Luna 15 Flight Profile
Red Moon
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All time references based on actual historical Luna 15 figures.

1.) 13 July 1998 05:54:40.32 Moscow time - Liftoff of Luna 15 (Promothei - Feniks) from Launch Complex 81P at Chelomei wing of Tyuratam (Launch vehicle 8K82K / Block D 11S824 s/n 242-01 / Spacecraft Ye-8-5 s/n 401).

2.) 13 Jul 1969 05:56:47.82 Moscow time - Stage one separation after Stage two 'fire in the hole' ignition.

3.) 13 Jul 1969 05:57:45.52 Moscow time - Nose fairing jettison.

4.) 13 Jul 1969 06:00:18.72 Moscow time - Stage two separation. Third stage ignites 2.38 seconds later.

5.) 13 Jul 1969 06:04:39.12 Moscow time - Third stage separation. Insertion in earth parking orbit 182 km x 247 km, 51.6 degree inclination, 88.7 minute period.

6.) 13 Jul 1969 - Block D / Feniks in parking orbit for just over one revolution for systems checkout and guidance update.

7.) 13 Jul 1969 07:14:40.32 Moscow time - Block D fires for 436.5 seconds to provide a delta V of 3,137 m/s to place Feniks on translunar trajectory.

8.) 13 Jul 1969 07:22:23.82 Moscow time - Block D shutdown. Feniks separates from Block D and begins coast to lunar orbit.

9.) 15 and 16 July 1998 - Feniks makes two midcourse corrections.

10.) 17 July 1969 10:47:00.11 Moscow time - As it passes around the far side of the moon, out of radio contact with earth, Feniks fires its engine for 210.52 seconds, using 1,295 kg of fuel, makes a delta v change of 809 m/s, and brakes into a 240 x 870 km elliptical lunar orbit inclined 126 degrees to the lunar equator.

11.) 17 July 1969 - After lunar orbit insertion, Feniks jettisons its depleted auxiliary propellant tanks.

12.) 18, 19, 20 July 1969 - Feniks makes a series of maneuvers to circularize its orbit to 110 km altitude. These consume 265 kg of propellant.

13.) 21 July 1969 17:50:21.56 Moscow time - On the far side of the moon, Feniks fires its engine for 5.64 seconds, using 35 kg of propellant, and brakes into a 110 km x 16 km orbit to begin it descent towards the landing site.

14.) 21 July 1969 18:46:27.85 Moscow time - Feniks begins full thrust descent to lunar surface at an altitude of 16 km above the surface. Three and a half minutes later, at 600 m above the surface, the automatic height sounding system engages.

15.) 21 July 1969 18:51:30.12 Moscow time - Feniks lands on the surface of the moon at 17 degrees N, 60 deg E.

-- Mark Wade, Encyclopedia Astronautica