has usually been credited to the American Lunar Orbiter series.

^ ^a ^b Siddiqi, Asif (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF) (second ed.). NASA History Program Office. ISBN 9781626830431.
^ Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). The NASA history series (second ed.). Washington, D.C.: NASA History Program Office. p. 1. ISBN 9781626830424. LCCN 2017059404. SP2018-4041.
^ Measurements of the Magnetic Field in the Vicinity of the Moon on the AMS LUNA-10 (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
^ "Measurements of Gamma Radiation of the Lunar Surface on the Space Station LUNA-10" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^ Harvey, Brian (17 August 2007). Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780387739762 – via Google Books.
^ Determination of the Gravitational Field of the Moon by the Motion of the AMs LUNA-10 (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022.

[beyond-1] Siddiqi, Asif (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF) (second ed.). NASA History Program Office. ISBN 9781626830431.

[2] Siddiqi, Asif A. (2018). Beyond Earth: A Chronicle of Deep Space Exploration, 1958–2016 (PDF). The NASA history series (second ed.). Washington, D.C.: NASA History Program Office. p. 1. ISBN 9781626830424. LCCN 2017059404. SP2018-4041.

[3] Measurements of the Magnetic Field in the Vicinity of the Moon on the AMS LUNA-10 (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022.

[auto1-4] "Measurements of Gamma Radiation of the Lunar Surface on the Space Station LUNA-10" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

[5] Harvey, Brian (17 August 2007). Soviet and Russian Lunar Exploration. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780387739762 – via Google Books.

[6] Determination of the Gravitational Field of the Moon by the Motion of the AMs LUNA-10 (PDF) (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2022.

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