The Space Race was a technological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in demonstrating superiority in aerospace capabilities, including artificial satellites launches, robotic space probes to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and human spaceflight in low Earth orbit and ultimately landing on the Moon. This blog features my collection of US and Soviet Union space events on covers and press photos.
1963-04-02 USSR Luna 4
Luna 4, launched by the Soviet Union on April 2, 1963, was intended as an attempt to achieve a soft landing on the moon. However, its engine failed to ignite for a trajectory correction, preventing the spacecraft from reaching its destination. Contact was lost when it passed within 9,300 kilometers (5,780 miles) of the moon.